strange face to shore? Thee didn't know him. A little
face, full o' th' laugh an' joke, an' brown curls blown by the wind."

"The salt's in my eyes. I can't rightly see, Mother Phebe."

The surgeon saw Doctor Bowdler waiting, pale and haggard, his fat little
arms outstretched: the sea had spared him by some whim, then. When the
men lifted him out, another familiar face looked down on him: it was
Mary. She had run into the surf with them, and held his head in her
arms.

"I love you! I love you!" she sobbed, kissing his hand.

"There be a fire up by the bathing-houses, an' hot coffee," said old
Doctor Dennis, with a kindly, shrewd glance at the famous surgeon. "Miss
Defourchet and Snap made it for you. _She_ knew you, lying in the
yawl."

Birkenshead, keeping her hand, turned to the forlorn figure standing
shivering alone, holding both palms pressed to her temples, her gray
hair and clothes dripping.

"Thee don't tell me that he's here, Bowlegs," she said. "There might be
some things the wrackers hes found up in the bathin'-houses. There
might,--in the bathin'-houses. It's the last day,--it's twenty year"----

Doctor Birkenshead looked down at the beautiful flushed face pressed
close to his side, then pushed it slowly from him. He went over to where
the old woman stood, and kneeled beside her in the sand, drawing her
down to him.

"Mother," he said, "it's Derrick, mother. Don't you know your boy?"

With the words the boy's true spirit seemed to come back to
him,--Derrick Trull again, who went with such a hot, indignant heart to
win money and place for the old mother at home. He buried his head in
her knees, as she crouched over him, silent, passing her hands quickly
and lightly over his face.

"God forgive me!" he cried. "Take my head in your arms, mother, as you
used to do. Nobody has loved me as you did. Mother! mother!"

Phebe Trull did not speak one word. She drew her son's head close into
her trembling old arms, and held it there motionless. It was an old way
she had of caressing him.

Doctor Dennis drew the eager, wondering crowd away from them.

"I don't understand," said Doctor Bowdler, excitedly.

"I do," said his niece, and, sitting down in the sand, looked out
steadfastly to sea.----

Bow-legged Phil drove the anchor into the beach, and pulled it idly out
again.

"I've some 'ut here for you, Phil," said Joe, gravely. "The water washed
it up."

The fellow's teeth chattered as he took it.