, for she ate little and was very quiet.
She was the first to hear an unusual sound outside, and, jumping up, ran
to the window.

"Somebody's drivin' into the yard," she said. "Who on airth would be
comin' here such a day as this?"

Captain Jerry joined her at the window.

"It's Abner Mayo's horse," he said. "Maybe it's Perez comin' home."

It was not Captain Perez, but Mr. Mayo himself, as they saw when the
rubber blanket fastened across the front of the buggy was dropped and
the driver sprang out. Mrs. Snow opened the door for him.

"Hello, Abner!" exclaimed Captain Jerry, as the newcomer stopped to
knock the snow from his boots before coming in, "what have you done to
Perez? Goin' to keep him for a steady boarder?"

But Mr. Mayo had important news to communicate, and he did not intend
to lose the effect of his sensation by springing it without due
preparation. He took off his hat and mittens and solemnly declined a
proffered chair.

"Cap'n Burgess," he said, "I've got somethin' to tell you--somethin'
awful. The whole life-savin' crew but one is drownded, and Cap'n Eri
Hedge--"

An exclamation from Mrs. Snow interrupted him. The housekeeper clasped
her hands together tightly and sank into a chair. She was very white.
Elsie ran to her.

"What is it, Mrs. Snow?" she asked.

"Nothin', nothin'! Go on, Mr. Mayo. Go on!"

The bearer of ill-tidings, gratified at the result of his first attempt,
proceeded deliberately:

"And Cap'n Hedge and Luther Davis are over at the station pretty nigh
dead. If it wa'n't for the Cap'n, Luther'd have gone, too. Eri took a
dory and went off and picked him up. Perez come over to my house and
told us about it, and Pashy's gone back with him to see to her brother.
I didn't go down to the store this mornin', 'twas stormin' so, but as
soon as I heard I harnessed up to come and tell you."

Then, in answer to the hurried questions of Captain Jerry and Elsie, Mr.
Mayo told the whole story as far as he knew it. Mrs. Snow said nothing,
but sat with her hands still clasped in her lap.

"Luther is ha'f drownded and froze," concluded Abner, "and the Cap'n
got a bang with an oar when they jumped out of the dory that, Perez
is afraid, broke his arm. I'm goin' right back to git Dr. Palmer. They
tried to telephone him, but the wire's down."

"Dear! dear! dear!" exclaimed Captain Jerry, completely demoralized by
the news. "That's dreadful! I must go right down there, mustn't I? The
poor fe