Thyra felt herself growing sick with fear. Had anything happened
to Damaris? A glimpse of the girl, sewing by an upper window of
the house, reassured her.
"Oh, Thyra, Thyra!" gasped Cynthia.
"Can you stand some good news, Thyra?" asked Carl, in a trembling
voice. "Very, very good news!"
Thyra looked wildly from one to the other.
"There's but one thing you would dare to call good news to me,"
she cried. "Is it about--about--"
"Chester! Yes, it's about Chester! Thyra, he is alive--he's
safe--he and Joe, both of them, thank God! Cynthia, catch her!"
"No, I am not going to faint," said Thyra, steadying herself by
Cynthia's shoulder. "My son alive! How did you hear? How did
it happen? Where has he been?"
"I heard it down at the harbor, Thyra. Mike McCready's vessel,
the _Nora Lee_, was just in from the Magdalens. Ches and Joe got
capsized the night of the storm, but they hung on to their boat
somehow, and at daybreak they were picked up by the _Nora Lee_,
bound for Quebec. But she was damaged by the storm and blown
clear out of her course. Had to put into the Magdalens for
repairs, and has been there ever since. The cable to the islands
was out of order, and no vessels call there this time of year for
mails. If it hadn't been an extra open season the _Nora Lee_
wouldn't have got away, but would have had to stay there till
spring. You never saw such rejoicing as there was this morning
at the harbor, when the _Nora Lee_ came in, flying flags at the
mast head.
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