ever been heard from him since. Judge Huntingdon said it was a pity, for
even if he was guilty he thought he could have got him off, there being
nothing but circumstantial evidence.

Well, it nearly killed his father and mother and Emmett Potter, too.

It came out then that Emmett was engaged to Belle. For nearly a year he
grieved about Dan's disappearance. Seems he took it to heart so that he
couldn't bear to do any of the things they'd always done together or go
to the old places. Belle had her wedding dress made and thought if she
could once get him down to Truro to live, he'd brace up and get over it.

They had settled on the day, when one wild, stormy night word came that a
vessel was pounding itself to pieces off Peaked Hill Bar, and the life-
saving crew was starting to the rescue. Emmett lit out to see it, and
when something happened to the breeches buoy so they couldn't use it, he
was the first to answer when the call came for volunteers to man a boat
to put out to them. He would have had a medal if he'd lived to wear it,
for he saved five lives that night. But he lost his own the last time he
climbed up on the vessel. Nobody knew whether it was a rope gave way or
whether his fingers were so nearly frozen he couldn't hold on, but he
dropped into that raging sea, and his body was washed up on the beach
next day.

Georgina listened, horrified.

"And Belle with her wedding dress all ready," said Cousin Mehitable with
a husky sigh.

"What became of her?" asked the minister's wife.