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Further Chronicles Of Avonlea: 10. The Son Of His Mother
by
“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.”
“And Chester–where is he?” demanded Thyra.
Carl and Cynthia looked at each other.
“Well, Thyra,” said the latter, “the fact is, he’s over there in our yard this blessed minute. Carl brought him home from the harbor, but I wouldn’t let him come over until we had prepared you for it. He’s waiting for you there.”
Thyra made a quick step in the direction of the gate. Then she turned, with a little of the glow dying out of her face.
“No, there’s one has a better right to go to him first. I can atone to him–thank God, I can atone to him!”
She went into the house and called Damaris. As the girl came down the stairs Thyra held out her hands with a wonderful light of joy and renunciation on her face.
“Damaris,” she said, “Chester has come back to us–the sea has given him back to us. He is over at Carl White’s house. Go to him, my daughter, and bring him to me!”