“To say good-night to my Gran.”
Then realization came. “She isn’t there,” he whispered, and, turning, went silently upstairs.
In his prayers that night he stumbled. “Bless granfäather——” he prayed, and stopped. Then, “an’ please God kiss my Granny good-night for me,” he asked, “an’ make me a brave, good boy.”
As Mrs. Tregennis went downstairs Tregennis came in from the sea. “Ellen,” he said, in an awestruck voice, “Ellen, Old John ’e be drownded.”
“Can’t be,” said Mrs. Tregennis. “Why, he was here but an hour agone. You see’d ’e yourself, Tom.”
Tregennis nodded. “He was lobster-catchin’, Crudely way. The men were seine-fishin’ an’ up on the cliffs the ’ooers was a-’ooin of ’em on. Old John he looked up at the ’ooers an’ somehow missed atween the rocks and his boat and slippen down. Seiners they came up quick, but they haven’t found ’e yet. I wanted just to come in an’ tell ee, Ellen, didn’t want ee to hear accident-like. I must go back now and help,” and Tregennis returned to do what he could.
But not until late the next day did they find Old John’s body. John, his son, put on his father’s best clothes, and idled on the front while the fishermen of Draeth dragged the water near the Crudely rocks. When he found anyone willing to listen to him he spoke. “Funny thing,” he muttered, “very funny thing. Fäather’s been to sea all these years, an’ never got drownded afore. Very funny thing it do be for sure, an’ what be I a-goin’ to do now?”