Show THE HURRICANE CANDLE by EDWIN VIN RUTT BUTT landlord was very old lie he THE arhe moved with slow tentative steps as it if afraid that his legs might buckle and collapse under the weight elg ht of his great shrunken body ills his hair was the color of bleached silver tile the backs of at his hands bands were mottled led and the veins stood out starkly blue but his face had the somber dignity that the sea stamps upon those who follo follow w her you discount this man because he was old he had presence fiurlow and I 1 were on our way to marsett banks tor for some fishing and too the old inn had appealed to me we had bad a creditable dinner cooked and served by a portuguese woman ashes A a white Porty gee mr hendrickson the landlord explained pla ined get along without ter her she comes early and goes late we gewere were the only guests indeed I 1 gathered that people staying the night there were few and tar far between after dinner we sat in a low beamed room that overlooked the sea far below we could hear the atlantic snarling and raving at the foot of the bluff presently the old man got up and went out lie he returned shortly carrying a lighted candle id never seen an arrangement just like it before the candle was set in a candlestick burthe flame itself was prote protected acted by a high chimney blown in the shape of a gigantic drinking glass the purpose of this was oa obvious the large chimney would protect the flame against being out by wind HURLOW was interested L A that he asked you had to raise your voice when you spoke to mr hendrickson the old man set the candle in the window it cast a dull livid light a hurricane candle he explained they use lern em in the tropics my grandfather brought this one from the west indies that was a long time ago now but why put it in the window hurlow pursued for a moment the old man looked at him blankly why he said at last urn um I 1 dont know as I 1 rightly know why because it always has stood in that window at night I 1 expect for dour our generations As long as weve owned this inn As long as theres been Hendrick sons at sea and are there Hendrick sons at sea ecanow eean now ow I 1 ventured the old mans eyes lighted theres one my son tom been on boats since he was eighteen same as me same as my father and grandfather before me uke like to pry hito anto his business but I 1 was curious about this queer custom of burning the candle how old would your son be now mr hendrickson I 1 ask asked ed he reckoned on his fingers lets seel I 1 was forty eight when tom was born that would make him ten twenty toms abl thirty y five now if hes heis a day he aint been home born e for seven years something like a sigh sounded but hell come the Hendrick sons always come back hell take the inn here when im gone hell marry and have sons and like as not hell burn the candle for ern em when they grow up and go away to sea its a nice custom I 1 said inadequately qua tely custom said the old man yes what it Is A custom always done it and I 1 expect well go on doing it until we dont own this old inn any more or maybe until all the Hendrick sons are gone I 1 dont amow his voice trailed 1 I dont know room the old man never stirred the candle name flame wavered again lets take that candle away from the window I 1 said the wind must be getting at it through the chinks how can it with that gliss dingus said hurlow ah ha heres a news commentator the news commentator came on crisply A strike in minneapolis I 1 listened without much interest suddenly unexpectedly the news commentators in menta enta tors I 1 voice rose rosa higher port of spain trinidad A violent hurricane struck trinidad this afternoon destroying property valued at half a million dollars but so far as can be learned only one life was lost and the tee man unfortunately was an american able bodi bod i led seaman beaman thomas hendrickson was swept to his death irom from the tanker pocohontas when the gale struck port of spain harbor THE T HE words seemed to crash like strayed lightning lightn ing into the room for a second we stared at one another in stunned silence then hurlow gasped hendrickson and snapped off the radio Z 31 71 11 R N A 4 the old man was still in his chair but Ws his head seer ried to have dropped further on one side have you any other sons inquired hurlow no no more sons and no daughters at all just the one just tom outside the sea was banging the cliff with more force ponderous smacking blows there was a whine in the wind its getting rough out there hurlow said I 1 looked at the old man lie he had fallen asleep in his chair hes pretty ancient I 1 said hurlow was walking around this is an eerie place he said sadi all at once the candle flickered that candles getting low I 1 remarked think we ought to wake him chy 1 I dont know but he want it to go out hurlow began exploring in a corner hello he said presently A radio p turn it on and you will wake him I 1 said 1 I doubt it hurlow spun the dials low silky music stole into the I 1 wheeled around then the old man was still in his chair but his head seemed to have dropped further on one oho side and he had slumped down suddenly hurlow darted across the room and took hold ot of his wrist but he straightened up presently and turned to me a puzzled half frightened expression on his face Some things wrong jimmy he said 11 1 II I I 1 cant field his pulse and he he breathing I 1 leaped to my feet but stopped before I 1 could take a stride A queer gray shadow seemed to steal across the room there was a faint flicker of light a faint hiss the n candle guttered and went out I 1 |