Show TYE FIC TION CORNER THE HURRICANE CANDLE by EDWIN RUTT III jil HE landlord was very old he moved w with I 1 th slow alm tentative steps as if 11 afraid that thai his legs might buckla ackle and collapse under the w weight eight ot of his great shrunken body ills his hair was the color of 0 bleached silver the backs ot of his hands were mottled and the tha veins sto starkly blue but his face had the somber dignity that the sea stamps upon those who follow her you discount this man because he was old he had presence hurlow and I 1 were on our way to barsett banks for some fishing and the old inn had appealed to me we had a creditable dinner cooked and served by a portuguese woman ashes a white Porty gee mr the landlord ex gained get along without KT r she comes early and goes late we were the only guests indeed I 1 gathered that people staying the night there were few and far between alter 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 toot foot of the bluff presently the old man got up and went out he returned shortly carrying a lighted candle id never seen an arrangement just like it before the candle was set in a candlestick but the flame itself was protected by a high chimney blown in the shape of a gigantic drinking glass g ass the purpose of this was obvious the large chimney would protect the flame against being snuffed out by wind was interested H HURLOW 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 em in the I 1 tropics my grandfather brought this one from the west indies that was a long time ago now but why put it in the window warlow burlow pursued for a moment the old man looked at mm 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 four generations As long as weve owned this tan inn As long as theres been Hendrick sons at sea and are there Hendrick sons at sea now I 1 ventured the old mans eyes lighted theres one my son tom been on boats since he was wai eighteen same as me same as my father and grandfather before me I 1 like to pry into 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 asked ile he reckoned on his fingers lets seel I 1 was forty eight when tom was born that would make him ten twenty toms thirty five now it if hes a day ile he aint been home 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 forem 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 alwa always ys 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 know his voice trailed 1 I dont know room the old man never st stirred irrel the candle flame wavered again le lets t Is take that candle away from th the 0 wind window ow 11 I 1 said the wind must be getting at it through the chinks how can it with that gloss gliss ding dingus s said hurlow ali 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 menta tors voice rose 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 lie wits was lost and the man unfortunately was an american able bodied seaman thomas hendrickson was swept to his death from the tanker pocohontas when the gale struck port of spain harbor THE HE words seemed to crash like strayed rayed lightning into the room for a second we stared at one another in stunned silence then hurlow gasped hendrickson Hendricks orV and snapped off the radio ale KV 7 V e T 1 J the old man was still in hla his chair but his head seemed 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 wa s a whine in the wind its getting rough ou out t there hurlow said I 1 looked at the old man he had fallen asle asleep ep in his chair hes pretty ancient I 1 said hurlow was walking around this is an eerie place he said all at once the candle flickered that candles getting low I 1 remarked think we ought to wake him efty why 1 1 I dont know but bt he want it to go out hurlow began exploring in a corner hello he said presently A radio turn it on and you will wake him I 1 s said aid 1 I doubt it hurlow huriod spun the dials low silky music stole sto i e into the I 1 wheeled around then the old oil man was still in his chair but his head seemed to have dropped further on one side and he had slumped down suddenly hurlow darted across the room and took hold of his wrist but he straightened up presently and turned to me a puzzled 7 led hau half frightened expression on his face ace Some things wrong jimmy he said 1 I I 1 cant find 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 taint faint hiss the hurricane hur rican candle guttered and we went nt out i |