Ticket No. 9672 (11 page)

Sylvius Hogg was left alone.

"Poor child! poor child!" he murmured. "Yes, I have made her forget
her sorrow for a few moments. But the delay has been a long one; and
the sea is very rough at this season of the year. What if the 'Viking'
has indeed gone down, and Ole should never return!"

A moment afterward the professor was busily engaged in writing to his
Bergen friend. He asked for the fullest possible particulars in regard
to everything connected with the "Viking" and her cruise, and inquired
if some event, unforeseen or otherwise, had made it necessary to send
the vessel to a different port from that for which it was originally
destined. He also expressed a strong desire to hear as soon as
possible how the shipping merchants and sailors of Bergen explained
the delay. In short, he begged his friend Help to give him all
possible information in regard to the matter by return mail.

This urgent letter also explained Sylvius Hogg's interest in the mate
of the "Viking," the invaluable service rendered him by the young
man's betrothed, and the pleasure it would afford him to be able to
give some encouragement to Dame Hansen's children.

As soon as this letter was finished Joel took it to Moel so it would
go on the following day. It would reach Bergen on the eleventh, so a
reply to it ought to be received on the evening of the twelfth or the
morning of the thirteenth at the very latest.

Nearly three days of dreary waiting! How interminable they seemed!
Still, by dint of reassuring words and encouraging arguments, the
professor contrived to alleviate the painful suspense. Now he knew
Hulda's secret, was there not a topic of conversation ever ready? And
what a consolation it was to Joel and his sister to be able to talk of
the absent one!

"I am one of the family now," Sylvius Hogg repeated again and again.
"Yes, I am like an uncle that has just arrived from America or some
foreign land."

And as he was one of the family, they must have no more secrets from
him.

Of course he had not failed to notice the children's constrained
manner toward their mother, and he felt satisfied that the reserve the
parent displayed had its origin in something besides the uneasiness
she felt on Ole Kamp's account. He thought he might venture to
question Joel; but the latter was unable to give any satisfactory
reply. The professor than ventured to sound Dame Hansen on the
subject, but she was so uncommunicative that he was obliged to abandon
all hope of obtaining any knowledge of her secret until some future
day.

As Sylvius Hogg had predicted, the letter from Help, Junior, reached
Dal on the morning of the thirteenth. Joel started out before daylight
to meet the postman, and it was he who brought the letter into the
large hall where the professor was sitting with Dame Hansen and her
daughter.

There was a moment's silence. Hulda, who was as pale as death, was
unable to utter a word so violent was the throbbing of her heart, but
she seized the hand of her brother, who was equally agitated, and held
it tightly.

Sylvius Hogg opened the letter and read it aloud.

To his great regret the missive contained only some very
vague information; and the professor was unable to conceal his
disappointment from the young people who listened to the letter with
tears in their eyes.

The "Viking" had left Saint-Pierre-Miquelon on the date mentioned in
Ole Kamp's last letter. This fact had been established by the reports
received from other vessels which had reached Bergen since the
"Viking's" departure from Newfoundland. These vessels had seen nothing
of the missing ship on their homeward voyage, but they had encountered
very bad weather in the neighborhood of Iceland. Still they had
managed to weather the gales; so it was possible that the "Viking" had
been equally fortunate, and had merely been delayed somewhere, or had
put into some port for repairs. The "Viking" was a stanch craft, very
substantially built, and commanded by Captain Frikel, of Hammersfest,
a thoroughly competent officer. Still, this delay was alarming, and if
it continued much longer there would be good reason to fear that the
"Viking" had gone down with all on board.

The writer regretted that he had no better news to give the young
Hansens, and spoke of Ole Kamp in the most complimentary terms.
He concluded his letter by assuring the professor of his sincere
friendship, and that of his family, and by promising to send him
without delay any intelligence that might be received at any Norwegian
port, in relation to the "Viking."

Poor Hulda sunk half fainting into a chair while Sylvius Hogg was
reading this letter, and she was sobbing violently when he concluded
its perusal.

Joel, with his arms folded tightly upon his breast, listened in
silence, without daring to glance at his sister.

Dame Hansen, as soon as the reading was concluded, went up to her
room. She seemed to have been expecting the blow.

The professor beckoned Hulda and her brother to his side. He wanted to
talk with them calmly and sensibly on the subject, and he expressed a
confidence that was singular, to say the least, after Help, Junior's
letter. They had no reason to despair. Were there not countless
examples of protracted delays while navigating the seas that lie
between Norway and Newfoundland? Yes, unquestionably. And was not the
"Viking" a strong craft, well officered, and manned by an excellent
crew, and consequently in a much better condition than many of the
vessels that had come safely into port? Most assuredly.

"So let us continue to hope," he added, "and wait. If the 'Viking'
had been wrecked between Iceland and Newfoundland the numerous vessels
that follow the same route to reach Europe would certainly have seen
some trace of the disaster. But no, not a single floating plank
or spar did they meet on the whole of this route, which is so much
frequented at the conclusion of the fishing season. Still, we must
take measures to secure information of a more positive nature. If we
receive no further news of the 'Viking' during the coming week, nor
any letter from Ole, I shall return to Christiania and ask the Naval
Department to make careful inquiries, and I feel sure that the result
will prove eminently satisfactory to all concerned."

In spite of the hopeful manner assumed by the professor, Joel and
Hulda both felt that he did not speak as confidently as he had spoken
before the receipt of the letter from Bergen—a letter whose contents
gave them little if any grounds for hope. In fact, Sylvius Hogg no
longer dared to venture any allusion to the approaching marriage of
Hulda and Ole Kamp, though he said to himself again and again:

"No, no, it is impossible! Ole Kamp never cross the threshold of Dame
Hansen's house again? Ole not marry Hulda? Nothing will ever make me
believe such a misfortune possible."

He was perfectly sincere in this conviction. It was due to the energy
of his character, to a spirit of hopefulness that nothing could crush.
But how could he hope to convince others, especially those whom the
fate of the "Viking" affected so directly?

A few days were allowed to elapse. Sylvius Hogg, who was now entirely
well, took a long walk every day, and persuaded Hulda and her brother
to accompany him. One day all three of them went up the valley of
Vesfjorddal half-way to the falls of the Rjukan. The next day they
went to Moel and Lake Tinn. Once they were even absent twenty-four
hours. This time they prolonged their excursion to Bamble, where the
professor made the acquaintance of Farmer Helmboe and his daughter
Siegfrid. What a cordial welcome the latter gave to her friend Hulda,
and what words of tenderness she found to console her!

Here, too, Sylvius Hogg did all in his power to encourage these worthy
people. He had written to the Navy Department, and the government was
investigating the matter. Ole would certainly return at no distant
day. He might drop in upon them, indeed, at any moment. No; the
wedding would not have to be postponed more than six weeks! The good
man seemed so thoroughly convinced of all this, that his auditors were
influenced rather by his firm conviction than by his arguments.

This visit to the Helmboe family did the young Hansens good, and they
returned home much calmer than they went away.

At last the fifteenth of June came. The "Viking" was now exactly one
month overdue; and as the distance from Newfoundland to the coast of
Norway is comparatively short, this delay was beyond all reason, even
for a sailing-vessel.

Hulda seemed to have abandoned all hope; and her brother could not
find a single word to say by way of encouragement. In the presence
of these poor, unhappy creatures, the professor realized the utter
futility of any well-meant attempt at consolation. Hulda and Joel
crossed the threshold only to stand and gaze in the direction of Moel,
or to walk up the road leading to Rjukanfos. Ole Kamp would probably
come by the way of Bergen, but he might come by way of Christiania
if the destination of the "Viking" had been changed. The sound of an
approaching kariol, a hasty cry, the form of a man suddenly rounding
a curve in the road made their hearts beat wildly; but all for naught.
The good people of Dal were also eagerly watching. Not unfrequently
they went half-way to meet the postman. Everybody was deeply
interested, for the Hansen family was exceedingly popular in the
neighborhood; and poor Ole was almost a child of the Telemark. But no
letter came from Bergen or Christiania giving news of the absent one.

Nothing new occurred on the sixteenth. Sylvius Hogg could scarcely
restrain his restlessness. He began to understand that he must proceed
to act in person, so he announced to his friends that if no news was
received on the following day he should go to Christiania and satisfy
himself that nothing had been left undone. Of course, it was hard
for him to leave Hulda and Joel, but there was no help for it; and he
would return as soon as his task was accomplished.

On the seventeenth a greater part of the most wretched day they had
ever spent together passed without bringing any new developments. It
had rained incessantly since early morning; the wind was blowing a
gale, and the rain dashed fiercely against the window on the side of
the house nearest the Maan.

Seven o'clock came. They had just finished dinner, which had been
eaten in profound silence, as if in a house of mourning. Even Sylvius
Hogg had been unable to keep up the conversation. What could he say
that he had not already said a hundred times before?

"I shall start for Christiania to-morrow morning," he remarked at
last. "Joel, I wish you would procure a kariol and drive me to Moel."

"Very well, Mr. Sylvius. But wouldn't you like me to accompany you
further?"

The professor shook his head, with a meaning glance at Hulda, for he
did not want to see her separated from her brother.

Just then a sound, which was as yet scarcely audible, was heard on the
road in the direction of Moel. They all listened breathlessly. Soon
all doubts vanished. It was the sound of an approaching kariol coming
swiftly toward Dal. Was the occupant some traveler who intended to
spend the night at the inn? This was scarcely probable, as tourists
rarely arrived at so late an hour.

Hulda sprung up trembling in every limb. Joel went to the door, opened
it and looked out.

The noise grew louder It was certain the clatter of horse's hoofs
blended with, the roll of kariol wheels; but the storm without was so
violent that Joel was obliged to close the door.

Sylvius Hogg tramped up and down the room in a perfect fever of
impatience. Joel and his sister held each other tightly by the hand.

The kariol could not be more than twenty yards from the house now.
Would it pause or go by?

The hearts of all three throbbed to suffocation.

The kariol stopped. They heard a voice calling; but it was not the
voice of Ole Kamp!

Almost immediately some one rapped at the door.

Joel opened it.

A man stood upon the threshold.

"Is Mr. Sylvius Hogg here?" he asked.

"I am he," replied the professor. "Who are you, my friend?"

"A messenger sent to you by the Secretary of the Navy at Christiania."

"Have you a letter for me?"

"Yes, sir; here it is."

And the messenger handed him a large envelope sealed with the
Government seal.

Hulda's limbs tottered under her, and her brother sprung forward and
placed her in a chair. Neither of them dared to ask Sylvius Hogg to
open the letter.

At last he broke the seal and read the following:

"MR. PROFESSOR,—In reply to your last letter, I inclose a paper
picked up at sea on the 3d instant by a Danish vessel. Unfortunately
this discovery dispels any lingering doubt as to the fate of the
'Viking'—"

Sylvius Hogg, without taking time to read the rest of the letter, drew
the paper from the envelope. He looked at it; he turned it over.

It was a lottery ticket bearing the number 9672.

On the other side of the ticket were the following lines:

"May 3d.

"DEAREST HULDA,—The 'Viking' is going down. I have only this ticket
left of all I hoped to bring back to you. I intrust it to God's hands,
hoping that it may reach you safely; and as I shall not be there, I
beseech you to be present at the drawing. Accept the ticket with
my last thought of you. Hulda, do not forget me in your prayers.
Farewell, my beloved, farewell!

"OLE KAMP."

So this was the young man's secret! This was the source from which he
expected to derive a fortune for his promised bride—a lottery ticket,
purchased before his departure. And as the "Viking" was going down,
he inclosed the ticket in a bottle and threw it into the sea with the
last farewell for Hulda.

This time Sylvius Hogg was completely disconcerted. He looked at the
letter, then at the ticket. He was speechless with dismay. Besides,
what could he say? How could any one doubt that the "Viking" had gone
down with all on board?