Voyage of the Dreadnaught: Four Stella Madison Capers by Lilly Maytree

with everyone else, too. And one day we
may just wake up and realize we are actually starting to resemble
God, Himself. ‘From glory to glory,’ as the scriptures tell us.
Just by watching what He does for us every day. Looking for it,
even.”
    “Sounds wonderful when you put it that way,
Oliver. Changing for the better, I mean.”
    “It’s a miracle, my dear… an out and out
miracle!”

     

Author’s Note
     
    Benjamin Franklin, who was quoted at the
beginning of this story, was a man who threw in his lot with
others, against impossible odds, many different times during his
life.
    Difficulties that were overcome not so much
because he was a good businessman, an avid scientist and inventor,
or even an amazing diplomat. But because, as he said, “Our prayers,
Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who
were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances
of a Superintending providence in our favor.”
    I find it interesting during research, to
discover how much those who do great things seemed to have been
"divinely prepared" beforehand. Benjamin Franklin is a good example
of this. Even though he was born into a large working-class family
(one of the youngest of 17 children), and had to be apprenticed
into a trade at the age of twelve, he was raised by Puritan
parents, and eventually settled in Philadelphia: that productive
"experimental city" established under the Quaker influence of
William Penn. The “city of brotherly love.”
    I also found it interesting that Franklin
did his most important—and most difficult—work after the age of
seventy. In his famous autobiography, he put together a list of
personal “virtues” he lived by that he felt were vital to his
success, especially in working with others. You can find this
short, easy-to-read ebook, for free, via the following link.
    I feel richer for having read it,
myself.
     
    http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36151/36151-h/36151-h.htm
     
     
     

 

THE PUSHOVER
PLOT
    Stella Madison Caper
    #4

To those who have had to contend with
the darker side of supernatural—may you never be left
there.

“ A lie that is half-truth
is the darkest of all lies.”
    Alfred Tennyson

1
    Stella Madison walked down the long
dark hallway and deliberately ignored the flutter of fear it gave
her. It was ridiculous, really, considering how many others were
nearby who wouldn’t hesitate to respond to any call for help. Then
a regular jolt replaced that flutter, because she suddenly
remembered how often her own fears had robbed her of her voice in
the most desperate hours. Something which made her revert to the
old childhood trick of darting from safety to safety as fast as she
possibly could.
    So, having left the warm
comfort at the side of her sleeping husband, she veered to the
left, toward what had originally been known as the First Mate’s
cabin, to listen for the deep, reassuring snores of Mason Jeffries.
Then to the faint sliver of light shining beneath Gerald’s door
(who still slept with a light on to “orient himself” even though
they had all been aboard the Dreadnaught for nearly a month).
After that, it was only a hop and a skip to the galley, where
Millie left a light on over the stove in case anyone should get
hungry in the middle of the night and come looking for a
snack.
    In fact, she began to hear
somebody moving around in there, as she got closer, along with the
distinctly delicious smell of Ovaltine (why, she hadn’t tasted any
of that in years!). Evidence that someone beside herself hadn’t
been able to sleep, either. How nice it would be to enjoy a quiet
chat instead of wading through the predawn hour all alone. Millie
needing to take one of her pills, maybe, or Lou, up with the baby
for some reason. Although if it was Captain Stuart, she probably
wouldn’t stay long, as he was about the oddest person she had ever
known. Not counting mentally deranged people, which she had seen
more than her share of.
    Funny how