The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-02-04

1
luck would have it, the mail steamer
for home started the very day we
landed, and he would 90 off in her
without waiting even to buy new
clothes. 1t seems to me-" wound up
Mr. Smith, with his pleasant smile,
"that we are at cross-purpOses some
how.
Whence comes the marvellous
strength which springs up in the human
heart in times Of intense emotion
Who has not felt the numbness which
comes over the soul at auch moments,
leaving us free to act, but taking away,
for the time, all power of feelings 1t
was thus with Elsie Denbigh. While
she. never doubted that she was on the
brink of some awful discovery, she was
not conscious of any keen suffering,
but acted her part, as one often does in
dreams, taking everything with stolid
calmness, and looking at herself from
the outside, as it were, all the time,
vaguely wondering at the whole posi-
tion and at her own composure.
Her soft voice was even more subdued
and quiet than ever as she said, "Will
you sit downi / do not understand
you quite" @v
She seated herself, bringing her
chair close to the table which divided
them, and instinctivsly leaning her
head on her hand, so as to shade her
face.
"Now will you tell me, please, about
yourselfand Mr. Clavering7 You were
in the shipwreck, think you Saidi"
"Queer," thought Mr.. Smith. "Mr.
Denbigh does MT gossip much to his
wife about his friends affairs. 1 sup
pose / ami in for it now, and 1 must
set her curiosity at rest before she will
take the trouble to hunt out Clayering's
address for me-"
"Ishould think ! was !"'he answered,
aloud "Ahl it was a horrible bust
ness! ! hope you may never see any
thing like it, Mrs. Denbigh."
81 heard it was fearful storm"
"You may say that. Not fit to talk
to lady about. Then came can't tell
you how many hours tossing about in
an open boat Clavering and 1, and a
few others, in such a sea It is of no
use making horrible story of it. The
end was, that in the pitchy darkness we
drove right upon a rock; and our boat
was smashed, and out went wel Yah!
it is not nice to think about, even now.
1t was a horrible night that l spent,
clinging to the rock, half in the water,
wondering all the time how soon l
should be washed off, ard whether /
was the only one left alive. When
morning dawned at last, there was
Clavering near me, all the other poer
fellows gone! We were on long reef
Of rock, and we managed by degrees to
scramble along it to the island, which
was only a big rock itself, We had
nothing to eat but seals, which are not
dainty food; but somehow we man
aged to keep body and soul together
for more than two years."
He paused; but there was no word,
no movement, on the part of the listen
ing figure opposite. he went on:
1--WE were carried off at last by a
ship from New Zealand, that came in
search Of seals; and then, as l told yoB,
we said good by to each other, and I
went up the country, and Herbert Cla-
vering set off home. I have never
heard from him, or of him, since. Can
you give me news of him 7"
"No," she said ~ know nothing of
him. can tell you nothing"
SPURIOUS! Surely, Mr.. Denbigh
must have seen him since he came
home? l know he got to England all
rights at least, / know his ship did, for
l CHANGED on an old Times long after
wards, and saw the day of her arrival
mentioned. The l4th of January it
was,-this identical day three years, by
ythe by"
The 14th of January! This day
three years! The eve Of her wedding
day! But still Elsie seemed to feel
nothing and to realize nothing. One
question she must ask. She could not
look beyond it.
II know nothing about it," she said,
again and the slow, measured voice
sounded in her ears strangely unlike
her own. "But will you tell me one
thing. / have heard-I mean they
used to say-that Mr.. Olavering's wife
gave him ring on the day they parted
Can you tell me if he ever wore itP'
30 yes! Clavsring had ring,-a
very valuable ring,-a ruby, think. !
used to tell him it was lucky he had
some money sewn up in girdle round
his waist, when we were cast adrifti
for / believe he'd have stayed away
from home forever, rather than have
sold that ring to pay his passage, poor
fellowl Perhaps" said Mr.. Smith,
Frightening with sudden idea, 'you
can tell me where to find Mrs. ClaVer-
ing, if Clsvering himself is not in Eng
land"
In one second Of time her mind sur
veyed all the circumstances Of the past.
She remembered the stranger, whose
curious, travel-Stained appearnce had
struck old Isott; she saw before her her
husbands white, scared face on the
bridal morning; she thought of his
fury when she discovered the fatal ring
she acted over in her fancy the scenes
Of his illness; she recalled his various
aebentricities of restless, Jealous dread /;