The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-06
THE BOY MAGICIAN;
OR,
The Secrets of the Sea.
CHAPTER l.
THE PRISONER OF M1D.ooEAN.

'iO was OF mluule age, Uall, Iulu, anu
gaunt, with rugged features and sorrowfGl
eyes, and with every sign of goodness and
intelligence
Beside him was grim stone idol, in gro
tesque human form, more than twice as tall
as himself, which he had Just finished, as was
indicated by the mallet and chisel in his hands.
'It is DONE" he muttered. 'And these
( heathen little suspect that l have cut my
name and story into the base of this idol
He ran his eye rapidly over the inscription
In question. 1t was as follows
,The sth of May 1852, I, David Lester, Of the firm
of Lester Nichols, of Norfolk, Virginia sailed as
Horn, IN the ship Heca. cyclone struck us in
mid-ocean, the ship foundered, and we took TO the
boats, which all dlled with the exception OF the one
was In. After drifting several days. during which
my companions perished reached this island. The
. idolatrOus inhabitants made me a slave in their
temple and for more than four years have been
:. doing menal offices and carving images. ] have
been chained every night, and watched cOntinualy
by day, but have nevertheless made three attempts
at escape, and shall soon make another-douDtless
my last, as am resolved to succeed or die, prefer
ring death to a longer captivity. therefore write
these words upon this idol praying any one VINO VINO
may see them to report my fate if possible, to my
family at Norfolk Va. Finished this inscription TINS
9Th day OF july 1851"
For several minutes the prisoner contem-
plated these lines in silence, and then aroused
himself, looking warily around.
'"Three times have tried to escape in
canoe. he muttered, 'and every time 1 was
caught. and visited with tortures To be
caught again in such an attempt will be GER
tain death. Yet will risk the first opportu-
nifty that offers This longing for freedom
and my family is becoming positive mad
ness. Oh, my God what is that
He gazed in perfect stupefaction to the east
ward, far out upon the ocean.
There, miles and leagues away. was ship,
her white sails cleaning as she lay becalmed
upon the waters!
'A ship ship" cried Lester. sobbingly
cat last, oh Heaven At last my prayer is
answered."
THE PRISONERS HOME.
On the east bank of the Elizabeth river
Just out of Norfolk, and overlooking Hamp-
ton Roads, stood beautiful cottage, the home
of the wife and daughter of David Lester,
the prisoner of the lone island in the far
Pacific.
Near the close of lovely afternoon in May,
Mrs. Lester and her daughter sat together
upon their front verandah.
The mother was a lovely, sweet-faced, sad
eyed woman of two and thirty years.
The daughter, Amy Lester, not yet fifteen,
was strange compound of child and woman.
''You are thinking of father, dear mother p
murmured the maiden, as she marked the
lady's longing gaze.
Eyes, child. Your father, my husband;
where is he? Somewhere under the sea
waves, wrecked on q desert island or Ian
gushing on a hostile shore? 1t is five years
since he left us on that fatal voyage to China.
NV reason assures me that he is dead; yet,
Amy, can only think of him as living"
cit is so with me, mother, said Amy, with
tremulous quiver of her lips 81 dream
often that he is living-that he is coming
home!"
''We need him in hundred ways" said
Mrs. Lester, sighing. 'If anything were to
happen to me- Amy, shudder to think what
would become of you. You have been
brought up in luxury, and you would feel
keenly any change to poverty"
''Are we not rich, then, mother? asked
Amy, in surprise.
II supposed so dear, until three years ago, "
replied the mother sadly. ''Your father was
a merchant and ship-owner, partner of Colo
mel Nichols. But two years ago Colonel
Nichols informed me that the outstanding
debts of the firm more than balanced the
assets; in short, Amy, that he was on the
verge of bankruptcy, his fortune and ours
alike wrecked"
81 don't like Colonel Nichols !" said Amy
thoughtfully. eff he lost all his money will
our how does he live in such grand style TC
whom do his ships and great house belong +?
''To his nephew, Ally Bell. Colone
\ Nichols is Allys guardian. The Colonel ha
nothing of his own, exec pting farm or tw,
up-country which were not risked in the busi
ness"
Amy contracted her little brows rehectively
and was about to reply when the garden gat
\ swung on its hinges, and boyish figure cam
lightly up the walk
'Its Ally mother-it's Ally Bell" ex
claimed Amy, all smiles and bushes. 'Il
bring him to you"
The young girl ran lightly down the veran
dah steps and met the conner, linking he
arm in his, and drawing him gently toward
the house.
He was a lad of seventeen, an orphan th
nephew and ward of Colonel Nichols. Brigl
and gay and handsome Allen Bell was ais
impetuous, ardent, and intelligent-one
those noble, manly boys who mature earl
into grand and noble men. Boy as he wa
he loved Amy Lester with pure and chiva
rous love, which bade fair to deepen in tim
into the great love of his life.
He was the bearer of letter from his unc
to Mrs. Lester, and having delivered it, /
strolled with Amy down the wide garde
walks into the cool shadows of grove at I'll
bottom of the garden
'Ive been expecting you this good while
| Ally" said Amy, with charming franknes
81 thought you would be down here to Il
those scientific experiments to-day ~
''Well try them tonight, Amy, replit
Ally. ''The blue lights show better at nigh
I'm getting along finely in my chemistr
Amy. / like it best of all my studies :"
81 am sure You do, said Amy, earnestl
''You are the incest boy 1 ever saw"
Ally Bell laughed aloud Amy's childlil
simplicity and outspoken truthfulness we
her greatest charm in his eyes.
N ''The sight of the brig yonder, said All