The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-12-30

save us.
The seamen echoed his cries.
The two young Englishmen. compre-
bending their peril. clSped HANDS in ST.
lence.
For the next few minutes 1t seemed
that Pandemonium reigned.
Then noise like tho report OF can
non suddenly boomed through tho storm
and the darkness. The little vessel shiv-
cred. staggered, and carcencd upon her
side.
| She had struck upon rock.
| A moment later crew and passengers
were struggling in the wate''s.
A few moments of bufletings and TOSS
ings, of vain struggles and agonized. IN
voluntary prayer. and then Jasper Low
der felt his senses slip from him, ana DO
came unconscious.
When ne came to himself. he was lying
upon n rocky beach of the Sicilian shore,
sore, bruised, and weak rs child.
He opened his eyes. Tho wind mao
spent its fury, and now moaned along the
coast with n desolate, despairing wall.
The waves beat against the rocks.
Lowder struggled to his elbow.
'Wreckedr nc muttered. i am cast
ashore. while the others are drowned! -,
this is terrible! ! have lost my best
friend tonight!
He moaned and wrung his hands.
lie is dead, who would have done 80
much for me, and / so worthless am
saved. All my hopes OF an easy and lux
urious life must be resigned now"
At that moment he beheld dark OBJ
iect ut n little distance in the water. The
waves hurled this object against the pro-
iecting head of sunken rock. AT the
same instant Lowder recognized II rs the
body Of man.
He crept toward It. and the waters
! dashed the body on the shore Mt his feet.
He put his hands on the face. How cold
and wet II was II felt like the face of u
dead man! Lowder's face came in con-
tact with the soft, silken mustachc, and he
knew that the body was that Of Guy Tres
silian.
Ofthe five who had stood on the sloop's
deck half.hour earlier, these two alone
were lel. The captain and his crew had
found their deaths among the cruel, yawn-
/ ing waters.
Iowder thrust his hand under the waist
| coat of his friend, but he could not per-
ceive the beating of his heart. Despair
took possession of him.
.Deadr he said shrilly. Dead! And
he would have done so much for me If he
had lived! And his father and the young
girl he was to have married will wait in
vain for his coming! His place mt Tres
silian Court is empty. Who can fill It?
II seemed to him that some demon Mt
his side echoed the question:
Who could jill he place letl rdcdm 6y
noble Guy IrcSsilidn?
A thought came to nina thought so
strange and sinister that he shiyered in
voluntarily. Again he felt of Trcssilian's
heart. 1t gave no throb against his hand.
He passed his hand over Tressilian's head
and discovered gaping wound in the
skull. The hair was clottcd with blood.
Putting his hand into his breast pocket,
Lowder drew out his little waterproof
match-saie. He opened IL with trembling
fingers and struck light. The red
flicker danced on young Tressilian's
face.
How CHASTITY and terrible 1t looked |!
The eyes were closed. the smile was gone.
The seal of death seemed set Oh the noble
features.
Lowdcr examined the wound. 1t had
been made by contact with the sharp rock
ond even Lowdcr perceived its terrible
character.
If he is not dead, no soon will be- he
muttercd. Ills brain has received an
awful injury. He will never know who
he is again. He won't live till morning,
and he is perhaps dead already. He must
be deadr
Again 1t seemed as though some demon
echoed his words.
The match dropped from his fingers in
TO the water. For little while he
crouched ON the wet stones i'm silence, bat
Ting il may he with the better and nobler
instincts of his nature.
At last, with sudden and abrupt
stealihiness. his hands stole into tho breast
pocket of Tressilian and drew out his pri-
waite note book. u packet of letters, few
trinkets.
He secured these among his own wet
garments. Their possession seemed to
give him courage. and his face hardened,
and he knclt beside the body of his friend
and rihed his garments of all that they
contained, bestowing his plumber on his
own person.
Then no took his own purse, his note
book, few receipts and tribes from his
own pockets, and put them in the pockets
Of Tressilian.
1T is doner he whispered to himself,
looking with wild defiant eyes through
the darkness. No one is harmed. He
is dead. If he had lived, he would have
provided for me. AS he Is dying, or dead,
! must provide for myself. This likeness
Jetween as wiH make my fortune! His
friends will be spared n terrible grief. and
IL shall live at last! Fortune gives me
chance to gain name and wealth at one
lucky stroke "
As If to give himself no chance for re-
pentance, he arose to his feet and turned
his searching glanccs in IN inland direc-
ton. A light, rs from n cottage window,
glimmering family through the thick
inze. caught his gaze.
Raising his voice, he called loudly:
Help! no. there! helpn
The wind had abated. and his cries
rang out through the night with startling
distinctness. The light he had seen
moved anu uiSippe'ucu. N Hihutc Hstoi
answering cries reached Lowder's ears.
and he heard hasty steps, and saw the
approaching light of n lantern. borne aloft
by mans appraised arm.
This wayr shouted Lowder. I'VE
are wrecked on the rocks ! For the love
of Heaven hasten y
The bearer of the lantern. attended by
Ia male companion, came running to him
and was soon Mt his side.
The lantern bearer was rough Sicilian
fishe rman. n grade above his class. His
companion was also Sicilian, but evident
" of somewhat higher degree. Both
werc all excitement, establishment and
sympathy. -.
In MS few words rs possible Lowder told
the story of the shipwreck. and called at
tention to the condition of his noble young