The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-29
les slip from him, ana became uncon

scious.
When he came to himself, he was lying
upon rocky beach of the Sicilian shore,
sore bruised, and weak as child.
He opened his eyes. The wind had spent
it's fury, and now mosned along the oesst
with a desolute, disparing wall. The waves
beat against the rocks.
Lowder struggled to his elbow.
"Wreeked!h he muttered. en cast ashore
while the others are drowned Oh, this is
terrible / have lost my best friend to
night %
He mosne6 and "rung his hands.
He is dead, who would have done SO
much for me, and so worthless am saved !
All NV hopes of an easy and luxurious life
mus. he rel igned now T.
At the same instant he beheld dark
object at little distance in the water
The waves hurled tie object against the
projecting head of sunken rock. At the
same instant Lowd err recognized it as the
body of q man.
He crept towards it, and the waters
dashed the body on shore at his feet, He
put his hand on the face. How cold and
wet it was 1t felt like the face of dead
man Lowder's fingers came in contact
with the soft, silken, mustasche, and he
knew that the body was thst of Guy Tressil-
ian.
Ofthe five who had stood on the sloop's deck
half hour earlier, these two alone were
left. The Captain and his crew had found
| their deaths among the cruel, yawning
waters.
Lowder thrust his hand under the waist
| coat of his friend, but he could not perceive
the beating of his heart. Despair took pos
session OF him.
dead p he said shtiIly. "Desd And
| he would have done so much for me if had
lived /! And his father and the young girl
| he WAS TO have married will wait in vain for
his coming His place at Tressilian Court
is empty. Who csn fill it p
| Ii seemed to him that some demon q. his
side echoed the question IFho can till the
place {eft raeaW by the nodJe Guy 2ressitjan?
! A thought came TO him-s thought SO
strange and sinister that he shivered invol-
unfairly. Again be feltofTressilian heart.
1t gave no tbrob against his hand. He
passed his hand over Tressilian's head and
discovered gaping wound in the skull
| the hair was elotted with blood.
Putting his hand into his breast pocket,
Lowder drew out his little water proof
match safe. He opened it with trembling
fingers and struck light. The red flicker
danced in young Tressihyn's face.
How ghasty and terrible it looked The
eyes were closed, the smile WAS gone. The
seal OF. death seemed set N the noble
features.
Lowder examined the wound. 1t had
been made by contact with the sherd rock,
and even Lowder perceived its terrible char
acter.
II he is not dead, he coon will be- he
muttered. - His brain has received al
avful injury. He will never know who he
lie again. lie won't live till morning, and
| he is perhaps dead already. He must be
dead -
| Again it seemed to him as though some
demon echoed his words.
| The match dropped from bis fingers into
| the water. For while he crouched on the
wet stones in silence, battling it may be
with The better aud nobler instincts of his
| nature.
| At last, with sudden and abrupt stealth
ness, his hands stole into the breast pocket
of Tresslian and drew out his private note
book, a packet of letters, g lew triakets
He secured these among his own wet gar
meats. Their possession seemed to give
him courage, and his face hardened, and he
knelt beside the body Of his friend and
rihed his garments of ell that they contain
ed, bessowing his plumber on his own
person
Then he took his own purse, his nose
booh a few receipts and tribes from his
own pockets, and put them in the pockets
Of Tressihan.
1T is done :" be whispered to himself,
looking with wild defiant eyes through the
darkness No one is harmed. Heis dead.
If he had lived, be would have provided for
me- As he isdying or dead, must pcovide
tor myself. This likeness between us wW
make nag fortune. His friends will be
spared a terrible grief, and IL shall live
st last Fortune gives me chance to
gain name and wealth st one lucky stroke -
as If TO give himself no chance for re
pen,Euce. he arose to his feet and turned
his searching chances in an inland direction
4 light, from q cottage window, elim
mering family through tie thick haze,
caught his gaze.
Raising bis voice, he called loudly:
" Help Ho. there help !"
| The wind had absted, and his cries rang
out through The night with startling dis
tiuctness, The light he had seen moved
disappeared. 4 minute later, answering
cries reached Lowders ears, and he heard
hssty steps, and cav the approaching light
of lantern, borne aloft by q mans appraised
arm.
This way y Shounted Lowder ave are
wrecked on the rocks For she love OF
Heaven, hasten -
The bearer OF the lantern, attended BY q
| male companion, came running to him, and
! was SION ct his side. The lantern bearer
was rough SiciIian fisherman, a grade
above his class His companion YVES also
Sicillan, but evidently of somewhat higher
| degree. Both were ali excitement, assonish-
ment and sympathy.
| In as few words as possible Lowder told
the story of the shipwreck, and called atsen
ton to the condition of his noble young en-
pioyer.
Il think he is dead y he said, in chosk-
| ing voice. Garry him up to your cabin.
| Let everything be done that can be done to
save hun. l will pay you well for any kind
ness to him. Poor fellow! He was my
| travelling companion. loved him as if be
had been my brother instead of only my
hired attendant Poor Jasper "
The two Sicilians lifted the helpless form
| of poor young Tressilian, and carried il be
| tween them toward their cottage. Jasper
Lowder followed them, bewaiing his loss.
The above we publish as specimen chap
| ter; but rhe continuation of this story will
be found only in the n. Y. Ledger. Ask
for the number dated January eth, which
can be had at any news office or book store.
| If you are not within reach of news office,
| you can have the Ledger mailed TO you for
enc year by sending three dollars to Robert
! Bonner. publisher, los William street, New
York. The Ledger pays more for original
contributions than any other periodical in
the world. 1t will publish none bat the
| very, very best. It's moral tone is the pur
est, and its circulation the largest. Every.
body who takes it is happier for having it.
WALL PAPER.
inst Rncaivad I