The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-24

'DEvEREUxI Probably that was my fathers
name-my own rightful name. But as 1
should never find him if sought him, and
as he would repulse me if did find him, 1
stand no chance of inheriting his property
He may be dead. He may have other sons
who have succeeded him. 1t is all a mystery
but the prominent truth is that 1 am an out
cast, poor, disowned, and friendless."
He leaned over the bulwark, the spray
dashing over his face violently
Tressilian's heart warmed to him.
my poor friendl" he said. 'Must l say
again you are not friendless while live. My
father has influence enough to obtain for you
q government appointment This tangle may
straighten itself out some day. But if it
don't, you are resolute enough to make your
own happiness"
He grasped Lowder's hand, and looked
with warm bright eyes, full of sympathy, into
Lowders lowering face.
There had been a temporary lull in the
stoIm. But as the two stood there, the tenn
pest revived and swept over the wild sea in
maddened rage.
There was no time for talking now. The
wind rose so high that words would scarcely
have been distinguished. The storm that
had gone before had been but play to this
awful outburst. The vessel drove on, creak-
ing and groaning, mere cookie shell on the
billows.
Mother of Mercies!" walled the captain
Its all up with us, signores. 1 can't make
ost the Cape in this darkness. We shall go
on the rocks. St. Anthony save us :"
The seamen echoed his cries.
The two young Englishmen, comprehend
ing their peril, clasped hands in silence.
For the next few minutes it seemed that
Pandemonium reigned.
Then a noise like the report of a cannon
suddenly doomed through the storm and the
darkness. The little vessel shivered, stag
gered, and careened upon her side.
She had struck upon a rock
A moment later crew and passengers were
struggling in the waters.
A few moments of buffetings aud tossings,
of vain struggles and agonized, involuntary
prayer, and then Jasper Lowder felt his senses
slip from him, and became unconscious.
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
its fury, and now moaned along the coast
with desolate, despairing wall. The waves
beat against the rocks.
Lowder struggled to his elbow.
"Wrecked!" he muttered. ''I am cast
ashore while the others are drowned! Oh,
this is terriblel have lost my best friend
to- night"
He moaned and wrunc his hands.
''He is dead, who would have done SO
much for me, and so worthless am saved!
All my hopes of an easy and luxurious life
must be resigned now"
At that moment he beheld dark object at
little distance in the water, The waves
hurried the object against the projecting
bead of sunken rock. At the same in
stant Lowder recognized it as the body of a
man.
He crept towards it, and the waters dashed
the body on the shore at his feet. He put
his hands 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 moustache, and he knew that the
body was that of Guy Tressilian!
Of the five who had stood on the sloop )
deck a half-hour earlier, these two alonr
were left. The captain and his crew hai
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 - he said shrilly. ''Dead And he
would have done 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 at Tressilian Court is
empty. Who can fill it ?"
1t sc emed to him that some demon at his
side echoed the question: Who could till tile
place left 0acant by noble Guy IresSittdn?
A thought came to him-a thought so
strange and sinister that he shivered involun-
tarily. Again he felt of Tressilian heart. II
gave no throb against his hand. He passed
his hand over Tressilian's head and disco
vered gaping wound in the skull The hair
was clotted 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
on young Tressilian's face.
How ghastly and terrible il looked! The
eyes were closed, the smile was gone. The
seal of death seemed set on the noble fea
| lures
Lowder examined the wound. 1t had beer
make by contact with the sharp rock, ant
even Lowder perceived its terrible character
''If he is not dead, he soon will be, " he
muttered. ''His brain has received an awfu
injury. He will never know who he is again
He won't live till morning, and he is perhaps
dead already. He must be dead !"
Again it seemed to him as though somt
demon echoed his words.
The match dropped from his fingers int
the water. For little while he crouched OF
the wet stones in silence, battling it may b.
with the better and nobler instincts of hi
nature.
At last, with sudden and abrupt STEALTH
ness, his hands stole into the breast pocke
of Tressilian and drew out his private note
book, a packet of letters, a few trinkets. H
secured these among his own wet garments
Their possession seemed to give him courage
and his face hardened, and he knelt besid
the body OF his friend and rihed his garment
of all that they contained, bestowing hi
plupder on his own person.