The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-04
hendiug their peril, olaspsd Hands in

that Pandem onium reigned!'' is 4
| Then d noise like the report OF q
cannon suddenly doomed through the
storm and tho darkness. Tie little ves-
sci shivered, staggered, and careened
upon her side.
She had struck upon rock
A moment later Grew and passengers
were struggling in the waters.
A few moments of buffetings and toss
voluntary prayer, and then Jasper Low
der felt his senses slip from him, and
became unconscious.
When he came to himself, he was ly-
ing upon rocky beach of the Sicilian
shore, sore, bruised, and weak MS 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 nm
cast ashore, while the others are drowned!
Oh, this is terrible! I have lost my best
friend tonight"
He moaned and wrung his hands
''He is dead; who would have done SO
much for me, and so worthless am
savedl All my hopes of On easy and
luxurious life must be resigned now!'
| AZ GudG uOutuG u6 UouelU u QarR OD-
ject ut little distance in the water
The waves hurled this object against the
projecting head Of sunken rock. At
the same instant Lowder recognized it
as 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 it was! 1t felt like the face
of dead man! Lowder's fingers came
in contact with the soft, silken mustache,
and he knew that the body was that of
| Guy Tressilian!
OF the 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
waistcoat of his friend, but he could not
perceive the benting of his heart De-
| spair took possession of him.
'Dcadr' lie said sbrilly. Dead! And
he would have done SO much for me if
he had lived! And his father and the
young girl he was to hnve married will
wait in vain for his coming! His place
at Tressiliau Court is empty. Who can
fill it?"
It seemed to him that some demon at
his side echoed the question: Who could
fN lie place Ief racant By noble Guy Tres
sHian?
A thought came to him-a thought so
strange and sinister that he shivered in
voluntarily. Again lie felt of Tressi-
lian's heart. It gave no throb against
his hand. Ho passed his hand over
Tressillian's g head, and discovered q gap-
ing 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 Tressiian g
face.
How ghastly and terrible it looked!
The eyes were closed, the smile was
gone. The seal of death seemed set on
the noble features.
Lowder examined the wound. It had
been made by contact with the sharp
rock, and even Lowder perceived its
terrible character
eff he is not dead, lie soon will be-"
he muttered. .'His brain has received
an awfnl injury. He will never know
who he is again. He won't live till
morning, and he is perhaps dead already.
lie must be dead!"
Again it seemed to him MS though
some demon echoed his words.
The match dropped from his fingers
into the water. For a little while lie
crouched on the wet stones in silence,
battling it may be with the better and
nobler instincts Of his nature.
At last, with sudden and abrupt stealth
mess, his hands stole into the breast
pocket of Tressilian, and drew out his
private notebook, packet of letters. q
fow trinkets. He secured these among
his own wet garments. Their posses.
sion seemed to give him courage, aud
his face hardened, and he knelt beside
:hc body ct his friend and Tihed his gar
ments of all that they contained, be-
slowing his plumber on his own person.
Then he took his own purse, his note
book, few receipts and trifles from his
own pockets, and put them into the
pockets of Tressilian.
''It is done!" he whispered to himself,
looking with wild. defiant eyes through
the darkness. 'No one is harmed. He
is dead. II he had lived, lie would have
provided for me. AS he is dying or