Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-01-06

lie moaned ana Wrung his hands.
"Ho is dead, who would have
done SO much for me, and l 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 wa
ter. The waves hurled this object
against the projecting head Of
sunken rock. At the same instant
Lowder recognized it as the body
of a man.
He crept toward it, and the wa
ters 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 a 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's deck a halfhour earlier,
these two alone were left. The
captain and his crew had found
their deaths among the cruel, yawn-
ing waters.
Lowder thrust his hand under the
waistcoat of his friend, but he
could not perceive the beating Of
the heart. Despair took possession
sof him.
"Dead" 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 at Trcssiian
Court is empty. Who can fill it,"
| 1t seemed to him that some dem
on at his side echoed the question:
Who could till the place left racont
by nob1e Gny Tressihon?
A thought came to him-a thought
50 strange and sinister that he
shivered involuntarily. Again he
felt of Tressilian's heart. 1t gave
no throb against his hand. He
passed his hand over Tressiian's
head and discovered a gaping
wound in the skull. Tho hair was
clotted with blood.
| Putting his hand into his breast
pocket, Lowder drew out his little
waterproof match-safe. He opened
it with trembling fingers and struck
y light. The red flicker danced on
young Trcssilian's face.
How CHASTITY and terrible it look
ed! The eyes were closed, the
smile was gone. The seal of death
seemed set on the noble features.
Lowder examined the wound. 1t
had been made by contact with the
sharp rock, and even Lowdcr per-
ceived its terrible character.
"Ifhe is not dead, he soon will be"
he muttered. ellis brain has re
ceived 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
dead!"
Again it seemed as if some dem
on echoed his words.
The match dropped from his fin
gers into the water. For a little
while he crouched on the wet stones
in silence, battling it may be with
the nobler and better instincts of
his nature.
AT last, with sudden and abrupt
stealthiness, his hands stole into
the breast pocket of Tressilian and
drew out his private notebook, a
packet Of letters, a few trinkets.
He secured these among his own
wet garments. Their possession
seemed to give him courage, and
his face hardened, and he knelt be-
side the body ofhis friend and rifled
his garments Of all that they con-
tained, bestowing his plunder on
his own person.
Then he took his own purse, his
notebook, few receipts and tritles
from his own pockets, and put them
in 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. If he
had lived he would have provided
for me. AS he is dying or dead, |
must provide for myself. This lie
ness de'~een us aciN male my tor-
time. His friends will be spared
terrible grief, and II shall live at
last! Fortune gives me chance to
gain name and wealth at one lucky
stroke."
AS to give himself no chance
for repentance, he arose to his feet
and turned his searching glances in
an inland direction. \ light, as
from a cottage window, glimmering
family through the thick haze,
caught his gaze.
Raising his voice, he called loud
ly:
"Help! IIo, there! help"
The wind had abatcd and his
cries rang out through the night
with startling distinctness. The
light he had seen moved and disap-
| peiTcu. ~ minute ldttT iIlSN ttlHS
cries reached Lowder's ears, and
he heard hasty steps, and saw the
approaching light Of lantern,
borne alott by u mans upraised arm.
"rhis way" shouted Lcwder.
"Wc are wrecked on the rocks!
For the love Of Heaven. hasten"
The bearer of the lantern, attend
ed by male companion, came run
ming to him and was soon 1T his
side. The lantern bearer was
rough Sicilian fisherman, a grade
above his class. His companion
was also Sicilian, but evidently of
somewhat higher degree. Both
were all excitement, astonishmcnt
and sympathy.
In as few words as possible Low
der told the story of the shipwreck,
and called attention to the condition
of his noble young employer.
81 think he is dead" he said, in
a choking voice. "Carry him up to
your cabin. Let everything be done
that can be done to save him. /
will pay you well for any kindness
to him. Poor fellow! lie was my
travelling companion. l loved him