Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-01-05
am an outcast, poor, disowned and friend

dashing over his face violently.
Tressilian's heart warmed to him.
" Ny poor friend - be said. Must say
again, you are not friendless while | live.
NV father has influence enough to obtain for
you government appointment. This tangie
NAV straighten itself out some day. But ii
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 temporary lull in the
storm. 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 nigh that the words would
scarcely have been distinguished. The storm
that had gone before had been but play to
this awful outburst. The vessel drove on,
creaking and groaning, 'mere cookie she'll
on the pillows
Mother of Mercies"' walled Che captain.
" It's all up with us, signors. can't make
out the cape in this darkness We shall 20
on the rocks st. Anthony save US r.
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 rock.
A moment later crew and passengers were
struggling in the waters.
A few moments of butfetings and toss
lngs, of vain struggles and agonzed, in
voluntary prayer, and then Jasper Lowder
felt his senses slip from him, and became
unconscious.
When he came to himself. he was lying
upon a rocky beach of the Sicilian shore,
sore, bruised, and weak rs a 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. 9 am cas-,
ashore, while the others are drowned. Oht
this is terrible!l have lost my best friend
tonight
lie moaned and wrung his hands.
He is dead, who would have done 80
much for me. and 80 worthless am saved
All my hopes of an easy and luxurious life
must be resigned now!''
At that momont he behed a dark object
at little distance in the water. The waves
hurled this object against the projecting
head Of a sunken rock. At the same in
slant Lowder recognized it as the body Of
man.
He crapt toward it, and the waters dashed
the BODY on the shore at his feet. He put
his hands on his face. How cold and wet
it was II 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 wes that of Guy Tressilian!
OF the five who had stood on the sloop's
halt RI ty-A oil
were left The captain and his crew had
found their deaths among the cruel, yawn
ing waters.
Lowder thrust lis 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 shrily. 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 TresSilian Court
is eIppty. Who can fill it,
It seemed to him that some demon at his
side echoed the question: Fbo can NIL the
place left racnnt By nobic GlW 15'eSSjitan
A thought came TO him--a thought 50
strange and sinister that he shiyerea invol-
unfairly. Again he felt of Tressilian's
heart. Il gave no throb against his hand.
He passed his hand over Tressiians head,
and discovered gaping wound in the skull. !
The hair was cotted with blood.
Putting his hand into his breast pocket,
Lowder drew out his little water proof match
safe. He opened it with trembling fingers
aud struck a light The red flicker danced
on young rressilian's face.
How CHASTITY and terrible it looked. The
eyes were closed, the smile was gone The
seal of death seemed set on The noble feat
ures.
Lowder examined The wound. 1t had
been made by contact with the sharp rock,
and even I!owicr perceived its terrible char
actcr.
IF he ia not dead, he soon will be-" he
muttered. His brain has received m aw-
full injury. He viii never know who he is
again. He wont live till morning, and ne
is perhaps dead already. He must be
dead !"
Again it seemed to him as though some
demon echoed MS words
The match dropped from his fingers into
the water. For a little while he crouched on
the wet stones in silence battling it may be |
with the better and nobar instincts of bis
nature.
At last, with sudden aud abrupt Stealth
ness. his hand tremblrd N the breast poke
of Tressllian, and drew ont his private note
book, packet OF letters, few trinkets lie
secured THESE among MS own wet garments
Their possession seemed 10 give him courage,
and his face hardened, and he bnelt. beside
the body OF his friend and ried his gar
mcnts Of all that they contained, bestowing
his plunder on his own person.
Then he took his own purse. his note book,
a few receipts and trhe- from his own
pockets, aud put them IN the pockets of Tres
Silian.
u 4, done he whispered to himself.
looking with Wild defiant eyes through the
darkness. No one Is harmed. lie is dead
II he had lived, ne would have provided for
me. A. he Is diving or dead. must provide
tor myself. TITS likeness bc70,ep ,,s o'N
MAJ. nA t1r.un- IL. friend. VIII -. nared