Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-01-04


znl Al the age Of tWeniy-one came inis
. my grandmoiheF's money. the fruits Of
. years Of saving. she dying AZ that time
, Ny father had deliberately abandoned
ne. I did not kn0s where to seek him,
II had wished Il. | took my money
/ and came abroad. | had been two years
on the Continent. aud mad spent my little
fortune When | met YOU. The rest you
snoW.r
IAN odd. romantic story! But why
did your father abandon yon3
'.Tha, he might be freed Of encumbFancC
TO make a grand marriage. From what
my grandmother said at different times.
| conclude that my father was in love
with a titled lady before my mother
death. No doubt he married this lady.
IL he lives, this lady's son may be his ae-
knowledged heir. My father has utterly
disoWned the son of his first hasiy aud ill.,
starred marriage. have a fancy that
shall meet him some day." aud Jsper's
brow darkened to deeper darkness. /" How
ever, | stand no chance Of ever receiv-
ing justice at his hands"
What is your fathers name, Jasper ?"
asked Tressilian.
Lowder's face darkened. He bit his
lip savagely.
"What have told you about myself
| learned from my own observation, or
from chance words of my parents and
grandmother. My mothers maiden name
was Jeanette Lowder. AT our London
lodgings, my father bore the name of
Lowder. don't know his real name,
but | should know his face anywhere, al
though | have not seen him iu thirteen
years. My mother was actually married,
Tressilian, but | never heard my fathers
name. The clergyman who married my
mother was dead; the witnesses also
When my grandmother was dying she
tried to tell me the story. She had put
it off too long. All could understand
of her mumblngs was the name of Dew
ercaux. | never shall forget that name
-'DEvnEAU" Probably that was my
fathers name-my own rightlul name.
But as | should never find him if | sought
him, and as he-would repulse me if | did
find him, | stand no ehince of inheriting
his property. He may be dead He may
have other sons who have succeeded him.
1t is all mystery, but the prominent
truth is that | am an outcast, poor, dis
owned and fiicndless."
Tressilian's heart warmed to him.
"My poor friend !" he said. Unjust |
say again you are not friendless while |
live. My father has influence enough to
obtain for you government appointment.
This tangle may straightcn 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 Lowder's lowering face.
There had been temporary lull in the
Storm. But as the two stood there, the
tempest 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 scarce
ly have been distinguished. The storm
that had gone before had been but play to
tins awful outburst. The vessel drove on,
creaking and groaning, mere cocle shell
on the billow
"Mother of Mcrcies !" walled the cap
tain,
"lt's all up with us, signores. 1 can't
make out the Cape in this darkness We
shall go on the rocks, St. Anthony save
u.s."
The seamen echoed his cries.
The two young Engishmen, comprehen-
ding their peril, clasped their hands in ST.
lence.
For the next few minutes it seemed that
Pandemonium reigned.
Then noise like the report of a cannon
suddenly doomed through the storm and
the darkness, The little vessel shivered,
staggered and then carecDed upon her
side.
She had struck upon rock.
A moment later crew and passengers
were struggled in the waters.
A few moments of buffetings and toss
ings, of vain struggles and agonized, in
voluntary prayer, and then Jasper Lowder
felt his senses slip from him, and became
unconscious.
When he came to himself, be was y-
ing upon rocky beach of the Sicilian
shore, sore, bruised, and weak as a child.
He opened his eyes. The wind had
spent its fury, and now moaned along the
coast with desoate, despairing wall, The
waves beat against the rocks.
Lowder struggled to his elbow.
"Wrecked !" he muttered. II am cast
shore, while the others are drowned! Oh,
this is terrible. | have lost my best friend
tonight"
He moaned and wrung his hands.
"He 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 OBJ
ject little distance in the water. The
waves hurled this object against the pro-
jecting head of a 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 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
II 4.
and he knew that body was that of Guy