Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-01-06
CHAPTER 1.



wild storm was raging upon the MedIterane.
an Sea, near the close Of dreary November day,
and sky and waters were black with the gloom Of
the sudden and furious tempest, before which a
small sailing vessel was scudding under bare poles
Her build and rigging proclaimed her Sardlnian
She was The GuU, Captain Varino master, on her
way from Cagliari to Palermo.
She had on board two seamen and two passen.
gers.
procured passage on The Gull to Palermo, whence
they intended 70 embark by steamer to Marseilles,
the following day.
While the Captain and his assistants were at
tending to their duties, and expressing apprehen-
sions as to their safety, the two Englshmen stood
apart, leaning against the low bulwarks, and sur
veying the wild scene around them
These men were both young, apparently of the
same age, about three and twenty, but evidently
they were not OF the same station In life.
One, the more striking of the two was arsto-
cratic in his bearing, tall, slender and handsome,
with frank, smiling mouth, pair offearless blue
eyes, set under wide and massive forehead, and
tawny hair blowing back from his face. Noble,
generous and kind hearted, he had an adyentur.
Gus disposition and dauntless courage
He was Guy Tressian, the only son and heir of
Sir Arthur Tressian, Baronet, of Tressilian Court
England.
His companion presented remarkable resem-
bance to him, being also tall and slender and fair
with tawny hair and mustache, but he had not the
frank SMILE the bright, fearless look or the Joyous
spirit that characterized young Tressilian Young
as he was, he had seen much of the dark side Of
life, and his experiences had been such as to de-
velop In him some of the worst qualities Of his
ture.
lie was Jasper Lowder, Guy Tressilian's hired
travelling companion and bosom-friend.
The meeting and connection of the two had
touch of romance. Young Tressilian had spent
four years In German university, whence he had
been graduated with honor. On leaving the uni
versity In obedience to his father's written com
mand, he had undertaken tour of the countries
inclostng the Mediterranean Sea, In company with
one Of his late tutor. This gentleman being un:
eXpectedly promoted to professionally, abandoned
Tressilian at Baden, leaving him to find another
travelling companion.
On the evening of the very day after this deser-
1On, us Guy Tressilian was sauntering through
the streets of Baden, he had been assaulted by
trio Of his own countrymen, all more or less ntox-
icated. 1t was apparent that they took him for
him. Without allowing him to speak, they forced
him to defend himself. Guy was getting the worst
of the conflict, when stranger came running to
his assistance and in a few moments the two had
put the rufiinns to fight
This stranger who came opportunely to
Guys assistance was Jasper Lowder. His resem-
Dlance TO young Tressilian awakened In the latter
romantic interest. He questioned LOwder, learn
ed that he was poor and alone in the world, and
took him with him to his hotel. Believing that the
similarity of features indicated a similarity of
tastes and natures he engaged Lowder as his trav-
elling companion, and the past year they had
ployer and employed.
This storm is regular Levanter," :" said Lowder,
clinging with both hands to the bulwarks DO
lls
Oh, yes" answered young Tressilan, wiping
the salt spray from his face. 1.-THE captain knows
the Sciian coast perfectly. In two hours, or less
we shall be In the bay of Palermo. In three hours
we shall be domiciled in the best rooms of the
hotel Trinacria, with the best supper which Messer
hagusa can furnish. And tomorrow, at nOon,'' he
added, we shall embark for Marselles in a Mes
sageries steamer
-. " And from n Marseiles you will proceed to Eng
land and to Tressilian Court" said Lowder. with
some bitterness. ."And E-what Is 10 become of
mer have had year Of unalloycd happiness
and now comes back the drudgery, the hopeless
toll, the anxietes of the wretched old life You
picked me up at Baden, poor adventurer seeking
to gain living by teaching English and the same
destiny Is open to me now"
Tressilian turned his handsome face upon his
companion In surprise and affectionate reproach
"JasperV he exclaimed, "you talk strangely
DO yon suppose | have called yOu friend and
brother so long, and loved you so we'll, to lose you
now! meant TO have written to my father con-
cernng you and your future, Jasper, but his sud
den recall received Yesterday. causes me TO return
home without writing. / shall telegraph from
Marseilles that You will come home with me. And
you Will, will you not? You will not abandon me,
viii see that you obtain the position TO which
your talents entiie you. You have no ties to
keep you on the Continenti"
A strange expression passed over Jasper Low
der's face.
"No, have no ties" he said. huskily.
" And you will go home with me?'
"What VIII your father say to my coming?n de-
manded Lowder. "He will think your generosity
Quixotic. He will dismiss from his house the
hlred companion who dares to resemble his
son "
A sudden lurch OF the little vessel, wave sweep
ing over the deck, interrupted the sentence.
fon Of, Wrong my father" said Tressan, his blue
eyes kindling. when the vessel had righted. "He
rs the noblest man in the world. lie will welcome
my friends as his own. You will love him, Jasper,
as do, when You know him.
He doesn't seem very afrectionate,- remarked
Lowder. lou have been away from your home
Tor hve years, and he has butiust recalled you!"
Young Tressians cheek flushed as Lowder saw
mOmpntnrilV iUhtpd nj tha
tempestuous scene.
lyon know, or can guess, the reason. Jasper, -
he said, with something OF an effort. MY father
has ward, the daughter OF an old friend. Ali
hear that wind shriekl The gale is increasing?"
Yes" assented Lowder "And the ward is
Miss lrby-the golden-haired Blanche of whom you
nave talked so much, and with whom you have ex-
changed lettersf"
Yes; My father formed project to have me
marry marry Blhnche. He did not wish MS to grow up
together lest we should learn to regard each other
as brother and sister. When Blanche came to live
at the Court my father sent me TO Germany. The
night before / left home, he called me into his
library and told me all his hopes and plans for nv
future, and entreated me to continue worthy Of
MS innocent ward, and 10 keep my heart pure for
her. have done so, Jasper. l have never vet
loved any woman. And yesterday | received my
fathers summons to come home, He has re-
called me after five years Of absence. l know the
wish that Hes nearest his heart. He wants me to
return and marry Blanche. shrink from the pro-
posed marriage dread going home. And l
dread offending my dear father, whom | love bet
ter than any woman. 1t is hard, Jasper, to revolt
against the hopes and plans of kind and gener-
ons father, whose. very love for me causes him to
urge on tins marriage!"
us ~" said Lowder. dryly. and with strange
smile full OF sneering bitterness. "My experience
has been widely different from yours Tressilian
DID ever tell you of my fatheri"
NO. took 1t for granted that he is dead"
perhaps he II. | don't know" said Lowder
with reckless laugh. But II he is living, he Is a
sGoundrel. Don't start Tressilian, at my un-
fllial speech. Wait till you hear my story. / am
IN In desperate mood tonight. This storm stirs mp
all the bad within me. As nearly as can discover
my lather was the younger son of a proud old
county family
You do not know, thenf" asked Tressilian
pressing his companions hand
81 have no proofs of it. All positively know
is this, My mother was Of humble station, pretty
with blue eyes and an apple-blossom face, and
tender, appealing ways. She was the daughter of
widow, residing at Brighton. The widow, my
grandmother, kept a lodging house, and my
father, gay, dashing young fellow, came to lodge
with her, As might have been expected, he fell in
love with his landlady's daughter. He offered
the young girl marriage, on condition that the
nnlon should be kept secret until his affairs
frightened and he chose to divulge it, The
young girl loved him. Her mother was ambitious
ana penurious. The result was the lover had his
way, and married the daughter of his landlady
quietly, almost secretly. Then he took his bride
to London to cheap and obscure lodgings, where,
a year later, was born
The wind for a moment drowned his voice.
As II presently lulled, he resumed recklessly and
with passionate bitterness:
For years my mother and / lived in those
stufy, obscure lodgings until her bloom had faded,
and she had grown thin and wan and nervous.
My father visited us at stated seasons, once or
twice week, but he never brought any of his
family to call upon us. doubt II his aIistocratc
relatives even suspected the existence of the faded
wife and son of whom he was secretly ashamed
! have good reason to believe that he had fine
lodgings at the West End, where he was sup
posed to be bachelor, and that he went into
fashionable society, while my mother and lived
obscurely. He was prohigate and a roue, but
he had an air Of fashion that awakened my boy.
ish admiration, and aroused my mothers affec-
tionate pride In him. She was always pleading
to be introduced to his relatives, and to have her
son publicly acknowledged. But my father al
ways put her of, saying that he was not yet ready
Worn out and despairing, my mother died when /
was ten years old"
Again the wind shrleked past, again the little
vessel lurohed the sea sweeping her deck.
The captain screamed his orders TO his men, and
for few moments disorder reigned.
nasty bit OF weather." said Lowder. "And
bad skym
" YesN4atIye seen as bad >" returned Tressiian.
1--WE shall make port all right, never fear. We
must be well on toward the Cape di Gallo. And
it's only seven miles from the Cape to Paler-
mo.n
"But the seven miles in this storm are worse
f.ar, 80 IL a H. M.