The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-04-04
who can she be? Some terrible accident
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| dress, and turned it over and over
The square and compass placed there
by Mr.. Durant flashed upon the eyes of
all at once. The doctor and Mr.. Turner
looked at each other. but neither spoke,
and Mrs. Turner did not notice the tears
that elistened in her husbands eyes.
The doctors fears that Eva would
not recover rapidly, proved to be we'll
| founded days and weeks of fever sue
ceeded in awakening her to life, during
which she talked incoherentiy &C "papa'
and poor mamma" and of the burning
ship, and of hunger She fully awoke
to consciousness, and asked many ques-
tons as to where she was and how she
came in the dark room. and who were
those who attended her. but DIR. Hunt
forbade her being questioned till she was
stronger.
How interested were all in the little
convalescent whom the elements had
cast into the little seaboard town. The
ladies declared that never before did a
child possess such lovely eyes, or such
beautiful curls, while the gentlemen
seemed no less interested. and brought
her gifts of everything that might please
her childish fancy.
my dear little girl, said DR.. Hunt
when Eva was at length able to ride out,
twill you tell me your name?'
Eva" said the child. II thought
/ you knew it,
"Yes, know your name is Eva, but
I want to know the rest of your name
your fathers name
Eva Durant. Mr.. Durant is my
papa"
'Yes, but I want to know all you can
remember about your father and moth
err"
Eva's eyes filled with tears. "Oh,
sir, my mamma died and went to live
with the angels. And l do not know
where papa is. He said if never saw
him again must know he had gone to
mamma"
"Where were you when he told you
| this ?''
"On the ship; and oh. the fire burn
ed me 80; and papa held me in his
arms until a strange man took me and
tied something under my arms and
threw me into the water, and l have rot
seen papa since. Oh, sir, can you tell
me where he is?''
mo, dear child; but perhaps We may
yet find him."
And this was all that Eva's new friend
could discover. 1t was plain she had
come from the ship which had been
burned few weeks before; that she had
been cast upon the sea and hoated to the
shore BIZ. where was her father? Had
he been saved, and was he searching for
his child .? Every possible effort was
made to find him. The circumstances OF
the case, with the statement of the child,
were published fully in the newspapers
of the neighboring cities, but the grief
stricken father, believing his child to be
lost. had sailed week before for Europe,
aud it soon became settled in the minds
of Eva's protectors that he had perish
ed. But the little one still prattled
about her papa" and said he would
come back by-and by. Those who be-
lieved differently would not pain her by
contradiction.
The square and compass that had been
found upon her clothing was regarded as
a powerful appeal from q Mason to his
brethren to care for his child. So it
came TO pass that Eva became. as it were,
the SPECIAL charge of Hiram Lodge No.
SO. Mr.. Turner would gladly have taken
the entire care of the little waif, and the
wealthy Senator W requested to be
allowed to adopt her as his daughter, but
the Brethren in Lodge assembled .declar-
ed by vote that Eva should be reared.
educated and protected by the Lodge,
and that as Providence had placed her
In Brother Turner's house that should
be her home.
And SO years went by, and Eva be-
came a healthy. joyous child, fitting
here and there, and everywhere meeting
the warmest of welcomes. The Mason
ic Hall was but a few rods from Mr..
Turner's residence, and Eva often went
with him as far as the door, and then re
turned alone always bidding the Tier
take good care Of Pa Turner and send
him home early"
CHAPTER III.
The six years that followed the death
of his wife and the loss of his child
passed YEARLY to James Durant. He
visited nearly every country IN the Old
World, seeking among scenes of natural
beauty and grandeur as we'll as of his
torlc interest, for the mental rest which
never could be found. Once more he
turned his steps toward America, and
sought his Masonic friend Wadsworth.
Finding that gentleman about starting
out with his family on journey to the
Atlantic coast, Mr.. Durant accepted the
invitation to accompany them to Sara
toga and Niagra, then to New York,
where leaving the ladies, Mr.. Wads
worth and MIR. Durant wandered from
town to town along the coast. enjoying
the beauty OF the scenery and the quiet
hospitality The: greeted them, more thin
the crowded hotels and the fashionable
style of the popular watering places.
Fancy and the kind hand of Providence