Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-10

l opened the wrong cupboard, and there
bottle of brandy tOppled over, and
broke at the neck. Some of the cursed
spirit fell on the shelf, and was dripping
off. / caught it in the palm of my hand
and drank 1.-THE first l had tasted for
years, as heaven is my judge. One sup
led to another, and l filled teacup
again and again, and drank. | know OF
little more but that the punt was full OF
my mates trying to cheat me out of a
large trout had gone out to catch; they
ieered and Knocked at my attempts to get
it, and one after another got out of the
punt to avoid me, on TO the weir, where
followed them; and struggled to get
the fish with the first fellow | came up
to, and-and, as | went down in the
water, saw it was my customer L was
drowning.
'These were his words, gentlemen, as
near as l can remember. Then he
started up again, and muttered that he
must be off-that the police were after
him-and rushed to an old chest OF
drawers, scrambled up together few
clothes, and the next moment l was
alone, rubbing my eyes, thinking all
was dream. There was plenty to eat
in the house, but all that day should
have choked had | attempted to swallow
a morsel; and as night drew on and my
father did not return, L began fully tC
believe that he had committed some
frightful offense, and that 1 was de-
serted. In the latter respect, however,
l was wrong, for the latch was lifted,
and a woman entered the room and said
she had come to fetch me. Twas so be-
wildered, and thinking perhaps she was
going to take me to my father, l made
no objection; and she took me to d
pretty little cottage about three miles
from this. on the common. There was
well clothed and fed, and when old
enough was sent to school as her adopted
child. / did all could to show my bene-
factress that | was grateful, but l al
ways yearned after the water and my
fathers pursuits. So, as l was cOnsid-
cred able to manage punt, one was
bought for me, and / was set up in the
house in which was born as fisher
man. am sorry to say my benefactres;
is since dead"
''Poor Jane Scott" sighed Mr.. Mof-
fatt, ''she was housekeeper to my friend
whom your father supposed to be
drowned. And of your father"
"Well, sir, heard that he went wan
dering about for some months under Il
feigned name, living the best way he
could, and that now and then he used
to come over to these parts in disguise,
to get look at me. One day, about two
years ago, old and worn and ragged as
he was, he was known by something he
let fall in his inquiries at the bar of 4
beer-house, and few of the villagers
hearing it, took pity on him, kept his
secret, and got him into Moffatt's aims
houses"
'Mofatt's almshouses." exclaimed
both Ned and Charley.
eyes," went on the fisherman, ''they
were founded by gentleman in the
West Indies. who is said to have done
so i'm gratitude for some reason or other
we never learned the rights on
"Your father is living, them" asked
Mr.. Moffatt, eagerly.
''That he is, sir; and he is hale and
hearty, but bowed with the weight OF
the secret he fancies his life depends
upon the keeping. You will see him,
sir, waiting for me on our landing, for
this is the day in each week he comes
down for a dish of soda to treat the old
men and women at the almshouse."
We need not dwell upon the meeting
of the two drowned" men, nor attempt
to describe the exquisite joy of all con-
cerned, rs the way was led by the fish
erman's son up to Moffatt's almshouses,
where the founder shared for the first
time i'm the happiness of the recipients.
He now learned from Marcus Banks
himself that he was miraculously saved
from drowning by his coming up to the
surface between the stanchion of the
weir and the punt-that he had clung
to the latter for some time before his
weakness and condition permitted him
to get into il, which accounted for Mr.
Moffatt not being able to see him, and
presuming him to be lost. Having got
into the punt, he lay for some time III
sensible: but when he recovered, and
had realized the awful nature Of his
situation, he hastened ashore, sought
his home i'm the state his son described
and fled, to follow a vagabOnd and pre-
carious, and infinitely worse, a haunted
life for years.
The bells of the village church Were
set ringing that evening, rejoicings were
general as well as at the almshouses
the next Sunday the Vicar improved
the occasion by sermon on the events.
The cottage was again set i'm order; and
Mr.. Moffatt, now more than in his
Younger DAYS, seeks with his sons, when
they can be spared from their studies,
and with young Banks, the pleasure
round and about the once dreaded, and
supposed fatal, Marcus Deep.