The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-31

/ of nrcr1ous ebony, Of sandal.wood, of box,
and some of that delicate white pine that eX-
haes a delicious perfume. The boys had
said he was very clever in the carpenter line.
| was inspired with a sort OF trust IN his ca
Dacitv, and his willingness to undertake the
! lob was only eQualed by his determination 10,
be paid well for doing 1t, |
"'DOnt YOU fret, young man. said the old
skeleton. IN fix it tor you in shape thatl
suit I'll have it as scrumptOus as nut
that is, eff we're able TO bear the hett OF the eX
pense. It's costly, yer know, to hev things
Nous and nice down this way; we can't alters
afford it; then the sea bein' handy, its temp
ta,ion TO save time and money; but eff the eX.
pense amt counted i'll
"'Never mind the expense, pard,' | eX
claimed you do the thing up nicely Tor
me, and III see ycu through but 1t must be
done at once the body is almost beyond saw
ing now, and | want the coffin by tomorrow
night. 1t must be ready to be shipped before
Iuaybreall the next morning
"'All right SAID the Old screw. i don't
mind losin' little sleep to be obIigin', et
| only the cXpense--
"'You old vulturc roarcd, III pay you
half en- the spot" And | counted out to HIM
enough greenbacks to make his sharp old
nose come down and chop over his chin with
an unctuous smack of appreciation.
"'Ill have it that scrumptious,' said the
wretch, with greedy enthusiasm, that you'll
clap your hands over it. It'll be thai pert
and pious that you nceu' t be ashamed of 1t in |
church
81 nodded approyngly. and started on the
home stretch with the comfortable feeling OIL
man who has done all he could to anchor
ate an irrcmediable suffering. All that day
there was Il threatening aspect OF the winds |
and waves that BODIED more mischief on that |
Imalcvolent shore. Massive heavy clouds |
hung black as ink over the sharp Jagged
rocks, and fierce uudertone in the elements |
told of a conspiracy for 4 tempestuOus de-.
bauch.
MY poor old Jack had been washed and
shaycn, his toilet rendered with all the care
that his old friend and schOolmatG could be
stow upon melancholy labor OF love Il few !
hot tcaIs burst from my burning eyes and .
fell upon that strange and unfamiliar face;
and finding it become less and less rcCog- ,
nizobe as | gazed upon it, | covered itrcyer- !
emily with my handkerchief, and sat slcntand .
alone with it and the darkness, waiting for
the old man with the coffin. |
"As the day waned and the twilight gath ,
cred, wall broke forth from the rocks and
the waves; Il few beated gHlI5 Hoped their .
Wings heavily over the water that began TO (
lash turIously the low, sandy shore. Present
ly few drops fell, the precursors of one OF
those furious storms that riot on that desert
coast
"An agony Of impotence seized me. | got
upon my feet, and paced to and fro the loose
boards of the hut.
"Was ], then, condemned to stay here
powerlcss to save poor Jack from being the
puppct Of yonder malignant fiends OF the
shore and the sea? | knew ii the coffin were
delayed until the storm increased in fairy, the
road to the old Wreckrr's home would be I'M
passablc, flooded, and without a clew
WAS il, then, destined that he should be
thrown INTO the greedy NAV of the sea, after
all, and his place Ia the dear little church
yard at home know him no more? There
were prayers even then offered up for him in
that dear little village in the valley, not only
by the thin and Wthcrcd lips Of his mother
but sweet and roseate ones were trembling III
his behalf that late had chung TO his own IN l.
rapture, and gentle young fingers would gath
or flowers for his grave and murmur bcni-
sons there for many year. Oh, was it, then,
impossible to give this joy to my poor old
jack
II started up with maleaiCtion upon the
storm and its surroundings, and with an I'M
pulse of desperation wrapped myself III the
old tarpauln and vcnturcd forth.
II suppose my nerves were pretty we'll I'M
strung, for the dead face of my lost comrade
followed me with grOtesque and horrible
pcrsistency. | struggled against the feeling,
but it seemed to me the murky air was fall
of shameless hcnds and bOdylcss spirits Of
devilish proportions.
stumbling along, the wind beating mcrci-
Iessly down, making the rocky path peril
oasly smooth, made my way slowly IN the di-
rcclion of the old wreckers abode
"Fcplinp the path step by step in this vii.