Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-04-01

and nice down this way we can't alters
afford it then the sea bein' handy, it's
a temptation TO save time and money
but eff the expense amt counted in
Never mind the expense, pard,
exclaimed. You do the thing up nicely
for mt, and I'll see you through but it
must lie done at once the body is almost
beyond saving now, and | want the coffin
by tomorrow night. 1t must be ready
to be shipped before daybreak the next
morning.
"'All right, said the old screw. i
don't mind losin' little sleep to be
obligin, eff only the expense
So: You old vulture, L roared, III pay
you half on the spot! And l 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.
"'I'll hev it that scrumptious, said
the wretch, with greedy enthusiasm,
that you'll clap your hands over it.
It'll be that peart and pious that you
needn't be ashamed of it in church =
CT nodded approvingly, and started on
the home stretch with the comfortable
feeling of a man who has done all he
could to ameliorate an irremediable suf-
fering. All that day there was threat
ening aspect of the winds and waves that
BODIED more mischief ON that malevolent
shore. Massive heavy clouds hung black
as ink over the sharp jagged rocks, and
fierce undertone in the elements told
of conspiracy for tempestuous de-
bauch.
''My poor. old Jack had been washed
and shaven, his last toilet rendered with
all the care that his old friend and school
fellow could bestow upon melancholy
labor OF love a few hot tears burst from
my burning eyes, and fell upon that
strange and unfamiliar face and finding
it become less and less recognizable as 1
gazed upon it, / covered it reverently
with my handkerchief, and sat silent and
alone with it and the darkness, waiting
for the old man with the coffin.
GAS the day waned and twilight gath
cred, wall broke forth from the rocks
and the waves few belated glills
Topped their wings heavily over the
water that began to lash furiously the
low, sandy shore. Presently few drops
/ fell, the precursors of one of those furious
storms that riot on that desert coast.
can agony of impotence seized me.
l got upon my feet, and paced to and
| fro the loose boards of the hut.
"Was /, then, condemned to stay
here, powerless to save my poor Jack
from being the puppet of yonder malig
nant fiends of the shore and the sea ?
knew if the coffin were delayed until
the storm increased In fury, the road
to the old wrecker's home would be
impossible, flooded, and without a clew.
"Was it, then, destined that he should
be thrown into the greedy NAV of the
sea, after all, and his place in the dear
little church-yard at home know him no
morel There were prayers even then
offered up for him in that dear little
village in the valley, not only by the
thin and withered lips of his mother,
but sweet and roseate ones were trem-
bling in his behalf that late had chung
to his own in rapture, and gentle young
fingers would gather flowers for his
grave, and murmur benisons there for
many year. Oh, was it, then, impos-
sible to give this JOY to my poor old
Jack
81 started up with a malediction
upon the storm and its surroundings,
and with an impulse of desperation
wrapped myself in the old tarpaulin and
ventrred forth.
81 suppose my nerves were pretty
well unstrung, for the dead face of my
lost comrade followed me with a gro
tesque and horrible persistency. /
struggled against the feeling, but it
seemed to me the murky air was full of
shapeless fiends and bodyless spirits of
devilish proportions.
Stumbling along, the wind beating
mercilessly down, making the rocky path
perilously smooth, made my way slow
I ly I'm the direction of the old wrecker's
abode.
'' Feeling the path step by step in
this wilderness of darkness and storm,
it must have taken me many hours to
accomplish a mile, for 1 had scarcely
gone halfway when / found by my watch
twas nearly midnight. The same lurid
CLEAN of lightning that showed me the
face of my watch gave me also feet
glimpse of something lying in the road
before me, almost at my feet.