The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-01-29

back baftled and disappointed And
thus week passed.
A feeling of unrest and intense anX-
iety was my constant state Of mind, as
day after day went by and no news of
the lost one.
Weeks and months came and went,
until the occurrence had been lost in
the great whirlpool of events to all bat
myself A void had been left in my
| heart that / could not fill again, and
though years numbered themselves on
the scroll Of the past, the memory and
love Of "Dell" was as of yore.
y n
The breakfast bell had rang half an
hour before | entered the dinng-room,
| having oversight myself-a thing / had
not been guilty OF for years. Mrs. Wall
had the coffee steaming, and beside my
plate lay the morning paper, as usual.
Picking it up, | glanced over its col
umns, and with shuck that caused
me to overturn my coffee, | read the
startling announcement of the failure
Of COOk & Co., and their rraneh
houses.
A gruan escaped my lips, and drop
ping my head into my hands, / leaned
on the table in bewilderment. / knew
then our house must go by the board.
The house of II. G.. Brooks & Co. was
well known in commercial circles now,
having removed into a larger building
some years before, and taken partner
Rumors calculated to depTeciate tho
faith Of financial circles in the firm of
Cook & 60. had for short time pre-
viOus been rife, but were unheeded by
us and now that the blow had fallen,
nothing could save us from ruin, that l
could see. (
fastening to the store, early though |
it was, found Mr.. Halpln, my partner,
there before me. No words were nee
essary we unders TODD all at a mutual
glance. Business in the store proceed
ed as usual during the morning, but ar
rangements to close our doors in the
afternoon we're being made.
| sat in the Office at the dinner hour,
alone, my head buried in my hands, and
absorbed in painful thought, when
step startled me. | glanced up, and
gazing intentIy at me.
lie was very sun Drowned, hut the
face had familiar, alf.forgotten ex.
preston about it that carried me into
the past.
Did you wish to see one of the
frm?" inquired, rising from the chair
in which / was seated and advancing
toward him.
A faint smile crossed his face as he
held out his two hands with q longing
ook and said in a low voice
Uncle Dick, don't you know me?"
/ started, as if shot, scarcely believ-
ng it reality, but as the truth dawned {
)ver my mind. and the tears Ieappd to i
ny eyes, held out my arms, and with
| half sob of d" Dell ! Dell it's you, 6
ny boy ! elapsed him in my EN-
)race.
1t was indeed the missing boy of !
welve, now man Of twenty seven, s
t was long story he told me half t
earfully, too-fOr he never expected S
o see me again, after the long years of
eparatiOn and the mystery of his alb r
ence. That night or afternoon, rather 0
almost fifteen years before, he had L
eft school for home, as usual. Passing p
own B street, rough, seafariug
ian had accosted him, and informed a
i'm he was his father, and Del, ll,gazing a
ITO his face, saw too plainly it was in.
eed fact. "
Taking the hey by the hand he led p
i'm through torturous by ways and a
lleys, in circntious route to the fl
'harf, and with him went aboard
essel lying there. Retaining Dell by a
,rce, he kept him on board until the a;
essel was under way and bound for g
le East India trade. The weary days
assed by, one by one /; weeks came W
nd went, and the months dragged I'll
leir tiresome length away, but as yet fC
D port had been entered by the Casco, fo
e vessel in which he was such an un-
illlng passenger. All things. how ia
'er, have an end, and at last the Cas- XII
found anchorage in the little port of pi
uegamo, a small village on the north W
n coast of the Arabian gulf. Here
r a while Dell was left to himself, the til
ptain and the major portion of the co
ew being inland upon a trading jour hi
y. Several of these trips had been an
ccessfully accomplished, and upon
e final one before sailing for home, WI
ell requested his father to take him RI
lng, and his request was complied
tn. After toisOme march Of two tn
Us beneath the hot sun Of the orient fol
9 company reached their destination, tn
mall village, or bhoOkt," as the ed
athen inhabitants termed 1t, about pil
ty miles inland from the coast. Two
Us had been passed in trading, and lor
, following sunrise was to see them thl
II on their way back to the vessel. wi
fore leaving, however, difficulty {
tween one of the crew and a native for
in a genuine fight, and the
w of the Casco were compelled to far
, for safety, leaving their recently thi
.ained property and three of their 9th
Il, including Dell, in the hands of
barbarians.
Death at violent hands was the early it, ;
3 of his companions, and for him the
the same end was hourly expected. Da
however, never came. The boy
med to be a general favOrite among !
natives, and especially OF the chief see
n of the village. With this man, and oy
ong these people for twelve years lot
n lived cODtented enioyinR life at HOI