Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-04-26
b &o-R- H.
GOING EAST.
coINc WEST.


mutely, if not openly, BY the publ
voice.
'rhen what do you think has
Of him" asked the rector.
hearing Thomas
the quarrel.
Il cannot imagine, sir,
committed suicide was the re.
sHe was mad at the moment. His
cnsation, bis language; showed 1t. he
was capable OF anything
What do you intend dcing, my poor
bOy?'
Il shall GO abroad answered the
young man, glOomily. what becomes
of me there is of small consequence
Save to me, dear Tom,' said May,
moving near to him, and lifting her
brave eyes to his. If you 60, it shall
not be alone. / do net think you
guilty. / believe all you have said. I
have promised to be your wife, and 1
will be so now as ever, DEAR
For some moments the emotion was
toogreat for words. Then, embracing
her tenderly, he exclaimed: 1e.I
Heaven bless you for those comfort
ing words, my darling. But no; you
shall not make this sacrifice; you shall
not bear a name shadowed by such .
verdict, which implies my guilt, not
sufficiently proved for the law to pun
ish, but equally guilty.
Two years had elapsed during which
NJ intelligence had been heard Of John
Westmacott, were he living, nor late
ly of Thomas Mildmay, when one
nsn hn ,sr,0r Of IL akr,
Westmacott's disappearance, the in
mates of the rectory were aroused by
the deep, melancholy boom Of the min
utegun. 1t was sound unfortunate
Iy too often heard on that wild, rugged
north coast; but its frequency did net
deter the Inhabitants from quitting
their beds, anxious to render aid.
The rector was ever among the first
to encourage the reward. On this
night. despite his persuasions, for she
had grown very delicate, May, her
plaid wrapped around her, accompa-
MED him.
The beach, crowded with men, pre-
sented an animated scene. Beyond
tossed the stormy sea, as black as the
sky above, except when the white
crests of the waves flashed out, before
they broke with deafeuing crash
upon the shore. Among those waves,
gOred by the hidden reefs, was the ILL
fated ship, rolling as. in mortal agony,
while clinging to the shrouds and rig
ging were tiny specks. known to be
men, whose mum bers, after each sweep
ing wave, were mournfully iessened.
With difficulty the lifeboat was
launched, maDneti by brave-hearted
volunteers, and pulled on its mission OF
rescue.
Twice successfully 1t made the jour-
ney, but the third time, caught by q
wave, it and its freight were buried
pell-mell upon the beach.
THE boat is done for said the rec
tor, regarding it, but praise heaven,
not before all were saved
No, no! o, papa, in mercy look
cried May, catching his arm. There
is yet one on board who has been lett
behind
Her words attracted every eye on
the beach, and there, holding 10 the
shrouds, was visible the figure OF
man. The next instant he had plung-
ed into the boiling sea.
He would swim it. It is impossi-
ble,' calculated the doctor. The boat
is useless. We have no means TO help
him, unless any here would risk tLeir
lives to meet him with a s6pe
There WAS silence. The rope was
ready-the man wanting They we're
not towards, but few there could swim,
and those W 20 were able regarded tbs
attempt as pure fnasaAHess.
Suddenly in their midst stood = man.
already divested of his coat.
'Fasten the rope around me, he
said, quietly. Il am strong swimmer,
and perhaps can do it.?
At the sound OF his voice May sprang
forward with cry.
'Tom-TOm Mildmay,' she exclaim-
ed. oh, no, no-not you.' s.-s
He smiled encouragingly upon her,
watched for the resting wave, and the
next instant was battling through the
pillows in that stormy sea- To follow
his course was impossible. They only
knew bis progress by the telling out OF
the rope.
1t was terrible suspense-to none
so much as to May, who leaned half
fainting, yet too anxious to lose entire
consciousness, upon her fathers arm.
: A quarter of an hour and the signal
was given to pull in. Rapidly 1t was
obeyed. But each haul found the
weight heavier, until il was evident
that the swimmer or swimmers were
no longer able to assist themselves.
So it proved when by one more haul
they were landed. The two were
found senseless, clasped in each 9TH
er's arms with grip ike death.
-Anxiously the crowd gathered round,
and a mumur of surprise burst from
many as in the preserver and preserv-
ed they recognized Thomas Mildmay
and the supposed murdered man, John
WestmacOtt.
Little remains to be told. John
Westmacott, ON recovering, heard with
considerable emotion who had been his
rescuer, and eagerly he explained the
mystery of his disappearance on that
eventful night.
Maddened by passion, after striking
Thomas Mildmay down, he set on TO
walk to q neighboringsesport, resolving
never to set foot in the rect0ry again.
A vessel, when he arrived, was on
the point of starting for Norway-a
place he had long desired to visit-and
he took passage in her, hoping by trav-
ell to find distraction from his misery.
In Norway he had remained until .
week back, when chance had thrown
into his hands sn old newspaper con-
tanning Thomas Mildmay's trial.
Shocked and overwhelmed with re-
morse, he had not lost a moment In re-
turning to Scotland by the first ship
that sailed, which, by singular chain
of circumstances, happened to oe
wrecked on the very portion oil the
coast he wished to reach.
sYou have saved my life, Tom, said
he, warmly pressing his friends palm, |,
and / am here to prove your inno-
cence. Forgive the past, aud, taking
Mays hand, and himself placing ~ ~
1.-THE others, u pray you may be hap
py. II your guilt was not proven your
i ieyotion Is, and fully merits the re
ward of May Westleigh's love-
1T Is said that ten millions OF doiiar'
Z. n l. l. a-A rrooT h0fl4n.