Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-01-24

| mighty HduuleT nave SEONu NCah alit
pOwerless. Sir Jasper hears the hoofs
I of his pursuers' horses die away in
the distance, but still he thinks it pru-
dent to barricade the door. Then he
tells Daniel that he is expected not only
to take them across to the opposite coast
when the gale has passed away, but to
provide them with food and entertain
ment until such time as they can de-
part. Small matter to Dan1 Druee,
whether they be for the King or for the
Parliament, for he cares for neither !;
but he refuses TO give them meat and
drink, saying he has none from pure
covetousness. They dispatch him to
obtain food, however, threatening him
with the burning of his hut should he
betray them. Dan'l, against his will,
departs. Left to themselves, the cava-
lier and his follower discuss the dire
strait into which they have fallen. Sir
Jasper's spirits have not deserted him,
and he believes that som day he will
be rewarded for his allegiance to his
King. Meantime, after seeing that the
child, whose presence he denounces in
round terms as nuisance, is doing
well, he opens the locker with hatchet,
and finds proof of Dan'l's false economy
through the discovery of food and drink.
Before blazing fire which they impro-
wise right speedily, and with such COM
parative luxuries as bread, fish and a
| bottle of Schiedam, the Lord of Combe
Raven soliloquizes or the freaks of for
tune which have made him glad of the
shelter of fisherman's hut. Accident
ally he starts a board that conceals the
horde of wealth over which Dan'l Druce
has gloated but now, calling it child
and more than flesh and blood. But
although he is penniless, Sir Jasper is
above availins himself of this chance
he will not stoop to plunder. This
quick resolve is followed by the hurried
re-entrance of his sergeant, Reuben
Haines, who had been on the lookout
for Dann Druce, and who now bears
the startling intelligence that they must
OC AOl LAAO SOGAAh OA AAOA
ses' hoofs tell him thar they have been
betrayed Sir Jasper bids him make
ready Dan'l's boat, for they must put
out to sea. Then, reasoning that, as
they have been betrayed, DaDl Druce's
money is fair plunder, he possesses
himself of the cherished wealth of
the miser and is about to depart; but
he sees that it would be death to the
child TO take her with him, and equal
danger to that incurred in an open boat
at sea to remain with her in his arms
and fight their pursuers. He decides to
leave her, first placing locket and
chain on her neck and pinning paper.
on which he has written something, to
her dress. lie has barely time TO leap
through the window before Dan'l en-
ters the place, leading number of SOL
diers clad in the Parliamentary uni
form They think that the Royalists
have escaped them, and SO it indeed
proves; for, although the boat is per-
ceived making off from the beach, and
is fired upon, Sir Jasper and his re
tainer are beyond the range of their
weapons. Meantime Dan'l Druce has
discovered the disappearance of his
gold, and cries out that his "child'' has
gone. The sergeant, perceiving the lit
tie girl left by Sir Jasper, supposes that
it is to her that the distracted miser re-
fers, and tells him that his child is safe.
Danl Druce cannot bring himself to
understand, but he bids the sergeant
read what is written on the paper found
on the child's dress, and the sergeant
reads an injunction to be kind to the
child for his ultimate gain, and decla-
ration that his gold has passed into this
shape. Daniel Druce thinks he sees in
this the miracle he has prayed for. This
gold has become child, and in the
eyes of the babe he declares that he sees
a likeness TO those of the wife he has
lost. He bids the soldiers kneel, he fore
fends them from touching heavens
gift, and he feels that an answer has
been vouchsafed to his prayer.
Fourteen years have passed since that
eventful night on the Norfolk coast, and
Dan'l rruce has grown not only older,
but better. A hale old man of sixty
four, he plies his original trade of
blacksmith with no less content, if con-
siderable less strength, than younger
men. His old age has a comfort and a !
blessing in Dorothy, maid of seven
teen, once the babe who was abandoned
by the Royalist colonel in his flight
from the battle of Worcester, now
s'standing with reluctant feet where
the brook and river meet''-almost
grown to the estate of womanhood. Do
rothy has proven worth a thousand
times the sixty golden pounds which
were taken in her stead to Dan'l Druce.
Sometimes thought will cross the old
mans mind that she may be claimed
sometime BY the man who left her in
his hut fourteen years before; and
sometimes comes the idea that some
young fellow will seek her out in mar
riage and rob him of her. But Dorothy
assures the man whom she has learned
TO call father that she will never leave
him, and he is only too ready TO believe
her. Nevertheless, when lie tells her
that Godfrey Wynyard, an old play
mate of hers, has returned from sea and
is about to visit her, she is too delighted
to make it probable that she entertains
a feeling of mere friendship for the
sailor who departed when lad, and
comes back stalwart man. Her meet
ing with Godfrey, which follows speed
lily, is a joyful one. He sees that she is
grown to be a woman, and tells her that
she is a fair one. More, when she con-
fesses naively that she has often thought
of him and of the peril which he ran in
his life on the waves, he tells her there
is but one thing he loves better than the
sea, and that is herself. He speaks to
her passionately of his hopes regarding
her, and woos the maiden with all the
of lnunr HA