Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-05-30
ISLAND POND.

MN WHdI 10 40. ana after time he had
the satisfaction of seeing his patients
eyes slowly open. Having succeeded in
restoring consciousness, Stephen admin
istered stimulants and nourishment
according to his best judgment.
The night wore slowly away, and still
no one came from the wreck.
The rescue" as those are called who
have been rescued from the sea, breathed
enough to show that life still fingered.
,and no more.
After a time the fire burned low, and
Stephen rose to put on more wood.
While drawing the Goals together, he
was startled by cry from the bunk,
and turning toward it, he saw his ward
"N Heipl heip!" called the "rescue."
Help me up!"
mo, no!h cried Stephen, in alarm.
Lie still; it may be the death of you to
stir"
I'm going fast. Lift me up!" and as
he gasped the words, the young man actu-
ally succeeded in drawing himself up
into sitting posture, though the strug-
gle to do so was evidently terrible.
"Cut open my shirt, he said, family;
and as Stephen hastened to comply, he
added:
"Now unfasten my belt"
Drawing the belt from around his
waist, he handed it to Stephen, saying:
Take this, and"
The sentence was never finished. The
words expired on the speakers lips.
His head sank forward and his hands
dropped heavily on the bed.
Stephen hurriedly thrust the belt into
his guernsey, caught the falling form in
his arms, and endeavored once more to
revive the fading spark of life. He
labored earnestly and long, using every
means he cOu. d think of, but in vain.
Convinced at last that his task was
hopeless. Stephen turned from the bunk
worn out and sad at heart. He found
his neglected fire had burned to ashes on
the hearth, and while he was rebuilding
it the crew of the station returned from
the wreck. They brought with them
several "rescues," the room at station
No. being Overcrowded
Among those they brought was a
woman and child, whom Capt. Wooley
consigned to Stephens care, asking him
to take them home to his mother, who
would provide for their wants and make
them comfortable.
The lad took the little one on his arm,
and carrying a ships lantern, he led the
way home. His mother was sitting up
waiting for him, fast asleep in her arm
chair. He gave the shipwrecked mother
and baby into her charge, and then wea-
rily wenS to his own room for a few
hours rest.
On taking off his guernsey, the belt,
which he had forgotten, fell to the floor.
There" he said to himself, chow
stupid! That is a money-belt probably,
Captain Wooley."
Then thinking there might be wet
papers in the belt, he decided to open it,
and spread the contents on the floor to
dry.
He knelt down, unfastened the straps,
and turned back the lappets.
There was a paper in the wallet quite
dry, the belt being waterproof. He
picked up the paper, and under it lay
| package of money.
He placed the light on the floor, and
regarded the package with curious in
terest. AS he looked, he saw to his
amazement on the top of the package q
| thousand-dollar bank bill.
He had never seen so much money in
his life, and had not known before that
there was such q thing as thousand
dollar bill in the world.
He stared at it as if fascinated, and
pored over it with intense scrutiny until
every line was stamped upon his mind.
After a time the thought came
"Whose money is this?"
He had been cold, kneeling on the
floor partly undressed, but now fever
ish heat flashed over him, as thought
came of all he could accomplish with
this money lying before his dazzled eyes
if it were only his own.
And why not his ownP To whom did
it belong if not to himp Wasn't the belt
q fair prize cast up by the sea, with nc
one to claim itp
No living soul probably had any
knowledge of the belt or of the money
and all he had to do was-to do nothing
The belt had been given to him-why
should he give it to- some one else who
had no more claim to it than he.
But then Capt. Wooley was very scru
pulous to have everything of value turn
ed over to the proper officials and dul,
accounted for.
Well, perhaps the belt ought to b,
given up; but then two of those wonder
ful big bills would pay off the mortgage
There were other bills in the package
and two of them would hardly b.
missed; two out of so many would be NJ
more than fair salvage, and no on
need ever know word about it.
AS these suggestions whirled through
his mind the boy took up the belt, put i
J under his pillow, and crawled into bed
He was sorely tired, but so desperatel
wide awake that it seemed as though h
could never sleep again. He tossed iron
one side of the bed to the other, an,
rolled over and over, unable to be still
an instant.
A thousand projects came to his min
for quietly buying up the mortgag
without any one being the wiser, nc
t even his mother.
n His thoughts seemed to run lik
: lightning and his head throbbed violent
S ly. His eyes were burning hot and tn
lids refused to close. Ever before ther
+ he could see that thousand-dollar bill, a
if in picture of fire.
r His mouth and throat were parcheC
y and his lips were dry, and at last he ha
/ to sit up in bed, so intense were his fee
ings. Then, in his distress, it occurre
t to him that he had neglected to say tn
prayer his mother had taught him to r'
d peat every night on going to bed.
" Stephen was not a religious boy
a thinking about as much and about &
II little of religious matters as active, driV
ing boys of his age usually debut h
|. loved his mother, and had alway
a obeyed her wishes as well as her con
d mands.
Half mechanically and by force
" habit he now slipped out of his bed an
70 lznelt beside it, to render thanks and in
n, plore protection in the simple form
Ne words he had learned at his mother