The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-10

'Cut open my SHIRT. ne salu laih'iy'
and as Stephen fastened to comply, he
added:
''Now unfastcn my belt.'
Drawing the belt from around his
waist, he handed it to Stephen, saying:
s."Takc this and
The sentence was never finished. The
words expired on the speakers lips. He
sank forward and his hands dropped
heavily on the bed. -
Stephen hurr1edly thrust tho belt into
his guernsey, caught the falling form in
his arms, and cndeavored once more to
revive the fading spark Of life. lie labor
ed earnestly and long using every means
be could think of, but in vain.
Convinced at last that his task WAS
hopeless, Stephen turned from the bunk
worn out and sail at heart. He found his
neglected fire had burned to ashes on the
hearth, and while lie was rebuilding it the
crew of the station returned from the
wreck. They brought with them several
''rcscucs" the room at station No. : being
ovorcrowed. -
|: Among those they brought was wona-
an aud child, whom Capt. Woolcy con-.
signed 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 Oh his arm
! and carrying ships lantern: he led the
way home. His mother was up waiting
for him. fast asleep in his armchair. He
gave the -shipwrecked mother and baby
into her charge, and then Wcarily went to
his own,room for q few hours rest.
r Oh taxing ST his guernsey, the belt fell
to the floor.
''Thcrc," he said TO himself, "how STU
pid That is a moncybelt probably, and
ought to have turned it over to Captain
Wooley." +
Then thinking there might be wet pa
pcrs in the belt, he decided to open 1t,
and spread the contents on the floor to
dry.
> He knelt down, untastened the straps.
and turned back the lappcts.
There was paper in the wallet quite
dry, the belt beng waterproof. He
picked up the paper, and under it lay a
package Of money.
lie placed the hight On the tloar, and
regarded the package with curious inter
est. As &c looked he saw to his amaze
mcnt on the top of the package thous-
an>.. dollar bank-biil.
He had never seen so much money III
his life, and had not known bcfor that
there was thousand-dollar bank bill
in the world.
lie stared at it rs if tasinated. and
poured over it with intense scrutiny until
every line was stamped upon his mind
After time the thought came
''Whose money is this?"
He had been cold, kneclln! on the iloul
partly undrcssed, but now II tevcrish hca,
flashed over him, as a thought came Of ali
he could accomplish with this money ~.
ing before his daZzle,l eyes if it were only
his own.
And why not his own! 10 whom did
it belong it not to him? Wasn't the bell
a fair prize cast up by the sea, with m
one to claim it?
No living soul probably had any know!
) edge Of the belt or the money. and all he
had to do was-to do nothing. The bel
, had been given to him-why should he
give it to some one else who had no more
claim to it tban he.
: But then Capt. Woolcy was very scru
pulous to have everything of value turnet
, over to the proper officials and duly &C
counted for.
Well, perhaps the belt ought to b.
given up; but then two Of those wonder
full big bills would pay off the mortgage
There were other bills in the package
, and two of them would hardly be missed
two out OF so many would he no no.
than a fair salvage, and no one need eve
know word about it.
, AS these suggestions whirlcd through
his mind the boy took up the belt, put |
under his pillow, and crlwlcd into bed
: lie was sorely tired, but so desperatel
wide awake that it seemed as though h
could never sleep again. Flo tossed from
I one side of the bed to the other an,
rolled over and over, unable to be still al
e instant.
A thousand projects came to his min.
t for quietly buying up the mortgag
c without anyone being the wiser, not ever
' his mother.
1 His thoughts seem to run like liyhtn
$ ing and his head throbbed violently
HIS eyes were burning hot and tee lid
c refused to close. Ever before them Il
e could see that thousand dollar bill, as
4 in picture Of fire.
c His mouth and throat we're parcket
and his lips were dry, and at last he ia
). to sit up in bed, 50 intense were his fee
:. ings. Then, in his distress, it occurre
+ to him that he had neglected to say til
II prayer his mother bad taught him t
: repeat every night on going to bed.
Stephen was not religious boy
. thinking about as much and about as lii
;, tie Of religious matters as active, tlrivin
Il boys Of his age usually debut he love
Il his mother, and had always sbeyed he
wishes as we'll as her commands.
Half mechanically and by force {
habit he now slipped out Of his bed an
t knelt beside it, to render thanks and in
n plore protection in the simple form {
T. words he had learned at his mother
= knee.
He felt strangely uncomfortable as |,
II bowed his head upon his hands. Hi
mind was in such turmoil that he hardl
+ realized what he was saying; but whe
y the words, "Lead us not into Temptation
l. but deliver us srom evil, rose to his lip
a sharp sense of their mighty meanin
came upon him.
So strong was this that he saw tt,
q right as he had not felt it before, an
v sprang to his feet, hurried ON his clothes
a seized the belt in one hand and his boo,
r in the other, and ran down stairs in hi
stockings.
|. AS he opened the door the gray light {
a carly morning stole in, and through til
q rain that was still falling he could Sc
the smoke curling over the tops Of til
y neighbors' kitchen chimneys. Hastenin
o down to the station, he found Cap
J. Wooley standing in the door, in angr
o discussion with low-browed, black-vis
t, aged man in sailor togs.
8 "'Longshore pirates!!" the man WI
l. saying as Stephen came up.
g "Piratcs!' shouted the captain, lo
d with wrath. !Wc'yc saved MANY n hur