, 1880-07-26

rise in the world, when the ship encoun-
tered storm. we were wrecked OIL this
coast. aud nearly all on board perished.
Nv husband was among the number
lost. was picked up by the old man
who lives in this cottage, and brought
hither. Soon after Irene was born,
and have been suffering invalid ever
since; and being without means and
without friends, for my husband was
my only friend, | could not leave this
place, and so have lived on year after
year, hoping that some hing would hap
pen to remove us from place with so
many unpleasant associations, and 80
unit to develop the years OF woman
hood in my child. 1 have taught her
as best I could from the limited re-
sonl ces at hani, and though her ad-
vantages have beeu few, her mind is
uot entirely uncultivated. God grant
that the future may be brighter for her
than her mother life has been J.
Charlie Hight listened attentively to
the narrative. and. when Mrs. Manning
ceased speaking, he said:
Your husbands name, you say,
was George NJ inning May l ask the
name OF the vessel which was wrecked,
and the date? Do nos think me Gu
rious. for 1 have an object i'll view"
The vessels name was Neptune,
md she WAS wrecked on the night of
August 9th, 1S-."
Thank you; perhaps the future
may be brighter for you as well as
Irene. I leave yoh tomorrow, but it
will not be Ioug before you hear from
me."
CHAPTER III.
Irene was very lonely after Charlie
Haight left, and would sit ont ON the
rocks looking off upon the sea, think
ing Of the hours they had passed to-
gether, AID dreaming dreams of the fn
ture. Her light and merry heart had
seemed to her as if, in parting from her
love, she was sundering every tie that
bonnd her to life and earth.
Charlie fastened home with as little
delay as possible, and fouad that those
he loved were mourning for hin as
dead; and, when he appeared among
them, they hailed him as Que risen from
the grave. Again and again he told
the story of the ship wreck and his res
cue; and those loving hearts beat
warmly with gratitude and friendship
for the fair young girl who had saved
his life and won his love.
Warmly his mother and sisters sec
Onded his plans of having Irene and
her mother removed at once from the
desolate sea shore, and every advan
tage offered his betrothed for improv-
ing herself, and making herself fitted
to adorn the position she would occupy
AS his wife. After all the plans had
been discussed he said
"And now the best of it all is, !
think | know who Irene's father is."
"Why, I thought you told US he was
lost at the time of the shipwreck," said
his mother.
:" No. said all were supposed to be
lost. HIS name was George Manning
the same as fathers partner. And you
know that Mr.. Manning has often said
that all that he held dear Was buried
beneath the oceans cold waves Now,
l have the name of the vessel and the
date of the wreck On the coast; and it
will be an easy matter to prove whether
| am entertaining false hopes or not.
To- morrow will decide.
And the morrow did decide. Cau-
tiously he approached the subject, and.
when he discovered that he was correct
in his suppositions, he hardly knew
how to break the news to the sad and
silent man who for years mad been his
fathers partner in business; and how
he succeeded he never exactly knew.
But the truth was told, and Mr.. Man
ming was un willing to lose an hour, but
set out at once, accompanied by Charlie
to claim his wife, and the child he had
never seen.
And who shall depict that meeting
between husband and wife, after a sep
aration of sixteen years? Pen would
be unequal to the task, for it was as if
the grave had yielded up its dead, and
q new life opened before them.
1t did not take long to make prepara-
tions to leave the cottage; and Irene
was overjsyed to meet again tho one
her heart had chosen as its king.
Old Uncle Ben wept like child
when he bade Irene good-by; but he
stoutly resisted all appeals to accom-
pany them, saying:
No, no !! l have lived too many
years within the sound of the old
oceans roar to leave it new for the
noise and confusion of the city. My
Life is nearly snent. and I will and xnu