The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1881-02-10

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the crowds on both vessels were horror-stricken at
the act the excitement was intensified by male
passenger from the other steamer repeating the
same strange proceeding need not detain you
to say that these persons were Philip Parsons and
Donna GlOvenZa. Standing one on the deck OF
the outgoing and one on the deck Of the home
ward bound steamer, they had recognized each
other. The lady, over-wrought by the excite
ment Of the sudden recognition, and the enforced
separation after such long years of search leaped
into the tea, under the impulse to reach him. The
lover with true gallantry promptly jumped to
her rescue. He was good swimmer and soon
reached her. and was able to hold her until the
boats from the steamers came up with them. I'm
fortunately, the boats crews had not witnessed
the whole occurrence. They had simply been
sent to rescue "a passenger overbOard.' By the
time the lady had been lifted into the boat Philip
Parsons was unconscious and neither was able to
explain. The result was that the lady was taken
to the Yokohama steamer and Philip was put on
board the San Francisco steamer. The steamers
having by this time become widely separated and
having lost many miles by the delay, pushed on
their respective ways without stopping to correct
the blunder of the exchange of passengers"
Where do you say this took place-midway on
the Pacific Ocean ~
eyes, sir; in 80 deg. Is min II sec. north lati-
tude, and II deg. % min. 42 sec. west from Green
wich. Invountarily the lady was taken to
Japan and Philip back TO San Francisco. OF
course she promptly returned, and there was a
happy meeting when she landed. The mental
strain of the md-ocean meeting and parting, the
ocean plunge and consequent physical exhaustion,
with a lingering, incurable fever for months, and
then, finding that they grew weaker instead of
improving, and that medical science gave them
but faint hope Of recovery, they concluded TO
finish their days together. They married.
They took up residence in anook mountain
side and there they lived as happily their fail
ing health would permit, for six months, when
she quietly passed away. All their money was
united and held in common while she lived.
During the years Of her widOwhOOd she had spent
the great bulk of her riches in the search for him.
- Gna laiH hill Dor
counted up his worldly store and one-half of this
he set apart for you He had the metal cast into
that mold and hoped to bring il in person here to
you; but there was no recovery of strength. In
his last days, when his own funds had diminished
TO a mere sufiiciency for his wants and for his
burial, he charged me with the delivery of this
package, and 10 tell you his story. l am alone in
the world. / have performed my duty. Let me
remove the wrappers so that you can see the gold
itself There il is, not half great as he expected
and intended il to be- but nevertheless a hand
some sum, and faiT-sized Christmas giftU
Together examined the golden legacy of
friendship and gratitude He then rose to take
leave. With thanks which | could hardly find
words sufficiently explicit enough to express to
my visitor for his services in the business in
quired Of him how long he intended 10 stay in
Chicago, where he was stopping, and if he would
not go home to dinner with me and witness the
happiness that the gift would produce there. He
answered that he at the Grand Pacific and
would leave in few hours that he was in hurry
to reach his old home in New England, from
which he had been absent twenty years and that
his only reason for not going through direct was
that he could perform the last request of his de-
ceased friend by delivering the package of gold to
me.
asked him il there was anything could do for
him i'm Chicago, and at first he emphatcally said
mo- but afteTwam said that he had his tickets
through to Boston, but short of ready cash;
that he had all his money in bills on New York
and Boston, and was short for current expenses
After some hesitation he said that il / could,
without Inconvenience, take one of these drafts
they were for 5000 each-and give him 500, it
would be favor that could forward the rest of
the money when it was collected.
To do this, thought would be to show dis
trust Of the man who had kept my treasure safely,
and who had faithfully delivered it, so | said
that | would let him have the 500, and he could
remit, etc. With the package of several pounds
Of coin metal on my table this mans gift, and
which he could have kept TO himself, certainly /
could afford to lend him 500 for few days. | got
the money from the cOunting-rOOm, handed il to
my visitor, shook hands with him, and he de-
parted.
While gazing admiringly upon my bar or brick
OF bullion, and regrettng that had not asked its
exact value, one of the other podders of the office
entered. OF course, in few minutes the whole
force OF the establishment was around me- The
estimates placed OH the gold ranged high. / had
a self-satisfed feeling that at last would have
whole weeks fishing in the SUMMER could
afford it. Work that day was out of the question
so yielded to the mental discussion of what
would do with the money, and to the charming
anticipation OF the pleasure at home when /
should exhibit the treasure at the dinner table
1t happened that in these moments Of my good
fortune many friends came in to congratulate me-
One gentleman eyed the treasure with interest
hefted it, and measured its length, breadth and
depth. weak question as to whether il was real
gold was hOOted at worse than denying the evil
dence of ones senses. The question was crush
ingly silenced when the gentleman stopped over
the precious metal and applied the tip of his
tongue twice to each corner of the bar and rising
beamingly, exclaimed:
''Thats the real thing, and no mistake. That
test is nfallible; that is the way always do in
Ireland when we find gold, and are never de-
ceved."
An hour later messenger-bOy delivered to me
a note which read
SrR-I told you story and you paid slOO in good
money for it, for which am thankful. Perhaps some
time you may tell Il yourself and get something for it.
no