The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-11-10
SsISSIPPI. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 10 1881

resigned to her fate, until one morning
shs saw her father spring up from the
Breakfast table, crush his newspaper
iEsD his pocket, and, with troubled
faR, leave the house.
*Instantly knowing that it was some
| thing that he had read that so moved
hin, Flora sent servant out for pa
pei and a glad cry broke from her lips,
forshe read of the rescue from wreck
of the brig-of-war Greyhound, that had
been caught by gale on lee shore,
and would have been lost had not a
yong man, dwelling upon the coast,
puI out alone In a small boat and
pileted her into haven of safety.
The paper furthermore stated that
the daring pilot was none other than
Norman Ernescliffe, who had been sup
posed lost over year before, but who
had reappeared at his mothers home
only the day previous. 1t also said a
petition was to be sent to the Admiralty,
asIfng for commission In the navy for
Norman, he being man of education,
ana already having proved himself a
skllful officer In the merchant service.
&That day, when Mr.. Hastings re-
tuned TO dinner, he was confronted by
his daughter, who cody informed him
that she had written to the baron, and
broken her engagement with him.
.'The banker pleaded, and then storm
ed, but Flora was firm, and her father,
swore he would discard her if she mar
ried a penniless, common sailor; but to
his surprise Norman Ernescliffe sudden
ly appeared before him, from an adjoin-
ing room, and said firmly, but with re-
speet:
'Mr. Hastings, l am not penniless,
nor am / common sailor, for have
fortune that will match your own, and
my parents gave me a good education
and taught me to be gentleman.
''It was the word fortune that caught
the bankers ears, and he said, eagerly ly
"'You have fortune, you say ?"
"'Yes, sir.
"'And where did you get your mon
81 will tell you, sir. The vessel 1
was left upon that night of the storm
did not 60 down, but was wrecked upon
a small, uninhabited island, and | es-
capped with my life.
s''Upon that island l found the grave
of a poor seaman, as | believed, and
near it | made my home, expecting that
my fate would be his, for, believing that
the boats had been lost, and not caring
to live were Flora dead, was despond-
ent, and made no effort to save myself.
"'I am not somnambulist, MIR.
Hastings, and yet one night | awoke,
through pain in my fingers, and to my
horror discovered myself in an open
grave, the earth of which l had dug
out with clasp knife and hands, until
my nails were torn to the quick.
:" The moon was shining brightly,
and beneath me | saw, not a coffin, but
several small boxes, one of which-af-
ter | recovered my nerve, for | was un-
nerved at thus waking and finding my
self there, | opened.
"'The boxes contained gems, jewelry,
and gold and knew that | was rich
man, for The treasure had lain buried
there for many long year, and was
the booty, doubtless, of pirates, who
had never returned for their ill-gotten
riches.
"'Hope coming to my heart once
more, I set to work in the morning to
build me boat from the pieces of the
wreck, and after long weary months of
toll [ succeeded in h1ilding craft With
which / set sail from the island, and L
reached my home just in time to save
vessel of war;
''Such was Norman Ernesclitfe's sto-
ry, gentlemen, and the sequel is soon
told, for his treasure was discovered to
be worth quarter of a million, and the
baron went back home disappointed
man, while good luck still dogged Ernes-
clife's footsteps, for he was commits
stoned a Junior lieutenant in the navy,
and two years ago married Flora Hast
ings; but here he comes, and I'll intro
duce you :" and Charlie Beauchamp
presented the hero of the quarterback
yarn to the young officers, all of whom
gave him the welcome he deserved, and
Norman Ernesclife became the 'sea-
lion" of the sloop-of-war.