Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-29

struck against leathern pocket-book
lying on the ground; picking it up he
read the name, Kenneth Darcy, on the
first page. Robert glanced over the
various entries and memoranda with
interest, till his eyes alighted on a page
beginning thus:
"Should accident or death at any
time overtake ms-which, in my rowing
life among the rocks, is always possible
this little book must serve as my will
and last testament, and beg the hon.
est finder to execute my last wishes &C.
cording to these directions
"In the cave in the rocks under the
lighthouse, known az the 'gull's larder,
in an oaken box in cleft to the left OF
the entrance, is the sum Of one hundred
pounds or more, the result of my
savings for the past FIVE years. This
sum, with the exception Of what is
necessary to buy Bessie Dean gold
watch and chain in remembrance of
the truest Of lovers, is to be given to
Z. Caring, my aunt, and only surviv-
ing relation in need of help. In case
Of her death the money is to be given
to Father O'Mcara, or his successor, to
be divided among the poor Of my
native village.
KENNETH DARCY"
January, 49,.
Robert buttoned the book safely in
his pocket, wondering over what he
had read, Darcy had been a fool to
trust his secret on paper and then care
lessly lose the record. Robert would
return the book and say nothing Of
having investigated its contents. One
hundred pounds 1t was q fair start
towards a fortune, and much more than
he believed. Kenneth could call his
own.
He wondered if Bessie Dean knew
of this nest-egg bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush, and a bit OF
provision for a rainy day seemed all
that was necessary to gain the consent
of Bessie's parents to her union with
Kenneth. His (Robert's) chances for
success in the world was perhaps, even
tually better. but in the meantime
Bessie seemed growing daily fonder Of
his rival.
Young Darcy had not appeared at
the lighthouse since the morning before
it was very strange, as he had started
thither safely enough.
Could any accident have befallen
him, He had taken no lantern, but
he was as sure footed a. a deer, and
there had been bright moon.
"There was no moon after twelve
o'clock last night" the Waterman said,
with a shake of the head. Darkness
overtaking a man on these rocks is no
joke. and / feel uneasy about Darcy"
Robert. without mentioning that he
had found the pocket-book, set out by
shorter route than he had come, to
report poor Kenneth's disappearance to
the village.
But before his story was fully noised
abroad, another excitement was agitat-
ing the villagers; a fisherman, on his
way to his post beyond the lighthouse,
had heard faint call for help issuing
from cliff on the ocean side of the
path. Being a superStitious fellow,
and thinking of kelpies and ill-disposed
fairies, he at first paid no attention, but
curiosity finally mastering him, he had
returned to investigate the matter.
He leaned we'll over the edge of the
rock and caught glimpse Of a man
lying in the creyice below. He seemed
able to help himself, and with the help
of rope the fisherman drew Kenneth
Darcy out of the abyss, in the side of
which a shelving rock had mercifully
broken his fall.
The shock, as his overstrained hands
loosened their grip of the tree, had
plunged him into q death-likc swoon,
and hidden from view in the slanting
rock, he lay for hour. as if in q de-
serted sepulchre.
Kenneth's injuries were triAing, and
after the restoring effects of the medi-
cine and q few hours sleep he was him
self again.
His first inquiries, when he next
went down in the village, were regard
ing his pocket-book, but as no one
spoke about having found it, he suppos-
ed it had fallen among the rocks on
the other side Of the path, and was lost
beyond recovery
In the kitchen window, relieved Of
its prosaic plainness by the richly
blooming convolvulus, which had made
a curtain unnecessary, Bessie Dean sat,
with her work lying unheeded in her
lap, and her pretty eyes fixed and
pensive.
Kenneth, coming up the neat gravel
path, heard q pathetic little sigh, and
saw tear drop from the blue eyes
that to him were like sunshine. As
Bessie saw her lover approach she hast.
lily gathered up her work and tried to
hide all traces Of emotion.
"What has happened, Bessief !