The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-12

some one pushed suddenly and violently
against him. He caught ut the side OF
the boat. but through the darkness a
face was bent down and voice Missed:
"Who is the victor now? What shall
tell Genevieve Mallard for youT' and
his hands were struck suddenly from
their hold; and he fell over into the
boiling sea. He remembered sensa-
ton as if he was going down. down.
hundreds of fathoms. into the depths OF
the sea- and among the thoughts that
few like lightning through his brain
was this. Alfred DeVries had invited
him on this trip, hoping and meaning
that, if it was possible. he should never
return. He understood full well his
last haunting speech. for Genevieve had
| told him that DeVries had shown he
would some day triumph over both her
and the man who lad won her from
him, DeVries having been a former low
er of hers, though never favored one.
/ His last thought was a vague wonder il
Genevieve would ever suspect that De-
Vries had anything to do with his being
drowned. and then all was . blank. a
long, dreary blank. in which he knew
or realized nothing. save sometimes an
intense sense of physical agony, but 70
thought, or fancy, or speculation-not
the vaguest or most indefinite thought
! or wish.
Three months afterward he reused
from what seemed to him a long. panied
sleep-roused with still heaviness, a
weight, as it were, pressing on his
brain He felt, still, like one in sort
of lethargic trance. though he was able
to sit on the deck and walk q few steps.
Physical health came back to him after
a time, but his mind was under cloud
still He had no idea of time-no con-
nected thought of anything. and no
memory of the past, save a vague sense
of something painful and oppressive.
Since, he had learned that he was
picked up floating on his back. in a
motionless, unconscious state, long.
narrow strip of thin board under his
shoulders. caught in a rent in his coat,
which held it fast. A fash of lightning
had revealed him to the lookout on the
ship, and they had taken him on board,
very doubtful that he was living at first.
but the surgeon said the pulse was not
quite gone. and so hope excited them
TO efforts for his resuscitatiOn, which
was, however. a long and laborious work.
There was an ugly and terrible wound
on his head, caused probably by its eom-
ing in contact with the bottom of the
Yacht when he rose after his first swift
plunge.
The Captain at first thought of put
ting into port somewhere and leaving
him. but having been already driven out
of his way by the sudden gale, he con-
cluded to keep on his course, hoping
that he might recover consciousness be-
fore reaching any of the ports at which
he was to touch before reaching his
final destination, which was Australia.
But he did not. and the surgeon, who
had become greatly interested in the
case. begged that he might remain on
the ship, which he did, and was finally
landed at Melbourne, some four months
from the time he was picked up. Up
to this time he had been unable to give
his name or place Of residence, though
he had nearly recovered his physical
health, and had confused idea OF
things about him. but could remember
little or nothing.
Looking back, now, the next year and
half seemed like terrible. oppressive
nightmare. which gradually wore off as
thought and memory came slowly and
reluctantly back. He was now poor.
friendless, and in a strange country.
He was not used to manual labor, and
what little, unsk lied as he was. he ac-
complished. barely paid for the food he
ate. He was ragged and utterly PENN.
less. In this condition he joined party
going to the mines, hoping to earn
sufficient to take him back to England,
for. as memory returned, he was almost
wild to get back to his wife and child.
the more so as their marriage had been
a clandestine one, he being still in his
minority when it was consummated,
and his father having widely different
plans for him. He now cursed his own
weakness in not long since revealing
the truth to his father. for, however
bitterly offended he might be. he did
not doubt but he would provide for his
wife and child, and visions of them,
destitute and suffering, haunted him
perpetually. He had i'll success the first
year; the next he had amassed enough
to take him home handsomely. when he
was taken sick with fever. and every
dollar went, besides leaving him in a
state which untitled him for work for
months. At last he began again, and,
after repeated failures and successes.
had again got nearly ready 10 sail for
England, when a new gang of miners
came into camp, and among them Tom
Dorrance, whom he knew al once, and
he eagerly inquired for his wife and
child. Alas! it was sad blow to his
long-deferred hope and anticipations,
the story Dorrance had to tell of the
wreck OF the lie Brun and the death OF
his wife, to which was added the intelli-
gence of his fathers death. He eXpe-
rienced sudden revulsion of feeling
England lost all attraction for HMM
deed, he shuddered at thought of it,
and made up his mind to stay where he
was. since there was nothing to call him
back. All this time he lad passed by
his middle name. Albertson. He had
been successful afterward. and measar-
ably content until q year ago. when he
had heard that his cousin Gilbert had
taken all his fortune and gone to
America. At first he did not mind SO
much. then by degrees it came to him
that Dorrance had never said his child
was drowned. he had inferred that. lie
spent two months hunting him up. and
at last found that he had been dead two
wears. Then he resolved to settle up
his business as speedily as possible-for
he had been in business these last FIVE
years-and return to England. and from
thence TO America Possibly, he
thought his child, if living, might be in
his cous n family.
Arriving in England he found De-
Vries had accompanied Gilbert Mont