Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-11-17


other decorations would be his besides
were 1t not that he is as modest as he j.
brave, and holds that saving a fellow
creatures life is duty, and MOTTO us.
his own words-an affair to 60 and male
fuss about.
Humphrey Cheal has two sons
George. the elder, Harry Reeds bosom
fricEd and partner. stalwart young fs
low on whom the Honorable Society Of
the Elder Brethren of Trinity House
have already conferred the certificate ior
pilotage duty in the Estuary; and little
Jim, the younger, blue-eyed urchin Of
fourteen, who can handle Oar or tiler
with any lad of his age ard weight in the
village. 1t hid been somewhat tender
point with Hum phrev, in his earlier life
that his family had numbered no dansh-
ter; but this sufficiency had since been
supplied, his sister In law Rachel-now,
alas widow-having brought irto the
world little Rachel, who in due course
had grown to be the very apple Of her
urcle's eye. To her, the most lovable
mail in all Cherbury, the gentle reader
has been already introduced under the
jetty.
IT'S cruel, cruel task is parting"
she sighs. as she wends her way up-tle
lane by Humphreys side, land 'twoud
break my heart, uncle, if this voyage
were not Harry's last!'
Right you be- my bonny lamb, rish:
You be-. Parting is heavy business at
besti an that's Bible TRUTH" assents
Humphrey. but then, you know, we
mustn't take on when we're rightin siglt
o port, SO to speak" he continues in n
more chcery tone. why, bless my
heart, shouldn't teel bit surprised if
you were to anchor up there an tell me,
as reart as mebbe, that Harry had gone
and bespoke 2, Sheldrake's Cottages,
afore he started!"
Aye. bless the lad that he did, un-
Gle; bespoke the cottage, and what's
more, bespoke the pig just the plump
est little chap Iyo seen this many q day
as round an soft an beautiful as-as- :"
Her eyes beam softlyov the retrospect,
and the simile is lost.
I'm main glad to hear it., my lass,
comments Humphrey, thouShtfully;
" for there's no denyin' that I'd wish to
>ct thee settled all comfortable, if so be
jtiat any other change in the family is
10 cone about. I've heared folks talkin'
deal O late, my dear; conplin' your
mothers name with that o Farmer Cor
dom"
A merry laugh issues spontaneously
from RachcI's lips. His very words,
uncle; Harry's very words! 'Hcared
folks couplin' Rachel Cheals name wi
that of Tom Gordonr But he thought
the Rachel Cheal was me, uncle-me,
m not mother" And over the recollcc-
ton she laughs the tears back into he,
eyes
Humphrey laughs TOO; and thus,
laughing and chatting, the old coast
guardsman aud the maid Rachel make
their way out of the lane, and disappear
in the direction of the little cottage on
the n orth Down.
Meanwhile, Rachel's lover has reached
Harwich Harbor and joined his ship, the
coasting brig Auld Reekie, which sets
sail on the morrow morn for the port o1
Aberdeen With fair breezes from the
south and west she makes a good run ol
it, loads her cargo of granite, and again
quits port BY this time the summer
has waned, and the period of the au.
tumn equinox is at hand. At sunrise or
the fourth day of her homeward voyage
the brig encounters strong head wind:
| from the southeast; before sunset 1t i:
blowing half gale, and an hour after
warl-with ner foresail in ribbon!
and her foreyard in sphnters-she ha'
| pat about, and is making last blind ef
| fort to run for the mouth Of the Tees.
A grim object, to the seafaring eye, il
the Auli Reekie For Ave and fort,
| years fair weather and foul, she ha
been knocking up and down the eas
coast OF Grea: Britain in search Of
livelihood-now carrying wood, noy
coal, now stone-fnd q storm beaten
, patched up, unseaworthy old hulk sh
looks, through al her three coats c
paint. To catch sight of the line wher
now the Pins ii mark would be, th
| observer, il was averred. would have I
station himself a couple Of boat s-length
off her weather beam; and even then
would be necessary for a good sti
breeze TO lay her over at ap angle Of 70,
ty-fve degrees to her headline, befor
bis curiosity could be assuaged. Sue
is the vessel in which Harry Reed hs
shipped as mate, and vhich-with he
forenast gone by the board, her tE
hundred and fifty tons dead wei4It /
granite shifting in her hold, ard9Rs
rotten calls blown 10 rags-is staggerin
along IN the inky darkness before Ii
awful fury Of the equinox. Like nan
| aro.hev eofF1n-sbiu he.0r. har she Is :,