News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-31

| AoA, u ye see tnls Is all my tault; an,
you'd be safe in harbor now if you hadn'
sailed out of it with me. Only 1 couldn'
foresee the future, lass; and I though
to make you a captains wife; by-and-by
an owners lady. It would have bee,
better for you if Jem and Bill had mad
a meal of me, I've come to think. Ri
ofme, your father would take you home
well-it may happen yet"
And then Bell put her arms about hi
neck and whispered that she did not re
gret her love for him.
But struggle as she might with it, tn
words that had been said of her foil,
would recur to her mind, and she kney
that she did regret something. 1t wa
hard to help it.
Jack knew it also. He ate his humbl,
supper sadly, and went out again. Hi
days work was over, but he wanted tC
be alone.
| He hmped down to the shore where i
was lonely, and washed the highest by
the sobbing waves, and stood looking
out.
81 meant to make her captains
lady," he muttered.
81 meant to show the old hunks
ashore that she should have everything
he could have given her.
There's house with q sea-view. and
a lookout top, that meant to buy; and
for rigging, why no lady in the land
should have been sprucer. No wonder
she frets, soiling her white hands with
dirty work, and going shabby, too.
What right had 1 to turn pirate, and tow
her away from her moorings, and then
make shipwreck of her? Yes, it would
be better to be down below, among the
wrecks-a great deal better. She must
think me an enemy; I've only done her
harm; I who love her better than my
life."
Then he looked seaward again moodily.
A terrible storm was coming; his sailor
eye saw that without doubt. He felt
it in the air; heard it in all sounds; and
the leaden foaming of the distant waves,
the black meeting of the sea and sky,
made it manifest to anyone.
A ship had been wrecked the day be-
ore, and her wreck was lying beyond
he harbor bar. Jack fell to thinking of
her.
"SheIl go to pieces tonight" he
said. ''The storm will make an end of
her," and he thought of the ship as of
a sensate human being whose troubles
were nearly ended, with kind of envy,
too. If he should live until Bell hated
him how could he bear it His earthly
hopes had gone. The ideal ship to be
named the Bell Marble would never be
his, and he must limp painfully through
the world to his life's end now. But he
could bear that if he could only keep
Bells heart. Could he without money
He put his curly head down on his
bronzed hands, and prayed strange,
innocent, simple prayer:
'Please to give me money enough to
keep my wife's love, and forgive me IL
l am wrong, for I'm only poor sailor
adrift without compass, and not a
chaplain, and don't know"
Perhaps his theology was at fault:
but he had heard that he must pray for
what he needed, and he tried the advice
practically.
After that he stood up, and looking
along the beach saw further on an ex-
cited group, and went to join them.
Sailors, boatmen, a spruce captain in
his ashore clothes, an idle woman or
two, some children, and a gentleman
who had nothing seafaring In his appear
ance, and wore his arm in sling. This
gentleman was talking.
ga thousand dollars for the man who
brings them. Is no man anxious to
make money so easily? Two hours
work. I'd do it myself if 1 had not
sprained my arm. saw the wreck
from the lighthouse. There will be no
difficulty, and she will go to pieces be-
fore morning. A thousand dollars
There's an offer for these men, Captain
Taylor"
"Only men are fond of their lives, !"
said the captain. ''Look at the sea and
the sky. Ishould like to help you to
your casket, but can't advise these men
to go. 1t would be murder"
"Pshawl The fellows at our college
would have done it for fun."
ga sailor would not, said the captain.
'1f the ship lives through the night,
there's chance"
"But can she?" asked the stranger.
ST think not, said the captain.
"Good heavens! think of it |" cried
the man. ''The fruits of five years
labor in Europe are in that casket. I've
toiled with brain and body. I'm ruined
if it is lost There are men who would
do it for trifie. You hear my offer, all
of you. Bring that casket before sun
set, and I'll give you more
Then a brown hand touched his arm,
and voice husky with emotion said:
'1'm your man, on one condition"
The gentleman turned.
"One who is not a coward, " he said.
''There amt II coward here, said
Jack. 81 know the danger as well as
they, but promise me one thing.
Promise me before these people, SO that
you must hold to it. The money you
will give me if get ashore again?"
''The money I have promised will be
paid at once, said the gentleman.
'Hear me out, please" said Jack.
''That money, if die out there, you'll
pay to my wife. Swear that, and I'm
ready"
"Jack," cried the captain, sit is sheer
madness"
Jack smiled; strange, heart-broken
smile enough.
'TIl try it." he said, "on that condi-
| tion."
The gentleman had torn a leaf from
his pocket-book, and wrote upon it
hastily.
''This secures thousand dollars to
your wife," he said. 'fYour name ?"
'Jack Marble" said the sailor.
Jack Marbles wife, said the man.
''No danger, though as 1 said before.
our college boys would have made sport
of it. Hurry, my man hurry"
Jack glanced over the papers.
'Keep it for me, Captain Taylor, " he
said. "I'm ready now, SIR"
Then he went to unmoor his boat and