The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-03-21
THE QUAND0NG STONE.
How It's Long-Kept Secret Was
az Last Disclosed

Steward. exclaimed the chiei-oai-
Ger OF the Americas bark Decatur ly.
ing Just then IN Table Bay. into which
she hsd pat On Der long voyage 30 Aus
trAlia for The purpose q obtaining wa,s-
and fresh proriaons--the skipper,
sent Word q thai therv's iso passea.
gers coming on board for 2elboans
~ look spy aud get those sfier-terhs
ready. ori guen The ''old mAs II
sira'ghien yOu up when be come,
along
sooa Afterwards the "old nan and
he passengers put 10 An appearance Ia
the hArk : cutter. the anchor. .har
since sunrse. WAS bore Up 10 The cat
heads, iopsails sheeSd home. ADD. dip
ping the star and barr 10 The sur.
rounding shipping. the Decatur again.
after her bnef rest ~; forth o. Der
ocean travel.
John Leslie and Francis Drum bad
heen perfect stranger. TO each other al
Their lives long til within. the las. .sz
ho1rs' sDd nov, with the frank conf.
deuce bcg0iisn Of youth sad health.
each knew more Of the other. his fail.
ures and successes than perhaps. un.
der ordinary circumstances. he would
have leamci In a iwelyemonih. Both
were comparatively young men; Drury.
Australian born. = native Of Yicaua.
and one of those rowing spirits ope
meets with sometimes Who secm 10
have. and care 10 have. no p~ernanon,
place % earh's surface. the EaHdsrgstf
having entered into their very souls.
and taken full possession thereof The
kind Of man whom We are nj, .ur.
pnsed At hearing Of to-day upon the
banks ~ the Ply River, IN > Few months
more In The lnieisr 81 Tibet: again on
The track Of Stanley. or with Gorion in
khartoum.
so Il had been with rranci. Duv.
ever seeking after fortune in the wild
places u the world, Ia quest. 80 often
IN vain. Of . p~hAniannAl EldoraAo-
lured on. ever on. by visions Of what
the unknown contained Ghauis Wild
and rocky had rc-ochoed the reuor. a.
his rife his footsteps had fallen lightly
on the pavemenH Of the ruined cities
OF MonicxnmA. sombrc and stately AZ
the primeval forest which hid them and
his skid had cleft the bright Sou horn
nvers that Wa,erton loved 20 well 10
explore. but gone farther than EVER the
naturalist. adventurous and daring a.
he, too. was, had ever been. Al length
n be laughing told biz friend, fortune
had. on the diamond fields Of Klipdrt
smiled upon him. with a measured
smile. twas true. but still a smile. and
nov. sfler an absence u some yesrs
he had taken the opportnne chance Of
apasage In the Decatur. and war Of
home TO zee bis mother and sister. from
whom be had no, heard for nearly two
year.
Leslie was rather = contras, 10 the
other, being a. quiet and thoughtful a.
Drury was fnll q life and spirits. AID
had been trying his hand At shnep.farm.
Ing In Cape Colony, but with rather
scanty resnlts; In Tact, having uni
most Of bis original capital, Ne wns
nov taking with him 10 Australia var,
htile but his African experience
A strong friendship between ,he.e tuo
was the result Of but a few DAYS init.
macy, during which time. however. :.
They were The only passenger. they
naturally saw n great deal II each
other 80 II came TO pass that Ie.lls
heard all about his friends sister
golden-haired Margarc, Drury. and
often. a. in the middle watches \.
paced the deck alone. he conjured nj
visions 70 himself. smiling tho whilc. q
what This girl. Of whom her bto,heI
spoke 30 lovingly and proudly. and h
whom he had such steadfa.t faith a.
woman amongst women could b. like
The Dtcafsr was now. with a strpnl
westerly wind behind her. fast an
prosehing the latitude Of that misefabl
mid-occanic rock known As the Isl.n,
OF ~ Paul. when suddenly a ser;ou
mishap occurred The shin was " run
ming heavy" under her fore AMI maj
torsail. and q fore topmast sla,sail. N
breeze hating increased 10 : stii cal.
which had brought up a very heavs .,
when somehow-for these thing, ere
sfa Board Of Trade inquiry. seldom 4
g. clearly explained-one Of the tw
men A. the wheel. or both Of them re,
nap~. YET the vessel "bru.ch-to.. ma,
ing the penalty Of their carele.sne.. 1
taxing their departure from her "a
49,. ~ company with hinnaele. Il,
n5.4 beacpops. etc. and ; huge wav
-. suep1 he Decatur fsrs and Al
- lalfnil 70 he heel Of her how
es.zlne q he sane lime poo
DfuEy. Who happened d 4
49, w. hrpsi q Inc nor
e~~e~< ns mar -
$3.50 upo1>5rra u1n6ls.s A.
~ uesi 8