The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-08-22

the cunning of the fox, and the moment he
saw that the stranger was pumping him he
was on his guard.
Presently, however, his curiosity gained
the day. Categorically, in his turn, he began
to question Brinkiey about has doings.
81 suppose now, MASTER" said he, ''you
travel about deal in that cart o yournF'
Brinkley explained thatthe ''cart" in ques-
lion had been in his possession only a few
months.
s'But Travelled good deal before l got
It, he explained. "This time last year was
IN ireland"
Gin Ireland, masterf'
s'Yes, on the west coast; do you know it"
William Jones shook his head.
''There be plenty wreck there, amt thereP
said he, suddenly.
''WreckY' repeated Brinkley
eyes, I've heard tell o wonderful storms
and big ships breaking up. Look ye now,
they do tell wonderful tales; and wonder
sometimes il all they says be true"
Brinkley looked at his host for minute OF
so in silent wonder, for the little man was
transformed. Instead Of gazing about HIM
with the stupid expression which up TIL now
his face had worn, his face expressed all the
keenness of a fox-hound well on the scent.
There was also another curious thing which
the Young man noticed: that the word
"wreck" seemed to act like magic on the
other member of the Jones household. Az
the first mention of it the old man startet
from his sleep; and he now sat staring wildly
before him, evidently imagining he was
standing on headland, going out to sea.
"Wreckp he murmured. Gay, there 1t
be, driftin' in wi the wind and tide, William
-driftin' in wi the tide"
''Shut up, old man" said William, giving
his father q nudge; then, turning again to
Brinkley, he said "Be them tales true, mas
ter.'
chr Oh, yes, perfectly true, said Brink
lev. being in a lively humor, and determined
to give his host treat
The expression in theeyes OF William ones
| became even more greedy
"P'raps,n he said, you've seen some Of
them Wrecks}"
''Dear me, yes answered Brinkley, de
| termined to give the reins to his imagination
1--WE seen any number of them. Huge ships
broken up like match-boxes, and every soul
on board them drowned; then afterward-"
"Ah, yes, mister" sad William Jones,
| eagerly, as the other paused; "arter--n
! "Well, afterward, my friend, I've seen
| treasures come ashore that would have made
YOU and me, and a dozen Others such, rich for
| life
Dear, dearl and what became of il, mis-
ter-tell me thatf'
"What became of itn' repeated BrinAicy,
whose imagination was beginning to gi,'
way; "why, it was appropriated, Of coUrs',
by the population
"And didn't you take your share mister"
az" repeated Rrinkloy, who was getnE
muddled; well, no; firstly, becauae didn't
wish to-l have SlIpoIstitiOus horrur0i wear
ing dead mems things; and secondly, tcciaiJ
could not have done 50 had wislea III,
people are clannish; they vanied it all ior
themselves, and would have killed any inter
fering stranger"
81 suppose, mister, there be no coastguar'
chaps thare3" said William Jones.
ooh, dear, mol No cuastguartlS."
"Ahr' sighed the old man, coming out ~
his trance at warnt 50 long ago whel
there warnt no coastguarl chaTs her
neither. Then times was better for hoHcs
men On dark night twas easy toput q
light ON the headland, and so.noi.ni We so
prize OF two that way, didn't We, William
dearl But now
"You shut up reared William, giving hi
parent very forcihle dig in the ribs. "Nor
don't know what you're tall.in' about, You
don't The old 'un is bit queer in the head
master" be explained; ''and he's allus ;
dreamin', he is. There amt no prizes here
the Lord knows; its Almost as much as W,
can do to cit bit o bread Matt know
that; don't ia Matt"
But whatever Matt know she crilentl,
meant TO keep to herself, for she gave h1 II
ply Presently, AFTER little more genera
conversation, Brinklcy rose To 60. lie oiTcrc,
a two-shilling piece to William Jones, and
somewhat to his amazement, that worthy &C
copied it gratefully.
"Gool-5y, Matt" said Brinkley. But in
trice Matt vas beside him.
'I'm going to show you the way she eH
planned as she went out with LIN INTO tn
air
"Whew" said Brinkley when thcy vcr
fairly clear of the calm; 'the olsa ar
better than that den; but then William lone
is very poor, isn't he Matt.7
''I.o 81 IS he is"
"BEt don't You believe itt'
"P'raps do, and p'raps ! doli't; ii don
matter to you, does it!n
'Not the least in the world
They went ON for n whic III silence; thc
Matt, who had been furtive]y watching hi
face all the whilo, spoke again.
you amt angry, are you master" sll
asked
'Iangry? what for!'
"'Cause I said that just now"
Dear me, no; whatever you might say
Matt, wouldn't offend me
If he expected to please her by this he Wa
mistaken
'That's 'cause you don't care. Well,
don't care neither, if you don't
She ran a little ahead of him, and contiI
ued TO precede him until she gained the In
sandhill and caught a glimpseo OF the caravan
Then she paused.
''You don't want me to go no further, d
you"
mo-
"All right -good-byn
She gave a bound, like n young deer, %
) prepared to start for a swift run back, bl
the young man called her.
Matt, come here"
/ She came up to him. He put his arm ahoI
her shoulders bent over her upturned fac
J and kissed her. In her impulsive way, Ma
returned the kiss ardentIy; then, to b
= amazement, she gave one strange look in
} his eyes-blushed violently and hung Ia
head
y "Come, give me another, Matt, y he said
But Matt would not comply. With o.
0 jerk she freed herself from him; then, swi
q as lightning, she ran back across the hi
, toward the sea.