Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1885-06-26
JACKS ANCHOR.

Little Ray Edmonds, tripping down
stairs in the August twilight, saw a
dark figure sitting on the door step, and
hesitated with vague sense of pity
stirring in her heart.
Ray and her father were boal ding
for the summer with an cid friend of
Mr.. Edmands, aud the figure On the
step was that of their hosts son, wild
young fellow of twenty, tall, graceful
andAhandsome.
Just nov JACK Gre was IN d1sgracs,
having been ringleader in some wild
prank played IN the neighbering town
few days before.
Ray had been silent listener when
Mr.. Grey told her father that he could
put up with Jacks lawless ways no
longer, and so had procured him berth
on board merchant ship which would
sail ON the following day for China.
To sixteen-year-eld Ray, SO loved and
petted by her father, this seemed ter
rible thing to be separated from home
and friends, to be sent to that strange,
far-away country for an indefinite
length Of time; and so she paused in
the doorway and looked graveiy at the
youth, who, with his hands clasped
about one knee and his dark head
thrown back against the door frame,
was staring upward with wide, bright
eyes, seeing nothing and thinking unut
terable things.
| There was bitter curl on the proud
young lips.
Some unaccouutable impulse moved
Ray to say softly:
"De you remember your mother
Jack?"
His face flushed and his lips quiveree
as he raised himself to his feet before
answering:
ooh, yes, Miss Ray; was ten year
old when she died.
He checked himself suddenly and be
gan to move away from the door.
"Don't run away from me, jack, tn
girl exclaimed, going down the step
after him. II am sorry for you, truly
l haven't any mother, you know, thoug
papa is as good to me as he can be-"
"Yenr life is not to be compared t
mine," said the young fellow, harshly
'sMy stepmotker thinks l am bad 10,
and 1 suppose 1 am. 1t would seer
queer enough to have any one spea
, we'll of me. know dent deserve it.
, s'And why don't ysu try to deserv
it," asked Ray, gently. 81 have bee
thinking how badly your mother weul
} feel, were she alive, to know that yo
, were going so far away. Please don
{ be angry, Jack but I'm afraid yo
: haven't done just right, and I do thin
: you owe it to the memory Of your mOtl
3 er to be good man.
. Her faltering voice dropped into s
= lepce here.
, The mist was rolling up from I'll
!, shore, and the clear, solemn sound I
the fog-bell at the Head was borne
, their ears On the evening air.
: The boy tossed the dark hair fro1
d his forehead with quick motion matt
1 raj to him, as he bent toward the your
e girl, who made pleasant picture
a look upon, with her earnest eyes, hi
fair clustering hair, and her slende
i. white-r0bed figure.
q .-Miss Ray, do you hear that bell:
). warns all mariners from the rocks.
e have been near the rocks good mar
times in the last two or three years,
s he shivered slightly-''and ysu are Il
:, first person who has taken the troub
$ to warn or tn pity me. There are pie
;: ty to blame, plenty to Prephesy that
= shail go to the bad, and know that
/ have given them reasen. But l low
IS my mother-I loved my mother. he I
iterated with hungry emphasis-''a
= | have lain awake rssnY night Wis
= irg tor hes "a great fe'isw Ike me
: a-9 he ,oete.i deva at .e annv Fc