Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-07

,ovad = ruuAe which Matt know full vel, and
which soon brought them 70 tie narrow foot
path beyond. During The walk she waS angu-
iarlv ijeut. and Brinkley seemed to b busily
irving to work out some ahstruse problem
which had taken possession Of his brain.
when they had followed the footpath fcl
some distance and bad gained the greenSward
on the top of the cliffs, tho young man throw
himself upon the grass, and invited Matt to dc
the same. It was very pleasant there, sooth-
ing both to the eye and to tbs mind. Tn
cliff was covered-somewhat sparsely, 1t
true-with stunted grass; aud just below, o.
their right, lay the ocean, calm as any mill
pond, but signing softly as the water kissed
the rocks and flowed back again with
rhythmic throbs. On their left lay the sand
hills, glittering like dusty gold in the sun
rays, while just before and below them was
the village.
EDO YOU see that house standing all by itself,
close to shoref' said Matt, pointing to the
cottage where she lived. "That belongs to
William Jones. And, look ye now, there be
William Jones on the rocks"'
Looking down, Brinkley beheld figure
moving along the rocks, just where the water
touched the edge.
"Very lazy Of William JONES'" he said.
ssWhy isn't he at work!'
cat work."
Eyes, tilling the fields or fishing. BY the
way, forgot to ask you, is he fishermanr
mo, he amt, said Matt. "He's q wrecker,
he isl"
"A whatr' exclaimed Brinkley.
"a wrecker," continued Matt, as II wreck
ing was the most natural occupation In the
world. Brinkley looked at her, imagining
that she must be practicing some wild joke.
He had certainly heard Of wreckers, but he
had always believed that they were a species Of
humanity which had belonged to past centu-
ries and were now as extinct as mammoth.
But the girl evidently meant what she raid,
and thought there was nothing extraordinary
in the statement.
"That sea don't look ugly, do itf' she con-
tinued, pointing at the ocean "But it l.;
there's rocks out there where the ships split
on; then they 60 all to pieces, and the things
come ashore"
"And what becomes of all the things, Mattf'
''Some of 'ems stole, and some Of EMS took
by the coastguards. They do say, she added,
mysteriously, 'as there's lots O. things-gold
and silver-hid among them sandhills. Be-
fore the coastguards come all the folk was
wreckers like William Jones, and they used
to get what come ashore, and they used to
hide it in the sandhills."
Indeed! Then, il that is the case, why
don't they take the treasure up, and turn it
into money!
"Whyi Cause them sandhills is allus
changing and shifting about, they are; though
they know well enough the things is there,
there's no findin' of 'em"
'Ialways thought William Jonc, was poorT'
$50 he is, he says!" replied Matt; "cause,
though he be allus foraging, he don't find
much now on account O. them coastguard
chaps"
After they had rested themselvesthey went
little farther up the cliff, then they followed
a narrow, winding path, which brought them
to the shore below. Here Matt, who seemed
to be pretty well grounded in the history of
the place, pointed him out the wonders of the
coast. She showed him the caves, which ira
ditiOn said had been formerly used as wreckers'
hdunts aid treasure stores, but which were
now washed by the sea, and covered with
Shiny weeds; then she brought him to prom
ontory where they told her she herself had
been found. This spot Brinkley examined
curiously, then he looked at the girl.
II suppose you had clothes on when you
came ashore, didn't you, Mattr
Continued Saturday, Nov. I4.)