Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-22
CONCLUDES WITH A KISS.

uOmc VI WILLIAM JONES
Not far from the spot where William Jones
had landed, and removed some little distance
from the deserted village, with its desolate
main street and roofess habitations, there
stood a low, one-storied cottage, quite as black
and forbidding- looking as any of the aban-
doned dwellings in its vicinity 1t was built
of stone and rooted with slate, but the door
way was composed of old ships timber, and
the one small window it contained had orig
inally formed the window of a ships cabin.
Over the door was placed, like sign, the
wooden figure-head of a young woman, naked
to the waist, holding a mirror i'll her hand
and regarding herself with remarkable com.
placency, despite the fact that accident had
deprived her of nose and one eye and that
the beautiful red complexion and jet black
hair she had once possessed had been entirely
washed away by the action of the elements,
leaving her all over of a leprous pallor. The
rest of the building, as have suggested, was
of sinister blackness, though here and there it
was sprinkled with wet sea sand. Sand, too,
lay on every side, covered small patch,
originally meant for a garden, and drifted
thiclly up to the very door.
To this cottage William Jones ran with his
treasure trove, and, entering it without cere-
mony, found himself in almost total dark
ness; for the light which crept through tho
blackened panes Of the small windows was
only just sufficient to make darkness visible
But this worthy seaside character having in
addition to a cats predatory instincts, some
thing of cats power of vision, clearly dis
cerned everything in the chamber he just ell
tered-a rude, stone paved kitchen, with ali
open fireplace and no grate, black rafters
overhead. from which suspended sundry lear
pieces of bacon; a couple of wooden chairs, a
table, and i'll one corner sort of bed in the
wall, where human figure was reposing.
Setting down the trunk on the floor, he
marched right over to the bed and uncere-
moniously shook the individual lying upon
it, whom he discovered to be man, mutter-
ing in heavy sleep. Finding that he did
not wake with shaking, William Jones bent
down and cried Justify in his ear:
'Wreck! wreck ashore!"
The effect was instantaneous The figure
rose up in bed, disclosing the head and shout
ders of a very old man, who wore red cotton
night cap, and whose hair and beard were as
white as snow.
"Eh? Wheer2 Wheer?' he cried in shrill
TREBLE looking vacantly around him,
"Wake up, old 'un," said William, seizing
him and shaking him again. 'It's me, Will
liam Jones'"
"William? Is it my son Williama" re-
turned the old man, peering out into the
darkness.
eyes, father. Look ye now, you was
a-talking again in your sleep, you was. A
good thing no one heerd you but your son
William. Some O. these days you'll be letting
summat out, you will, if you go on like this. -
The old man shook his head feebly, then
clasping his hands together in a kind of rap
ture, he looked at bis son and said:
eyes, William, was a-dreaming. Oh, it
was such heavingly dream! I was a-stand-
ing on the shore, William, and it was a-blow-
ing hard from the east, and all at once I see
a ship as big as an Indiaman come in VII all
sail set, and go ashore and I looked round,
William dear, and there was no one nigh but
you and me; and when she broke up I see
gold and silver and jewels come washing
ashore just like floating weeds, and the
drownded, every one of 'em, had rings on
their fingers and gold watches and cheens,
and, more'n that, that their hands was full
of shining gold; and one on 'em-a lady,
William-had bright diamond ring, as big
as walnut; but when tried to pull it off it
wouldn't come; and just as pulled out my
leetle knife to cut the finger off, and put it in
my pocket, you shook me, William, and woke
me up. Oh, it was a heavingly dream"
William Jones had listened with ill-dis-
guised interest to the early part of this
speech, but, on its conclusion, he gave an
other grunt of undissembled disgust.
'Well, you're awake now, cid 'un; so jump
up I've brought summat home. Look
sharp, and get alight."
Thereupon the old man, who was fully
dressed in a pair of old wooden trousers and
guernsey, slipped from the bed and began
fumbling about the room. He soon found
what he wanted-a box of matches and a
rude, home made candle, fashioned of long,
coarse reed dipped in sleeps tallow; but,
owing to the fact that he was exceedingly
feeble and trenulous, he was so long in light
ing up that his gentle son grew impatient
''Here, give 'un to mel" said William.
"You're wasting them matches just as if they
cost nowt. A precious father you are, and
no mistake"
The candle being lighted and burning with
feeble fame he informed the old man of
what he had found. In q moment the latter
was down on his knees, opening the box
and greedily examining its contents. But
William pushed him impatiently away and
closed tho lid with bang.
"Theer, enough O. that, old 'unl You hold
the light while carry the box in and put it
| away.n
'tAll right, William dear-an right" re-
turned the old man, obeying gleefully. 81
know'd we should have luck, by that beauti-
| full dream"
The two men-one holding the light and
the other carrying the trunk-passed through
door at the back of the kitchen and entered
al. inner chamber. This chamber, too, con-
tanned window, which was SO blocked up,
however, by lumber Of all kinds that little
or no daylight entered. Piled up in great
confusion were old sacks, some partly full,
some empty; coils of rope, broken oars.