Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-01

A1ou7o 4uSs. LIZ ..U.-1. .g..l, .-----
be had survived-even greater wonder that
he was still wealthy. At one time it was
thought he had run through every thing, for
he had disappeared, and no one sa W any thing
of him for years. But it turned out he had
only been leading a rowing life in far coun-
tries. Repenting, let US hope No; Julian
Lorraine was not nice man.
But, nice or not, no one had any longer
the wish to keep Mr. Lorraine at arms
length. Had he cared for it, he might have
enjoyed mixing with the pick of county
society. But he treated civiity almost as
he treated GOODNESS, with complete ind iffer-
ence; and it soon became unders TODD that
the owner of Herstal Abbey was a man who
no longer cared to mix with his kind,
1t was, of course, incomprehensibie that
any one should buy fine property and
settle down to the life Of a recIuse; the
more so as the man was still in the prime
of life, handsome and wealthy. But Julian
Lorraine was an lncomprehensible man. /,
for one, have never been able to determine
his true character. Perhaps l have Stunned
investigating it. Perhaps, had l tried,
SHOULD have been unable to gather trust
worthy information as to his true nature,
from the fact that tales afoat concerning
his early life would reach me last of all.
When he bought Herstal Abbey he was a
widower with one son, boy of Z. This
hoy he petted and neglected alternately.
There were days when the child was with
him from morn to eve; there were weeks in
which he never saw him from Sunday
morning to Saturday night; there were
months during which Mr. Lorraine went
wan lering off, heaven knows where leav-
ing the child to the care of servants.
Whether at home or abroad, he kept ND
his establ ishment in lavish, wasteful
manner. He threw his money about in a
cynical way, as one who cared not how it
went. He expected his servants would rob
him-no doubt they did. This he considered
but human nature, and troubled nothing
about it; but woe to the man or woman who
in the slightest degree neglected anything
which his comfort or whim demanded! His
dependents soon understood their masters
pecullarities, and by the exercise of due
care managed to keep their places for years
and Years, and no dou bit grew rich upon the
money he wastol.
As will soon be seen, | have related eli,
or the greater part OF the above, from ha1r
say. The following incident in Mr. Dr.
ains's life [ cun f -.1 ! he
from his own lj;..
ia he year 1855 De jyas Getu-uia, from
&ssttal g a. dld ns. tell me what had
tsk Il 4& 9hele, out l suspect he went ir.
each Of health. He was in sailing YES.
sel-the Black Swan was her name There
were other passengers-men, women and
Children. One night there was a crash,
horrible grinding sound, a recoil AMI the
black Swan quietly settled down to the
bottom OF the oc,aa. Whether the disaster
was due to collision or to sunken rock
A n
minutes, and Julian Lorraine found himself
swimming for life, yet without a hope Of
saving it.
In swimming as indeed in every manly
exercise, Lorraine was all but unrivalel;
but even his great strength was gons when
he felt hand on his collar and was pulled
all but insensible into small boat, which,
it appeared, was the only one that had been
lowered, OF, at any rate, had succeeded in
getting away from the wreck.
The sea, fortunately, was comparatively
smooth or the tiny beat could not have
outlived TIE night. When the morning
broke, Julian Lorraine saw all that survived
Of the ship and her freight.
Himself. four sailors, three women AMI a
baby in arms!
The sailors were pulling, not from the
hope of reaching land, but to keep the boats
head to the waves. The mother, with her
child clasped 10 her breas5, and the two
other women were crouching in the stern
sheets
In the boat were a dozen biscuits and
small key Of water.
With the light, all turned to Lorraine for
advice and aid. He was a man Of &C
manding presence, to whom people OIL
lower organization would naturally turn il
difficulties He assumed the responsibility.
He told the men TO step the mast and
hoist what sail they thought safe, AMI then
to steer as close to the wind as possible.
He assured them that land was not far off
His only reason, he informed me, for taking
this course was that he hated the labor of
rowing. ANY hope Of their lives being
saved he scot,ted