The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-12

guests forgotten. weddings, the bride aud groom,
old people now with children's children, or
parted by anger or death. Suddenly she started,
her heart leaped. her hands trembled. Only a
coarse blue envelope, directed in a rude hand 10
Captain Eric Stockdale, San Francisco. Cal.
She would not open it, she thought brsvely.
lmpeiled BY some power stronger than her own
will she drew out the folded letter. worn by
time TO 9 ragged and brittle scrap with illegi-
BILE writing.
Captain Eric Stockdale-You have robbed me like q
thief. 1 am crippled with rheumatism, 1 have no
brother. and my son is only a baby. There is no oDe
had went in the Argosy. i can only call curses on
you and yours forever, and will q legacy of hate to
my son. pray daily that you may be punished.
There is only for me to leave my wrongs to a higher
power. If You succeed on nv ruin there is neither
justice nor good in this world or the next.
PHrLANDER TARBox.
The letter was dated 1852. Marguerite re- read
1t carefully. The house was very still, for Ann
was taking q nap and Sol was with Captain
Reed in tho tower. The girls young face sad.
dened, her gray eyes grew linn She wondered
vaguely what 1t meant Why had her father
kept that letter all these yearsl She would not
doubt him, hs was the soul Of honor. If she
sought further in this sad. old story it would be
TO clear his name, TO show these ignorant fisher
men how they had slandered . good man and q
gentleman. She went to the mirror. She saw
Q tall, 1.-the girl with fine gray eyes under black
lashes, . soft, olive-tinted face. Q small red
mouth. . mass Of blue-black hair.
There is . duty you must perform, Mar
guerite.H she said proudly. "If he were here.
he would dispel those wicked lies in Q few words,
bat he 10 dead, and you must b his defender. A
woman can be strong and true with such . mis-
sion. No. no; You are not the daughter Of .
thief; the curse Of that old man cannot hurt
you; it was . lie, all . lie. And yet she went
on uneasily, II never heard my father called
Captain before. 1t 10 . mistake. The letter
was meant for some other man. dead long ago.
She donned her long, sealskiu cloak, then fur
ran And xgAuf mt infxl the ctnpn hufaffuO NTH
the icy wind. The door OF tho tower struggled
like q live creature, but she swung IL to az last
and, assembled the long fight Of steps. The Cap
tain was cleaning the lamp; Sol sat near one Of
the windows looking into the white fog.
"Wal, wal" said the Captain heartily. $50
you braved il, did YET Come out 10 all this
storm! Set here by the stove an dry ya. Land,
how pale 70 be. What set VOC out, dear! It's
too rough weather for ye."
Marguerite threw off her cloak and hat, shak-
ing the snow on the floor; she warmed her trem-
bling white hands q moment, then she turned
quickly. Captain" she said in q strange,
choked voice, who is or vas Philander Tar
box!'
az never sed nuthin',r broke in Sol with q
childish howl. Gamma most shook me to
pieces afore. Don't you look at me. Cape'n, I
never said no more"
"Don't know nobody by tibet nams.n said the
:'You do; Mis- Tarbox lives over to the Cape"
interrupted Sol shrilly. overcome by his grand
fathers falsehood-
"Shes up" snapped the Captain, sdrat W fur
a imp. of you wan't q orphin I'd take o ropes
end to ye.'
Captain" said Marguerite, suppose We start
fair. know there is something. The truth
from your kind lips will not be SO hard to bear.
My faith in my father Is sure and steadfast.
You will not change IL by anything there might
be to tell / only want to stop these ISLANDERS
here; stop those peoples evil talk. My father
cannot. for he is dead. but can and will. It is
Q sacred dutv."
This is 49, said the Captain nervously.
that's q long time, dear. Long enough to let
him rest. 1t is a good thing to let sleeping dogs
lie. You an me tryin' to raise up them old
ghosts 10 as weeked as spirits bein' took out
or the hereafter. Itell We there Amt no good
in itn
"You shall tell me then" said Marguerite,
laying her hand on Soils shoulder. THE Cap
tain will not try to stop you"
"Outer the mouth OF babes prcceedeth wis
dom, muttered the Captain, 81 shan't say no
more. It's the Lords will"
"Now, Sol" said Marguerite gently, who 10
Mason Tarboxi"
''Philander Tar5ox was his father, an Mis-
Tarbox Is mis- mother said the child with grim
relish In his story. mason was fust mate on
the Mary Jane mack'rel schooner; he was
drowned off the Bank two years ago." Sol had
not listened in dark corners Of 6shermen's cot
tages TO sad stories of wreck and sorrow along
SHORE for naught.
Where is his motherf"
"Poor-house over ter the Cape. A mean old
place, too, fur there amt bur three poor folks
in it. Jim Simpson that's blind, Mart Erickson,
the looney Swsds. an her: She's orfui old. an
&C. you. Msbbie she'll lot him OF now cause
he's dead"
'Do you know about the Areosyin
Tho Contain rubbed his bald head AnxaeuslY.