Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-07-05
A LUCKY SLIP.
by THOMAS A. JASvIER.

whalcr and that wharf hid had anything
to do with each other.
1t was Il wharf III ruins; and almost as
badly dilapidatcd was the oil-housc that
stood on the end of it, with great doors
which opened out over the water SO that
gangway could be rugged directly across
ships raj! and into the big room where
the barrels of whac-oil were stored.
But these doors were never opened
now, nor was the little sliding door that
shut down fairly into the water. and when
it was raised, opened channel into which
boat could he iloated. Both of these
doors were fastened on the inside, and the
door that opened on the wharf WAS
fastened with Il paddock rs biz rs Il small
cabbage, and MS rusty as if il had been
towcd astcrn Of the Harmony Home dur
Ing Il whole cruise.
The Harmony Home was the whalcr
that used to discharge her cargo into the
oi-housc. She had been owned and
sailed by Captain Tranquil Marble, and
for a long while she and her commander
had the reputation Of being the luckicst
ship and the luckicst Captain nlloai.
Captain Marble was coming money,
The Grcyshclls people said-Greyshclls
vas The name of the little port-and was
getting richer and richer every year.
Moreover, he was boarding his money in
:oin.
"No banks fur me, said Captain War
Slc, can no reel estate, nuthcr. | tried
Banks i'll 81, an where was after they
oil broke, I'd like T. know! An tried
ccl estate i'll 80; an after tn man I'll
bought it fr,im got clean oil to Cali
orny, another man come along an proved
mortgage on il, an where was then.
SO, no! Hard dollars hid in place that
Nobody but me knows about, ihct's my
lyle. Thct'S safe, an thct's surc!"
This was all very well so long as good
mex attended the Harmony Home S crliis-
nSS; but when the news came down
rom the Northern seas the Harmony
Home had been nippcd in the ice, and
lad gone To the bottom with every soul
iii board of her, the Captains financial
Methods did not make quite 81 satislac-
Dry a showing, Tor the Captains widow
iad not the least notion in The woril
yhcrc the fortune in hard dollars that
low was hers was to be found
She looked in n!l the likely places for
+, and in al tn" unlikely places that she
:ouid think of-an,l she though; OF Il rood
nany-but not trace of it did she find.
st last, while She was still looking for il.
hc died.
Then hcr daughter, Miss Ruth Marble
who was then Il young girl and very
Energetic, though tina! seemed hard to
,elievc now--bcgin the search. And
Hiss Ruth spent aIl of her youth and most
81 her energy i'll searching; and here she
vas now, forty years old and looking
iity, with her fortune rs safely hidden
is ever, and herself us poor as anybody
could be outside of the town farm.
Miss Ruth was thin. sour. sharp
ougued little woman, but the GrcyshclS
people, who we're very sorry for her, said
hat il was no wonder that she was so
dim, when she got so little to eat, ANA
hat she WIS the less to blame for her
ourness and sharpness than she would
lave been had her temper been less
Orcly tried
FOR Theodore Rodforl-wiacly and,
| am panied to add, somewhat unfavor-
IDLY known, rs ''that Teddy Rodford"-
hc old dollhouse down ON Marbles wharf
lad - wonderful attraction. lie had
,ccpcd through the chnks in the boards
anne and again, and what he had seen
inside had made him wildly eager to cx-
plorc il thoroughly.
For strcwn about the floor were old
iarpoons, and piles OF delightful ropes.
md big and little blocks and oars. lie
VAS almost certain that he could make
nut among the shadows, under the stair
way leading 10 the Sail-loft that was over
.he store-house, u little brass cannon,
partly covered with II bit of old sail
Thinking of that cannon, and of what
dc could do with it if he only could get
aold OF 1t, sometimes kept him awake at
aight. lie even had tried Oil several oc-
;asions 20 make friends with Miss Ruth,
10 the end that he might gain per-
mission to investigate this detachable
place. Once, when he discovered the
Barknms pigs in Miss Ruth's garden,
ind drove them ont before amy great
,arm had been donc-hc almost had she
:ecded.
To Miss Ruth, in her poverty, the loss
IL her garden stuff would have been II
fery serious matter. She was truly
grateful to Teddy for saving it, and told
him SO with some warmth. Indeed. she
svcn went SO far rs to add the somewhat
.qnivocal compliment that ''ii was com
tort to know that he wasn't bad all the
lime, anyway"
Being thus encouraged, he was en-
boldened to ask her if she wouldn't
someiimc or other, lei him take look
iround in her oil-house. And Miss Ruth,
till mellowcd by her gratitude, said al.
most kindly that maybe sometime OF
other she would
Nye's Wharf, down on the Point. wa:
where the boys usually went in swim
ming. Marbles Wharf was nearer, bu
because of the bar the swimming was no
gerry good there, even ut high water; bu
It happened, one hot June day, tha
Teddy felt too lazy to walk all the wa,
down to the Point, so he thought that II,
would just step down to Marbles Whar
and get cooled of Il little. He whistle,
fOr Nnah Rarl.uu l,ut nc No,L Al