Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13

rested. lost in thought, with his mind
going to his sweetheart, from whom he
had been parted fourteen months; then
TO his prospects in life; the offer made
him by the captain of the Jane, his
chances of getting the money due him
from the owners of the Cecilia, and the
like; and then the noises below quoting
with the departure one by one of the
jewellers, he closed his eyes and was
presently asleep.
He was awakened by sense of suffo-
cation, and found himself bathed in per-
SEPARATION and painting for breath under
the weight of the bedclothes. The boat
swain was snoring heavily. All was ST.
lent out of doors, saving at intervals the
moan of a gentle gust of wind, like
long human sigh, running through
the stealthy seething sound of the
midnight waters pouring upon
the single. He sat upright
for the relief of the posture; but whether
it was that the Valparaiso fever
was not yet ont of him, or that his condi-
ton rendered him particularly sensitive
to atmospheric conditions, he found the
temperature of the room inSupportable.
Indeed, the little compartment was near
ly all bedstead The lungs of the boat
swain, to judge by his breathing, seemed
to require the air of the open ocean to I'LL
them. There was an odor of tiue, too,
along with tepid flavor of bedclothes,
that was as sitting i'll its way as the at
mosphere of a bakehouse.
The young fellow quietly got out of bed
with the design of opening the window,
but found the easement, as the door had
been, a sort of fixture, whose disloeation
mustSresult III the waking of the whole
hOnSA a mined "a drink of
but there was no jug or washing appar-
atus in the room, and it was manifest
that gentlemen who put up at the Lonely
Star were to expect no better convenience
than an outdoor pump for their ablu-
tons. Now the Lonely Star was sure
to have pump OF its own as well as
backyard; and the fancy of a drink of
cold water coupled with a short
spell of breathing the dewy night air
worked so irresistably in the feverish
young man, that he resolved at all haZ-
ards TO explore for the relief he painted
for. He put before his fancy a figure of
the house, and kept in his mind the bear
ings of the staircase and the public room
he had entered He could recall that,
whilst seated in that room, he had taken
notice of a glass door screened with red
curtains at the extremely Of it with
NHIbS Sbcp DSIWS6n II anu IHS uOOI. iHlS
he made sure led into the backyard,
where though he should not meet with
pump, he was certain TO obtain fresh air.
He partially clothed himself, but on
trying the door he found he could not
lift the latch with his fingers. He felt in
his pockets, but was without anything to
enable him TO prise open the damned and
rusty arrangement. The bOatswain
snOred heavily in the soundest sleep.
York dreading the fellows temper
should he awaken him, walked softly to
the man IS clothes, and by the feeble light
that shone upon the little window CROPPED
in the pockets for any continuance that
should serve as a lever. The jacket pOck-
cts contained nothing but a tObacco-case,
a pipe and some papers. He felt in the
left-hand breaches pocket and touched
quantity of pieces of money, the weight
of which proved them to be gold, appar-
emily guineas and half-guineas. In the
other pocket was large clasp-knife such
as sailors carry, with n ring through the
end of the haft for laniard
York took his knife, went to the door,
and succeeded in lifting the latch; and
this done, he stole forth, leaving the door
ajar; then putting the knife in his pocket
he CROPPED his way down stairs all very
quietly, as he did not wish to disturb the
house. The street lamp that had helped
him in the bedroom served him below
wherever there was q seward facing
window, and he made, his way without
difficulty through the long, low-ceiled
public room, reeking and sckening with
the lingering fumes of tobacco and rum
punch and pulling back the single bolt
of the glass door he had taken notice of
he found himself in a little backyard with,
sure enough, the outline of pump in
the corner, family touched by the star
light.
He drank and bathed his hands and
face, and felt himself greatly refreshed.
There was an inverted tub close TO the
pump, upon which he rested himself, and
here continued to lipger for some time,
reluctant to quit the sweetness and fresh
ness of the cool air that was breathing
direct from the sea for the oven-like
Oppressiveness of the little bedroom
May be he dozed, for he was suddenly
startled by the near drowsy voice of
Waterman calling the hour, o CLOCK
On hearing this, he q rose, re-entered
the house, quietly bolted the glass door
after him and returned to his bedroom.
*The tradition upon which the following mar
rative is founded, although above $50 years old,
is still current in the South Foreland district
1t is briefly referred to in several of the local
guide-books and histories.
ITo BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.