The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-04-08

the river, miles way.
He was here, there and every
where, catching the line thrown BY
the rocket from the ship, marshal
ing the men TO haul it in, answer
ing the hail of those on board above
the tempest, pervading everybody
and everything with the fury of the
storm; loud, imperious domineering,
self asserting, all sufficient and sue
cessfull And when the boat was
launched, the last mighty impulse
came from his shoulder. He rode
at the helm in the first hanging
wall of foam, erect and triumphant
Dazzled, bcwildered, crying and
laughing, she hated him more than
ever.
The boat made three trips, bring
ing off, with-the aid of the bawser,
all but the sailors she had seen per-
ish before her own eyes. The pas
sengers-thcy were few-the Cap
tain and officers, found refuge in
her fathers house, and were loud in
their praises of Sol Catlin. But in
that grateful chorus a single gloomy
voice arose, the voice Ola wealthy
and troubled passenger. al will
give" he said, "s5, 900 to the man
who brings me box of securities
l left in my stateroom." Everyone
turned instinctively to Sol. "Say
$4,000, and if the hulk holds to-
gether two hours longer I'll do it.
My name is Sol Catin, and when l
say a thing l do it." Jenny's dis
gust here reachedtits climax. The
hero of a night of fundoubted energy
and courage had blotted it out in a
single moment of native vanity and
vulgar avarice.
He was gone; not only two hours,
but daylight had come and they
were eargerly seeking him, when
he returned amongst them, dripping
and--empty--handed. He had
reached the ship he said, with an
other, found the box and trusted
himself alone with it to the sea.
But in the serf he had to abandon
it to save himself. 1t had perhaps
drifted ashore, and might be found,
for himself, he abandoned his claim
TO the reward. Had he looked
abashed or mortified Jennie felt
that she might have rclented, but
the braggart was all satisfied, as
confident and boastful as ever.
Nevertheless as his eyes seemed to
seek her, she was constrained, in
mere politeness, too add her own TO
he fathers condolences. al sup
pose"-she hesitated, in addressing
him-"that this is a mere nothing
to you after all you did last night
that was really great and unselfish. :"
"Were you never disappointed
miss?' he said with exasperating
abruptness.
A quick consciousness of her own
thankless labor on the galleon and
terrible idea that lie might have
some suspicion of, and perhaps the
least suggestion that she might have
been disappointed in him, brought
a fain color to her check. But she
replied with dignity:
81 really couldn't say. But GER
tainly," she added, with a new found
pertness, "you don't look it."
"Nor do you, MISS" was his
idiotic answer.
A few hours later, alarmed at
what she had heard of the inroads
of the sea, which had risen higher
than ever known to the oldest set
tiers, and perhaps mindful of yester-
days footprints, she sought her old
secluded haunt. The wreck was
still there, but the sea had reached
it. The excavation between its
gaunt ribs was filled with drift and
the seaweed carried there by the
surges and entrapped in its meshes.
And there, too, caught as in a net,
lay the wooden box of securities
Sol Catlin had abandoned to the sea.
This is the story as told to me.
The singularity of condolences has
challenged some speculation. Jen-
ny insisted at the time upon sharing
the full reward with Catlin, but To-
cal critics have pointed out, that
from subsequent events, this proved
nothing. For she had married him.
They should be BanisIred.
There is a certain class of people
who take great satisfaction in say