Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-03-28


in without ceremony, found himself in
almost total darkness; for the Light
which crept through the blackened
panes of the small windows was only
inst sufficient to make darkness visible.
But this worthy seaside character, hav-
ing, in addition to eats predatory in
stincts. something of cats power OF
vision, clearly discerned everything in
the chamber he just entered-a rude,
stone-paved kitchen. with an open fire.
place, and no CRATE, black rafters over
head, from which suspended snndry
lean pieces of bacon, couple of wood
EN- chairs, a table, and, in one corner, a
sort of bed in the wall, where a human
figure was reposing. Setting down the
trunk on the floor. he marched right
over to the bed, and unceremoniously
shook the individual lying upoa it,
whom he discovered to be a man, NUT
tering in heavy sleep. Finding that
he did not wake with shaking William
Jones bent down and cried Justly in
his ear:
Wreck! wreck ashorel'
The effect was instantaneous. The
figure rose up in bed. disclosing the
head and shoulders of a very old man,
who wore q red cotton night-eap, and
whose hair and beard were as white as
snow.
"Ehp Wheer? Wheer?" he cried, in q
shrll treble, looking yacantly around
him.
wake up, old 'unw said William,
seIzIng nIim'anu shaking him again. 1t !
me, William Jones'"
William? Is it my son WilliamY
returned the old man, peering out into
the darkness.
"Ycs, father. Look ye now, you was
a-talking again in your sleep, you was.
A good thing no one heerd you but
your son William. Some o. these days
you'll be letting summat out, you will,
if you go OH like this"
The old man shook his head feebly,
then, clasping his hands together in q
kind of rapture, he looked at his son,
and said:
Yes, William, was a-dreaming. Oh;
it was such a heavingly dream. was
a-standing on the shore, William, and
ii was a-blowing hard from the east,
and all at once L see ship as big as an
Indiaman, come in wi all sail set, and
go ashore; and L looked round. William
dear, and there was no one nigh but
you and me; and. when she broke up, |
see gold and silver and jewels come
washing ashore just like floating weeds,
and the drownded, every one of 'em,
had rings on their fingers, and gold
watches and cheens, and, mOre'n that.
that their hands was full of shining
gold; and one on 'em-a lady, William
had bright diamond ring, as big as
walnut; and when tried to pull it
of, it wouldn't come; and just as pull
ed out my leetle knife TO cut the finger
off, and put 1t in my pocket, you shook
me, William, and woke me up. Oh, it
was heayingly dream!"
William Jones had listened with i'll
disguised interest to the early part of
this speech, but, on its conclusion, he
gave another grunt of undissembled
disgust.
We'll, you're awake now. old un; SO
jump up. I've brought summat home.
Look sharp and get light"
ThereupOn the old man, who was
fully dressed, III pair of old wooden
trousers and guernsey. slipped from
the bed, and began fumbling about the
room. He soon found what he wanted
"a box of matches and rude, home
made candle, fashioned of a long coarse
reed dipped in Sleeps tallow; but, ow-
ing to the fact that he WAS exceedingly
lighting up, that his gentle son grew
impatient.
Here, give 'un to me~ said William.
You're wasting them matches just as
if they cost nowt. a precious father
you are, and no mistake
The candle being lighted and burning
with feeble flame. he informed the old
man of what he had found. In a mo-
ment the latter was down on his knees,
opening the box, and greedily examin-
ing its contents. But William pushed
him impatiently away, and closed the
lid with bang.
"Theer, enough o. that, old 'un! You
hold the light while carry the box in
and put it away"
"All right, William dear-all right"
returned the old man, obeying gleeful-
ly. Il know'd we should have luck, by
that beautiful dream"
The two men-one holding the light
and the other carrying the trunk-pass-
ed through door at the back of the
kitchen and entered an inner chamber.
This chamber, too, contained win
dow, which was so blocked up, how
ever, by lumber of all kinds that little
or no daylight entered. Piled up in
great confusion were old sacks, some
partly full, some empty, coils of rope,
broken oars, broken fragmentso Of ships
planks, rotten and barnaeled, q small
boats rudder, dirty sails, several oilakin
coats, bits of iron ballast, and other
flotsam and jetsam; so that the chamber
had a salt and fsh-like smell, suggest
ing the hold of some vessel. But in one
corner of the room was small wooden
bed, with q mattress and coarse bed
clothing, and hanging on nail close to
1t was certain feminine attire, which
the owner of the caravan would have
recognized as the garb worn by Matt on
the morning of her first appearance.
Placing the box down, William Jones
carefully covered it with u portion of
an old sail.
Its summat, but it amt much" he
discontentedly. Lucky them
coast-guards didn't see mecome ashore.
If they did, though, ii wouldn't signify;
for what's floating on the sea belongs
to him as finds it,
"A sound startled him as he spoke,
and, looking round suspiciously, he saw
Matt entering the room, loaded with
broken wood. But she was not alone;
standng behind her in the shadow was
a man--none other, indeed, than Monk,
Of Monkshurst.
While Matt entered the room 10 throw
down her load of wood, Monk stood in
the doorway. Ills quick eye had noted
the movements of father and son.
More plunder, William Jones?' lie
asked, grimly.
In . moment William Jones was
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