The morning call., 1891-03-15
THE STRANGE FATE OF
THE MERTON PRAyTHER
HRfTTEE SUNDAY CALL
BY JOHN r. SPEARS r. S DIX

indeed, laQ DPen the OOp lOt tllal ne Noulu
| have left the employ of the old builder but
for the fact that his wages kept his mother
as comfortable as she could be made IN her
| state Of health.
The force OF the blow which he had re-
| ceived had knocked Frank senseleSs. A
fellOw-workman revived him with dash
| of water, but when Frank was taken nome
be remained there three days, and even then
| went back to work much against his moth
! er's wishes. for he was still very weak.
AT the yard most of the wOTkmen glbed
| Frank about the assault, though few, see
| ing how i'll he appeared TO be, spoke svmpa-
! thlzingly. As for Merton Prayther, he took
no notice OF him at all during the forenoon,
| although Frank was painting the top OF the
cabin and the builder was about the deck
| for several hours. just before o'clock in
| the afternoon, however. he came along
| where Frank was at work, stopped, looked
| at him for n minute in silence, looked al0ft
| and then ordered him TO 90 up and paint
! the main-royal pole. 1t was remembered
| afterward as a curious coincidence that
| what followed occurred at Just the hour the
! vessel had taken the water on launching
! day.
To fully realize what this order meant it
| must be known that Merton Pray ther's idea
| of beauty in ships spars required that that
| part of The topmaSt above the eyes Of the
| rigging, which is called the royal-pole
| should be unusually long and slender. II
| Frank Gardner had TO paint that pole he
must needs stand on tip-toe upon a slip cry
! tarred rope, less than an inch in diameter,
! fitting tight around the spar, 100 feet above
| the deck and thers reach with his paint
| brush al arms length to the truck above.
| 1t was a task at which well TBln might
| hesitate. but for one in Franks condition TO
| attempt it was to face certain death.
Weak from the effect of the blow lie had
! received, the very thought of the perlOus
! position made him tremble and he began to
/ ont TpQuRSt he allowed to re-
! main on deck; but Merton Praythcr turned
| GU him So SaYagely that he fastened TO the
| rigging and began to climb al0ft
| In the meantime something very remark
| able was occurring in his little cottage home
! over the crest If the hill. Although Frank
! had come home at noon feeling little II any
| worse for his half-day's labor, his mother
was still very anxious about him. and could
| scarce restrain a desire To urge him TO stay
| a. home the rest of the day. When he had
! gone again she became more depressed than
! ever. but finally, after worrying over the
! matter for half an hour. went to bed, and
| there soon fell asleep. Hardly had her reg
| ular breathing shown tllat she was uncOn-
! sciOas, however before she b'gan to move
! about and tremble in her sleep as one
dreaming, and then, as the clock was strik-
| ing ., started up wide awake, and, getting
| on the he'd with vlgOr which astonished
| neighbor woman sitting in the room, said A:
! 81 must 90 to the yard"
lie woman N0N.u nave tNDDSlUldl
! Mrs. Gardner had hardly been out Of the
! house Tor weekS-but there was something
! In the mothers face that Silenced her. and
| a minute later both women were walking
| down the weli-wOrn path to the yard.
Mrs. Gardner led the way until she came
| in sight of the vessel, where she stopped an
I instant to take second look, for there was
q cOnmOtion among the w9rkmen in the
! yard-some running to and fro across the
| deck, while others leaned over the rail and
! two showed boat from the bank into the
water. Frank was nowhere in sight. The
! mother caught her breath painfully, but in
! Il moment, with steady steps. She threaded
! her way among the old logs and timberS to
! the long gang plank which led up TO the
! rail OF the new vessel. whence she stepped
! down upon the deck. The men were so
! busy that not q soul knew of her presence
/ until they heard calm voice saying:
Merton PrdytheT, where is my boy?"
| Merton PrayIher whirled about, advanced
step or two from the rail and there lie
| stopped: standing, rs il happened. over
! which MIS- Gardner had noticed, but which
| lie had not. The woTkmen stared in silence
| AT the woman, while for once in his life the
hard old ship-builder qnailed
Where is MY boy. Merton Prayther ?"
| she said again. lean tell you where he is,
! for l saw it all. l knew long ago the con-
! tempt which you felt for him, because lie
| applied 10 4 relative for work watched that
! feeling develop into aversion because he
was unlike you; saw your aversion kindled
| into hatred on launching day because you
| feared i'll luck; and to-day, lying in INV bed,
| | saw y0u-SaW you come to where he was
| at work on the cabin, l00k at him, look up
| at the mast, then order him aloft; and he
| obeyed, Merton Prayther, while you stood
by with murder IN your heart to
see that he did it. l saw him climb
| the shT0uds 10 the cross trees; saw the men
| hoist him up to the Sheave in the tOpmast,
| saw him get up slowly, and putting one
| foot on the baCkstaY and his hands about
/ the mast draw himself up until he stood
erect. In a moment he reached for the
| brush in his belt, but he grew dizzy and
| StrOVe to clasp the spar again with both
| hands, and then-and then fell to the cross
| trees and overheard into the water. Where
| is my boy, Merton Prayther? He is here. 1"
/ She ran to the stern Of the ship and lean
ing over the rail poin ted bony iugel at the
| ripple about the rudder.
There he lies dead. on the bottom, killed
| by his own flesh and bloOdw Then she
| turned On the Old man, flushed and with eyes
| atame:
Look down between your feet Merton
| PTayther. Do you see that blotch upon the
| deck? 1t is bloed-lnY boys blood. 1t
! stains the deck. 1t stains your soul, and as
| God lives it shall drive you and this ship to
| destruction as you have driven my boy to
| deathw
For a moment after Mrs. Gardner ceased
| TO speak she stood iXedlY staring at the old
man; then her eyes closed. She gasped
Wit hSudden pain, staggered back elDtehing
at the air as if for support, and fell uHcon-
Scous into the arms of her companion. She
had described in detail the death of her son.
CHAPTER II.
The arrival of new vessel in Buffalo
Greek always made a stir in the old DAYS.
A long row Of tum ble-down wooden build
iurr- 70 tla tya ~, Of h., e..
of Main street, where The Delaware and
Laekawanna freight depot now stands, and
these buildings were occupied by shin
brokers, canaI-br0kefS, Observation-Disclosures
tug agents, ship-oWnPrs, coal aud grain
dealers, the Board of Trade and no end of
other people in one way or another inter-
ested in marine transportation and the mer-
chandise transported. New schooners
always came in with hunting Tapping from
their mastheads, and with very proud cap
tains and owners walking up and down the
quarteI-deCkS and trying to appear o5liviOuS
OF the critical Remarks made by the cheer
full throng on the buiiIhead before the office
DuildmgS-remarks made, by the way in
voices not to be misunderstood nor miSinter-
preted by any one within a very long IA
dius.
1t was late on raw day in October when
the Merton Prayther, dPcked out in all her
tinery, was tnwed slowly up the sluggish
stream by little tug with very bad cough
anu Il SHIiii NHlSlle, WHICH TAU DePD scream
ing frantIcaly al brief Intervals since enter
ing the river TO draw attention to the fact
that a new schooner was ready TO make her
debut. Somewhat under protest, on account
OF the air, the pc pie IN tie offices put on
coats or wraps to gather at the string-piece
OF the bulkhead and look at the new ar
rival Every man knew she was due to ar
rive. and every one knew old Merton Pray
Their. her owner, aud Captain Dillingham; Of
Milan. who was her commander. Every
body was in excellent condition to find fault
as she hoated along before the throng, and
she was sharply examined from truck to
water-line, from jib-boom end to t4ffrai;
but not one Of the scores of experts
there could see a single feature to crti-
cize. In model, in rig, in findings, she
was all that the most eXacting could ask.
Having nothing exasperating to say, the
throng looked on in silence The breast of
her builder swelled with quickening inspira-
tiens, and his head was given a jus: per-
ceptble Toss when building after building
having been passed thus in silence the
quarterback was at last opposite the
Yeranda of the Board of Trade There a