Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-08-05

~h ~ curly mOia'uS.
LI&ELR Captain Jack Brain
a I D ard cane whistline
" y 4 g. along the beach, will
his hands thrust into tho pockets o
his duck trousers. He was tall
broad shouldered fellow, with hand
some, sun Drowned face. end two darl
eyes that looked straight through yor
in quiet way peculiarly their owr.
.sHailoo, Captain Jack!"
Two fishermen were standing there,
something lying OF their feet, darl
and still.
"Well, my hearties''
sBear haad here, will you, cap
tain2" said one. "A ship went tt
pieces off the point Inst night, ant
here's three bodies ashore, dead 4:
herring"
Captain Jack stopped whistling, and
bent down to Look ut the bodies. Two
were inch, strong and hard featured,
evidently part Of the crew OF the i'll
fatcd ship. They were quite dead. The
third one was child lashed to spar.
Captain Brainard hitched up his
duck trousers and looked thoughtfully
at the bodies. The child-a mere babe
of two or three year5-lay half Gov
cred in the SEQ weed, as if she were
asleep. Captain Jack bent suddenly
and cut with his sheath knife the rope
that bouna her to the spar.
''I'll be drowned if the small craft
amt floating ret, Dave Bent.
The baby flce was upturne to the
sunlight. Dave Bent laid his rough
hand against it gently. 1t was wet
and cold, but still living face. .-...
Captain Jack rose up with the child
in his jacket.
"rli take it up to the inn, Dave.
You can bury the other two. Hang
me if I ever knew anything like this
beforel"
Mrs. Lane, widow Of Captain Will.
lam Lane, lost OF sen, and hostess OF
tho hamlet inn, sat with aeealo and
mesh block mendine nets in the bar
room, as Captain Jack Brainard came
stalking in.
Mrs. Lane in all her life had never
been thrown inte sgch unparalleled
excitement es by the sudden appear
apce Of that small waif of the coast.
She had her reward. The child was
lying on her lap, when suddenly two
wondering black eyes uneleseds ard
the waif gave utteranee to o prolonged
vigorous scream.
'.Bless mol" cried Mrs, Lane, 'tI
never laid eyes on to such o homely
child-and a gal, tool"
What's to be done with it?" said
Captain Jack.
tLawks how do I knows" said Mrs.
Lane, SIT hains got my folks, most
likely. ssYou'll have TO take it TO the
poor house up the county. 2
Captain Jack Looked thoughtful
sI don't know-but it isn't just
friendly to leave suah little craft in
strange water without any pilot, Mrs.
Lane / believe I'll stand by her my
SELF"
Gland sakesi what can you do?''
cried Mrs. Lane.
swell, my Mary Ellen is bound for
China tomorrow; but You can keep
her here till I come back. I'll zee that
you are paid-and for want of some'
thing better you can call her Rachel
that was my mothers name"
The Mary Ellen was laying to, in
Salem Harbor, with anchor raised,
next day, when Captain Jack came to
say good-by to his hostess, and to
place in her hand o little box of In
dian wood carefully tied with q faded
ribbon.
"YoulI find a necklace there and q
ring. Mrs. Lane-thoy used to be
mothers, and might as well so along
with the name"
And Mrs. Lane placed the necklace
round the plump baby neck, and laid
the ring carefully by until such time
as the little waif should be old enough
to think of rings, and then Captain
Jack shook her heartily by the hand,
and went away from the hamlet inn,
and On hour after the white sails OF the
Mary Ellen had disappeared far down
the bay.