The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1896-05-29
BY M.T.CALDOR.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION.

smart woman; she'll take care or ner
self and other folks too. / wish she'd
a-had all the wages the ship owed me,
but, lawful heart, who knoWs-perhaps
the good Lords rewarded her with
great things by this time. l hope she'll
get kind, good husband to make my
place good. l amt going to worry,
anyhow-Ill be happy here where the
Lords put me-"
you've always done so, suspect, my
brave-hearted Tom, and useful lesson
have you taught me- and here now is
my hand to join you now in the bargain
to do the best and be the best we
can"
mot most like for the sake O. them"
ventured Tom, nodding toward the
children, "but for that"-lifting his
eyes reverently upward.
"Ay, for that" answered Mr.. Vernon,
grasping the outstretched hand. And
so the compact was sealed.
Two months saw a great change in
our island. A newly-paved walk led
up from the water to the green; COM
Portable, commodiouc, if not luxurious,
dwelling peeped Economically from the
empowering vines whose luXuriance
hid the roughness of the log foundation.
Carefully tended flowers had been trans
planted to it's little plot, and within
the house was tastefully arranged The
pretty, ingenious bamboo furniture up
on which Tom was never weary of des-
M inO h,,+ ~
Vernon could have produced anything
so good to use and pretty to look at.
Everything that was saved from the
ship was used to deck the pretty parlor,
which was sometime to be given up
entirely to Eleanor's use; and there
Tom had concealed until his quick per-
ception was satisfied that they would
not be able to iniure the preciousness
of Mr.. Vernon's Bible-a Shakespeare,
a dictionary, an old history, and
"Faulkner's Shipwreck," besides
quaint old-fashioned novel and an al
manac that Tom declared to be worth
all the rest.
Outside, just far enough to suit Mr..
Vernon's fastidious taste-which Tom
respected, though he could not under
stand twas the formers especial
pride and delight where he whiled away
in placid satisfaction many an idle half
hour-the pig-pen, whose unruly in
habitant had been secured by strata
gem of war that had delighted Walter
hugely. Beyond that was set large
coop with some half dozen wild
ducks, and in pen built over a small
FOOL lounged in the sun three or four
fat turtles.
Here was Toms field Of congenial
labor, although in no wise did he ne
elect any other branch of the business,
as Walter facetiously termed it. In
deed mos: industriously and tenderly
had he watched the few hills which he
had planted with the corn found scat
tered round the ships hold-a forlorn
and hopeless task, as he was finally
obliged to confess. for in that latitude
of prodigal lavishness the hope and
comfort Of sterile regions refused to
grow.
Another useful task had the worthy
sailor performed; he had nailed the flag
saved from the sinking wrecx--field
reversed as a signal of distress-upon
the top of the tallest tree on the hill
behind them, saying as he did so:
There! if only one of our British
frigates get sight O. the old flag calling
for help, I'll be bound they'll tack and
come many knot out O. the way to see
what's wanted"