Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-24
HER ONB ERROR.
OR
TIE FISIERMAN'S BRIDE.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
TIE BEST POLICY.

father lett my poor mother ana my
self, to 60 on the last voyage, which
was alas! destined to be fatal to both
himself and her"
Here the old man, deeply affected
leaned forward, bowling his grey head
till it rested upon his hands, which
WAS clasped upon his stick
yes" he went on, with tremb-
ling voice, "a little child, as this might
be, sweet Innocent"
He laid his hand on the curly head OF
little Ida, but she slipped from be
meath it, and, drawing to hermother's
side, stood viewing the stranger with
infantine curiosity from affair off.
Little discomposed by the move
ment, the stranger went on
Young as was, | remember well
the tears which my dear mother shed,
as she drew that ring from off her fin
ger, and placed it on that Of my faith
err. you VIII keep it, she said, under
Heavens blessing, till you return it to
me in the happy moment OF our re-
union 1t viii serve to remind you OF
me, and to recall those happy hours
we have spent together He, lifting
his hat from his noble brows gallant
SettIlltlH anu JlOllS OIlL AlO Neoo
said, solemly, Under Gods mercy,
Jessie, will place it onyour own prec-
ious finger this day twelvemonths.
Alas. madam, alas! for the instability
of ali human hopes" Here the strang-
er raised his eyes to the low ceiling OF
the attic, and slowly shook his head,
till the gray hair was shaken out like
q fringe upon it. "That day twelve
months passed, and another, and yet
another, and my beloved mother,
though racked with the agony OF sus-
pense and fear, refused to put on
mourning for her brave sailor, till the
news, the fatal news, was brought,
that beyond q doubt the vessel had
been wrecked off our southern coasts,
and that, SO complete had been the
wreck, so doubtful the portions, from
time to time, deposited ashore, the
certainty Of the ships Identity with
the missing one had but now been
made clear. Vainly then, even, did
my dear mother struggle against con-
viction as vainly did she strive to
obtain even the slightest token to as
sure her OF the gloomy fact, that she
was a widow and myself a wretched
orphan. But she died. ma am, she
died" The old man seemed suddenly
to become aware Of the fact that he
was growing prolix, and hurried to
conclusion.
eyes, ma'am. she died within a
month: and her last words were Of that
ring All! many and many time
through this wearylife have thought
upon my noble father and thepledge Of
her love; both lying cold, cold at the
bottom of the deep; but little did
imagine that ever these old eyes would
behold it more"
And you heard how Icame to have
it?' said Nelly, all amazed, and scarce
knowing what she uttered.
Hurriedly the old man resumed
''When | heard that upon that coast,
in that very year, among other relics
whose description | remembered long
ago, there had been found a ring so
answering in particulars to the very
one imprinted on my youthful mind,
no less by my mothers frequent repe-
tition than by that solemn occasion |
have related, when l learned that it
was in the possession of one who had
herself been the wife Of a seaman, who
had dared the perils and known the
hardships of that life, [ said to my
self, she will feel for the poor old man
and his sorrows; she will let him
look upon the old ring once more
once more"
His voice had become quite plain
tive, his hands shook as he extended
them towards the woman, who was
already wiping her eyes in sympathy,
and had, III fact, begun, with sigh
to extract the ring from it's hiding
place.
The old mans eyes watched her with
the fixed intentness OF extreme old
age, which takes, at times almost the
fxedness of insanity, and, in a rapid
utterance, he went on
$50 we'll | remember-the great
heavy plait of gold, that | used to
think was the cable Of my fathers
ship, and the great bloodstone, heart
shaped, with the small green anchor
that seemed growing in the very midst,
and"
"Oh! I see you know it," she cried,
with a sudden anguish in her tone, as
it was borne in upon her soul that she
must part with this long treasured
heirloom, that linked her to the lost
one-so recently, too, recovered. She
held it to him, and, in the faint even
ing light, the wonderful stone glowed
with what seemed to be at that mo-
ment even an added bril-
liancy, and that, unseen to her, was
reflected, even intensified, by those
sharp eyes under the venerable locks
that fringed the bare head of her visit
ant, as it stopped over the palsied
hand which now held the ring
"Once more! once more!'' he cried.
at is indeed the very same! Oh, my
dear mother! my brave and unfortu-
mate father And thus in a strangers
hand-thus, after so many years Of
trial and of tribulation, do [ behold
your treasured ring.
He stopped, and Nelly, standing be
side him, saw something that glittered
suddenly upon the ring, which the
poor old man made as though he
I L