The Newtown bee., 1896-12-18
The Home Circle. Tom, the Rigger.
FROM THE INDEPENDENT.

for general stampede for the door; but in the rigging-lOft above, there was a dignity even in the hurry for dinner that the more important trade demanded.
 Tom Tomkin inspected his serving mallet lovingly, passed his thumb over the spun-yarn on the reel, and then hung it in particular place upon the stetch For few moments Si Switham, the boss, stood chatting with his five men, plan, ming the afternoons work, as they all greased their hands, and took off their belts and overalIs. Tom stood by with out saying word he put his fingers in- to his horn, ChOughtfuly. When Si Switham appealed to him he merely nodded. The "Hannibal Tarr'' had car. ried away her tOpm&st, and new one had to be rigged up without delay. Then the Lev gang of rigging to go on the "HatCie E. must be hurried through That was only half finished in the loft beside them. Si SWitham looked at it dubinusIy.
 We ought to have another hand CT two, Tom. It's pretty stormy this spring and things are rushing us."
 Tom nodded again while the gang look ed at him inquiringly. But Tom was a silent fellow, except when he was busy at his work. He walked over to the middle of the fl ]or where a lot of parcel
 
 the rigging. He took up a ribbon or two l of the cloth and wiped his hands neatly | Then he took off his belt. By this time l he was left alone in the loft.
 | Tom TOmkin lived over on the Neck. too far to walk home to dinner every l noon; so Mary, his wife, put up dinner 1 kettle for bin. They had only been mar 1 Iied few months. Mary had not beer altogether easy to win, and Tom had not 1 been husband long enough to forget l this fact. No wife on the whole coast ] was better loved than che So. when 1 Tom took his dinner kettle r1 the stove 1 where it had been heating for the last l halfhOur, a tender look s0ftencd his 1 hard face, just as if the hand of God had 1 swept across it, brushing away all the l rus that expo, ure and poverty and 9 i rough life had cut, leaving only the l gentle and the b.autiful.
 Tom sat down in his OveraIls and ate l his dinner. IL consi-tPd of the remains l Of his breakfast, with a little slice of cold fried steak added, and 8 piece of l appie-Pie all of which he washed down | with his hot tea. He musCd over hi l home, his first real hrme. He rputt d the second story of wooden house. in his tenement there Were four living rooms and spare room. His mind ran l happily over his new furniture and carpets; then he began to outline hi I work for the afternoon by the time h. had finished his pie his glance rested on l a New ! OTk paper which he had fOuud on a bark where he had been sezing d couple of sheer poles for an hour or so 1 Tom was a reader, and a New York l paper was a rare treat to him. So he hurried his tea through, took out a new clay pipe, and lighted it lovingly. Ther he threw himsely uOwn on 8 coil of rOpe and made himself thoroughly comfort able. He unfOlded his paper, but be fore he began read, he took a few luxurious put. and looked about hin with COnJenCed expression of owner. ship. His gaze took in the whole huge attic, from the winch to the samson. post. A lot of jib-hanks hung up iron Ii rafter above him; these he looked al i8ZjIy. Eight years ago he was not $ rigger, buJ second mate of bark. In tTOnJ of him was the santana, 8 wOUder machine for turning in rigging.
 "G d only ku0~s whether it Ws, named after a Mexican genera! or not he unused; live heard tell it was He recalled 8 trip that Ee made to Nert Cruz fifteen years ago. Beside him wa a heap of waste, old wire-ends and bit of rope; coils of eight-inCh hemp wer, stored away under the caves, and a lutf tackle or so hung withstandiDg the ai as iC entered in through the scuttle.
 No; Tom had not always been rigger. He was now about forty, ant there were pa ssages in his previous life that were stoned up in his heart. Bu Tom the rigger had a position in tn seaport town; he was respected ant liked. He was a member of the LegiOI 1 of Honor; and he was 8 husb sband. A he cast his eyes slowly over the imple ments of his honorable trade, his fac
 lighted with pride and satisfaction; an he thought of what he once was, as b affecUionateIy tapped the ashes out c his pipe on a small coil of wire under hi foot. With lODg breath of content h mechanically glanced over the frs page of the paper. It was the advertise ing sheet and of little interest to hin But as he looked the first item, uDde lbe column headed Personal, seemed | expand from nOnpareil into canon. II read it over and over again into a daZe way: and then, after a glance arOun the empty loft, as If to assure himself ( being alone, he repeated the paragrap aloud:
 i Tom Tomkins is impIored to help Sal Purse, l24 Fiagg St., New York. Sam is great want. He saved you. You help him
 Tom stared at the printed summon = with fixed, glassy eyes, as if he weI
 watching ghost dancing on a bacl
 stay in 8 gale of wind.
 My G0d!" he ejaculated, when
 caught his breath, Il thought u
 curse was dead" He meant to sa
 "cuss," but the slipped by past h
 palate, and he found that he had spoke
 better than he knew. Re had thi
 yellow Jack in Rio nine years ago."
 Then Tom fell into reVerie pulliI
 on his pipe. What he had resolutel n forbidden his thoughts for years no
 arose and inundated his mind. Wh - tide of memory? He instinctively fe
 of his neck and put his fOrefDger into
 deep buuet-scar. To curious men
 had accounted in different ways for tn
 wound. Only Sam Purse knew WI
 it had nearly cost him his life, Sa Purse-BIoOdy Sam they called him
 the bark "Aurora'-was the only ma
 living, besides the respectable rigg
 himself, who knew the rev0lting histo as of the mutiny; and Purse and TOmE
 were the only ones of the crew of nj
 who escaped without 8 death by murd
 or hanging.
 Tom grew hot and he grew cold
 the memory became a nightmare of a A ful days and cursed nights. For, alt 5 Sam Purse had saved his life at the tin sa Toms testimony in his turn, if he cho might break neck. Mutiny, barratl murder, whether proved or not, were A slight matters in which to be iml sA cated. The case of the Aurora" V
 by nc means forgotten in Savann Y Who killed the captain? Who scutt to the ship and set her afire?
 as He did save my life,-him," T hat mused. But, by Jingo, if he op are e9 his mouth, I'll go States evidence frs by The rfgger smoked darkly. "If die
 stand by him now, tho, and he e found me-he'd-why, he could do a S'S thing he wanted with me; and tl
 where would Mary be!'' It never NY, cured to Toms direct mind that