Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-12-23
his own kin, but the case was too clear.
s'That young rascal, BENZ he exclaim-

L uOu y t1t1l1k D5u 1OOhS Ike n tIl161,
she said, .'but, uncle, you say you saw
the money in your desk just before he
came in. -
II certainly did, = said Mr.. Habber-
ton
"But are you sure you left it there?'
asked the girl
The old man looked at her in surprise
Then one emotion chased another across
his rugged features until presently be
sank back in his chair with an express
sion of great disgust at himself
"I'm surely getting old, 2 he exclaim-
ed. II put it in the safe and forgot that
had done so. DOM let anybody tell
Ben that suspected him.
"But I told him last night, " said his
mother.
"Then go quickly and tell him to
come here till l apologize. You have all
of you been too ready to accuse that boy
all his life -
This seemed rather hard to Alice,
who had certainly never accused Ben
of anything, but that wise young wom-
an held her tongue while Mrs Habber-
UOu QuTTIGQ OUT OF GQe room.
In few moments she returned. ex-
claiming, He is gonel''
Lighthouse "a was situated about half
mile from the mainland on the point
of reef that lay irregularly parallel to
the shore. leaving plenty of clear water
between. The coast was rocky, and the
light was maintained as warning, for
a vessel that should approach too near
was liable to be dashed to pieces on hid
den rocks anywhere within mile or
two.
The lighthouse keeper had helper,
SO that usually there were two men on
| guard at "a, but leave of absence for one
/ of them was obtainable at times, and
it happened a year after Ben Habberton
had left his grandfather house that the
keeper had gone to spend few days
with his family at Christmas time, and
Ben, who was the helper, was alone on
| the reef
Long after midnight Christmas morn
ing that impetuous youth sat up in the
lighthouse tower, gazing out at the fu-
rious storm that ragged and meditating
~ no means pleasantly on the events of
the year
II shall go melancholy mad if I stay
here long, he thought. lit is no life
for a young man, and | wish mother
hadn't asked me not to go to sea again.
/ was fool to make her even that halt
promise not to. Well, she knows where
I am by this time, and if she doesn I
write and let me off from what said |
must leave here and look for something
on shore This is neither land nor sea.
81 wonder what granddad thinks and
how he came to make such a mistake.
| Confound hin He ought to know that
Habberton couldn't be thief 1t was
just like him, though, to jump at the
conclusion that | had done something
wrong Every one in the family is hasty
Except me Hellol What's that?''
He had seen a faint gleam out at sea,
and watching as only a sailor car
watch he soon saw another.
''It is certainly rocket, he exclaim
ed, talking to himself as his habit was
when he was excited Some vessel il
in distress God help her and all aboard
if theys cant keep her offshore, and il
she is disabled in any way that'll be
hard work against this gale If she's
one of these coasting steamers and hel
machinery's broken down it's all day
with her, for there's no anchorage out
side the reef. and there's not chance
in 5000 of her driving in behind with
out striking .
1t was coaster, ana she was certain
i ly beyond the control of those on board,
for as he looked rocket after rocket
went up in vain appeal, as it seemed
There was no life saving station within
15 miles, and Bens eye was the only
one that saw
Nearer and nearer she came, driver
by the awful power of the worst storm
Ben had ever seen. Fascinated by the
sight, he sat as if frozen, watching fol
the tragedy that seemed inevitable. Ht
thought of the little boat below, but il
was hopeless thought. Twenty mer
could not have launched her from the
rocks in the breakers that were dashins
up and no one man could have roweC
her rod if she had been afloat All ht
could do was to sit and watch. Ht
could see the ship now from time tC
time as she rose and fell ON the waves
but every time she sank from sight ht
thought must surely be the last HI
knew the cruel rocks that lay below thu
surface.
I No earthly pilot cold have guided hel
among those rocks to the lee of the rec.
on which the lighthouse stood, but i
was not written that she should b.
a wrecked that Christmas day LyinG
helpless in the trough of the sea, sh'
drifted past rock after rock till Ber
saw with amazement that she was float
ing in behind the reef, and still h
watched with straining eyes.
Suddenly he sprang to his feet with {
shout like crazy man. and rushing
down the stairway four steps at time
he seized an ak and big pannikin il
the room below and ran out into thC
storm. A thought had come to him O
one chance i'll million, and he wa
after that chance.
A single blow smashed in the head O
hogshead, and in another instant ht
was scooping ont the oil it held will
the pannikin and scattering it like mac
as far as he could in every direction
The wind carried it all toward the yes
sci, and the great wonder of the sea wal
wrought almost in a minute, for as th'
oil fell the waves abated, SO that tht
ship was Immediately in smooth water
Overheard went her anchors as quickly
as the captain could give the order, ant
she was safe
For the rest Of the night Ben watch
ed, throwing little more oil from time
to time, and in the morning, the storm
having abated, he rowed out in hi
small boat to the ships side
AS he stepped on her deck the captain
greeted him with such thanks anC
praise as could only be given by one
who had just been saved from destruc
tion. Then as the passengers crowded
up to have their say Ben saw, to hi
amazement. his grandfather, his mother
and Alice
We came after you, my boy, . sai6
the old man, as soon as your letter tt
your mother came You must come
home again. this time to stay. !"
Ben looked at his mother and then a
Alice In both their faces he saw wha