The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-08

folk ashore. The promise was kept. Japhet never goes to sea and there Is not a sea character in the whole story.
 Though Marryat departed from the field peculiarly his own. he succeeded so well with his readers that while the story was running serially an Ameri- can vessel signaled to British one in mid-Atlantic: Has Japhet found his father yet?'
 .rhis child was born in wedlock. He is to be named Japhet. When cir curnstances permit, he will be reclaim ed"
 This note was attached to the infant that was left one night at the Found ling Hospital. bank note for fifty pounds was inclosed in the, letter. Thus Japhet was introduced as one of superior sort, and as he grew and became an extraordinarily fine looking lad every one in the hospital became more and more convinced that he was of good birth and that some day great people would claim him.
 Circumstances, however. apparently did not permit his being reclaimed. He grew to be If and no one had in- quired for him. Then the value of the fifty pounds appeared. Instead of binding him apprentice to some trade. the governors of the hospital, who had laid the money by for him at interest, now used it to install him in the apothecary's shop of Mir. Phineas Cophagus. who engaged to train him for the profession.
 Assenting to the request in the note. the governors had given him the Christian name of Japhet. For sur name they selected the name New lands" because that happened to be the name of the bank official whose signature ornamented the fifty pound note.
 An even more simple way had been used by the overseers in the poor house to Christian another lad whom Mir. Cophagus had taken In as err rand boy. He was named after the workhouse pump, which had the name of Timothy Oldmixon on 1t as maker, As soon as he was old enough he was assigned to the duty of pumping the water. Few sons worked their father more or disliked him so much" said [ Timothy with a grin when Japhet was installed in the shop.
 The two lads became close friends very quickly, but it was friendship in which Japhet was the patron, while Timothy was the admiring and. re- spectfuI subordinate. There arn castes everywhere, even among foundlings. Timothy felt assured that his own parents were not persons worth find ing, and he felt equally assured that the fifty pounds and the mysterious letter guaranteed Japhet's parents as something aristocratic.
 Japhet for his part, was convinced of 1t. His mind had occhGled itself with reflections ever his percentage from the time he could think, and when he entered the apothecary's shor he was firmly convinced that some Jay he would be claimed by people who would give him the rank of gentle man.
 Gradually the mystery of his birth became his one subject of thought and care. He spoke about 1t constantly and, though Mir. CophaguS would say Good boy--very good boy-don't want A father" whenever the question was put to him, Japhet did want fathel more and more every day until 1t be- came an obsession.
 Happily. the governors of the Found ling Hospital had given him an excel lent education and training tnal made him ambitious to learn more Therefore. he studied steadily and soon made himself an efficient apothecary
 He saved the small sums that came into his hands like a misor, deterrnln' ed that he would go out into the world and seek for his father as soon as hii time with MT. Cophagus expired. GIT cumstances brought this about sooner than he expected. MT. Cophagus sol' his shop, and after glVlng Japhs twenty pounds and Timothy five. or fered to get new positions for, them
 Janhet declined and announced that he would set out in search Of ms father; and Timothy declared that he would go with Japhet as companion friend or servant. whichever hls patron might prefer
 'The wise men came from the east said Japhet. They must have gone toward he west, then. Let us go IT that direction"
 It was a random journey, and, al random journeys always do, brough them to adventure sooner than If the! had gone forth scientifically to seel it. They struck a bargain with wag oner for a ride in his covered cart ant there met a strolling little band, dark, sunburned, tall fellow, yer! handsome, with beautiful teeth ant brilliant eyes black as coal, who in troduced himself as Melchoir, and hi two companions, one little fat Do. who tumbled for the villagers spor and the other lanky lad who playe' the fool. and very successfully, sine he was one by nature.
 Melchoir soon learned from Japhe and Timothy who and what they were You are just the people I want" sail he, land if you join me you shall no suffer"
 When they assented. he told then that he was married to a gypsy wo man and that through her he had grea power in the tribe. though he did no often join in their wanderings, bu an.ra cad in undertakings of his own
 ''Nattee, his wife, made them wei come to the tribe. She was of tn highest type of true-blooded gyps beauty, her face clear olive and perfect ly oval, her eyes petty black, her nos straight and beautifully formed and he mouth small and proud. She wa plainly of immense influence in tn tribe. and as soon as she approved o the newcomers they were accepte without objection by the rest.
 With MeIchior and Nattee there live A little girl of about II. who was strik ingly different from them. She was little fairy figure, with a wonderfull pure skin, light auburn hair and larg blue eyes. The tribe addressed her a Fleta.
 Japhet at once suspected that Flet had been stolen, though Melchtor tol him that she had been left behind by soldier whom the tribe had found dy ing by the roadside. When Japhe questioned FIeta, who soon became hi great admirer, she said that she coul remember that in her childhood sh i had lived in a great place full of tree and with beautiful gardens.
 Japhet, filled with his longing for father. felt drawn all the more towar, the little girl and at once investet her, too, with romance. until he be oauoa aa aruoIv rouvf0ead that RhA cam