Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-11-04

neyed in the vale of years 20 be re.
proved, even II time. which seldom
fails to do his Office. had not already
been the avenger OF the past Your
interposition 10 behalf Of the So.
cretary's life, your removal of the
origantiue and prompt repairing
hither, IS well as rumors, which /
trust are true. OF clear shrift and
peastedtial voss, Rnuounce an hon.
est though late purpose Of amend.
ment. We think you owe il now 10
the consummation Of this good pur-
pose, that you divulge all it CON.
Germs US to know OF that wicked
haunt, the Wizards Chapel, the
scene Of so much grief and crime,
and OF its inmates Speak freely,
old man. +"
My Lord, nswsred Rob, with
q calm though somewhat tremulous
voice, the story Of my life I have
coutided 10 this holy man. Uatil
my sand is run would that its
stream were speutl-that story lies
in his bosom under the seal OF the
confessional. | dare not again re-
hearse it:-when | am gone he will
tell it. 1t will be heard with curses
by many deserve them;-but II q
life 4ouded by disgrace and stung
with misery may atone for a deed of
passion. | pray, with an humble
spirit, that my story may raise one
voice Of pity. But il doth not con.
cern Us 70 speak Of this" be said,
as in deep emotion he paused for
some moments with his haud close
iy pressed cross his eyes-''these
are un-ccustomed tears, my Lord,
i have not wspt before to day this
many long wear.
What concerns my coming 10 the
province. the life have led here.
and the history OF the Black House."
he resumed after an interval Ia
which he had regained his COM
p1sure -"ot these, have no scru-
pie 10 speak, Sixteen years age,
nv Lo~d, ! sailed from port oa the
other side # the Asa1tic, wilh some
- lib. esnsfsting
chiefly OF jewels. Ny destination
was the islands: my name was hid
den from the world, and had hop.
ed TO hide myself Disasters at sea
drove US upon this coast, where, In
a winters storm, such as | have
never kuown but that, our ship was
wrecked. | know not who survi.
ved-I only know that IL pleased
Heaven, for my sins, to prolong q
life that | cDu ID have better parted
with thar any wholound their grave
beneath. the waters | chanced to
save the larger portion Of my yalua-
bles, and, nn n raft II floating spars,
was dri'ted into the Chesapeake,
where q fisherman took me up al
most lie ess, furnished and starved
with cold. He put me down at St.
Jerome 81 | had no wish TO face my
fellow-meu, and, for such hire as
gave him, provided me with COM
forts, h scIut comforts my condi-
tion needed IN that furs aken house.
which 10 was terrib @, as it hath
been siCcs-the house where Paul
Kelpy murdered bis own family,
There, nv Lord. lived a solitary
.OtRer, with no attendant near me
except an aged woman, who after
wards abandoned me and took up
her hA.rrI'.U0 40 Warrington on the
CT f.: sru http o' ate again re-
turned That winter passed away
IN suffering az, 20 the full measure
Of 10Y de~erts-and when spring
came, mv frosted limbs had rotted
Of, ard | lay on my pallet that
wretched, de'1rmed. and unsightly
thing 'hOu sscst me now. There,
for many weary years. dwelt.
man II sin ard misery. Use made
NY state familiar, and began to
think thai my peuance would, at
last, restore nv peace cf mind.
In this lone spot. from which all the
world turned away With shudder-
ing, ! did rot dream that worldly
passions could agaiu be awakened.
But il 70 fe.. out that, four years
o, a band q Buccaneers Ia a
trim brigantice, ed by this raven
ing wolf Cock Iescraft, tenp,ad their
fortune Ir these waters They came
in the diegui1e Of traders, pitched
upon The Ch pei as their lurking
place, Won me 70 their purpose of
unlawiul commerce, aud drove their
craft win such success as you, my
Lord, have seen. ] cDusorted with
them, first b cause they were out
lawed nsn. and In that thought
took pirasUrF,-there was sympathy,
the fCo1 fOr which nv heart was
huuRertd, They built me a lodge,
and came and went a. nv familiar
guests-and ! MADE money by them.
Can YOU no, der, my Lord, that I
became their cJmrade2 they mads
me their chief had heir secret
they gave me frie dship, p,-aod thew
brought ms that devils lure, gold
gold more than ! bad ever known
before. Can you wonder, nv Lord,
that ! became THAR compar ION Z
The treasnrns ICF the Chanal neadad