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| DAVIS & ELVERSON,) 8. W. Cor, FIGHTH.
, Publisher:
and LOCUST Sts,
$300 PER ANNUM,
IN ADVANCE.
TERMS, {
Entared,
Morkof the
i
RUTH B
CHAPTER 1.
THE LOST, sHIP.,
Teal after peal of thunder rent the. heavens—
ep, quick peals that almost
u
a en ee St
ane
ES ominously, and
Is of a group of three men who were crouched
+ Bpon the crags, looking seaward,
| Boomt Boon!
!? Itwas the signal-gun from a ship tn distress. It
ld not strike terror to the hearts of the wreckers;
Atbronght a satanic light to their faces, and Joyce
Brandon, the oldest and more hardened of the trio
of villains, rubbed his hard palms gleefully
Bether,
More appalling grew the storm, more fearful grow
theroar of win wave, more frequently re
be
Ship being driven coastward.
“She'll go down in an hour, Shelby,” said old
Joyce Brandon, .
“Pooh! I have timed her ‘closer than that,’”
Feturhed the othe: pplyhly.” * Last fell
ia split
in
ana)
, I thie Fro~
in a shorter Ume, an storm.
dina milder
they doing with so
‘What the devil are
as on her ?”
yw that she's out of the channel,
f the waves may have left them short-
. “Theret I
s, 'close-eroppedl_halr,
ieee eyes, Tow forchends, ernel mouths, and
hart Rearte, "They had tarpaulin hats on, an
ravret OVercoats and boots; they cared not for the
yaix the Ightning, or the mass of human beings
‘so t0 Be engulfed.
according to Act of Congrss, in the year 1899, by Davis & Elvérson; in the Office of the
District Court of the United States ii and for the Eastera Distriet of Penusylvania,
RANDON;
OR,
THE. WRECKER’S DAUGHTER.
. BY
PRANK H, STAUFFER,
{Little Nell; or,, Before and After ;" “Staccato Papers 3” “Belle Burnet ‘Barbara Kromer ;"*
“ The Heir of Elmwood Grange ;” ‘Fatina the Deformed; Three to Oné,".etc.
~— ee
ddenly from the crags;above them a bright
light shot heavenward, growing brighter, intenser,
flingh far out upon the black, seething
waters, ° teeters
“What the devil's that ?” cried old Brandon, with
anoath.’ Thé others swore roundly also, and all
sprang to their feet in surprise. 0...
upward, they saw that a large firo had
indied, to warn the ship of her doom,
. close-fitting bodice on, and
with her halr streaming in the
rmfal of dry fagots upon the crack
o
bared head: .
r it ain’t Ruth?” erled Shelby,
“She's gone and built a fire!”
“Dll settle her, drat her !” growled old Brandon,
striding up the rocks, “She'll never do the like of
that again, Stay bere until I retarn.”
‘The youngest of the trio, named Allen Rutledge,
@ injunction, and followed close upon,
Brando)
“You shan’t hurt
‘The other turne:
mn
her, Joyce,” he sald.
d upon him flereely.
“Mind your own business, tied.
“I told you tostay back. Thegirl ain't yours yet.”
“You shan’t hurt her, Joyco,” repeated Rutk
“She has built on the wrong ledge, Iv only lure
& party to,” sald Joyeo
don, with a low chuckle, “It is none of ons to
lure or save. One is wicked, and nobody hires us
or pays us todo the other, Let the ship weather
her way, If sho can.”
Ho added an imprecation under his breath, and
‘ay. Soon both men stood within the
broad glare of the light. ‘Tho elder faco
ys
“Do, you know what you are about?” ho thun-
kick the embers in every
‘was searcel
to light up their faces.
ship, father 1” cricd the girl, excitedly; “sho
will go to pieces,”
“She won't be the first one, then, ‘What Is it to
ae” -
“But the crow, father! They will bo lost! O!
think of the misery—and we might save them!"
‘
2
3
Ze
LLL
er. :
oke loose and strack him a stinging blow
f
‘ou never light another fire, girl! She br nm chee!
your old crone ther! upon the cheok, : , | affinity with the rongh scenes in which she move .
} There was a deafening crash of thunder; @ pine| .“Theret Did you hear that crash?” she cried, | from an sfied yearning tot
8 2 shivered to. atoms, and the | suapping her eyesat him, “Good God! the ship | sphere more consonant with her delicate organi.
bolt, a ball of gleaming fire, ploughed up the ground | bi Pieces! , and in Heaven's | There was come, too, when no o1
ee a say that the san-bt face lacked expressio!
at their feet
Ral As sho sat there, crouching by the fire, her 1ut-
urple black hue; the hands Pd.
‘were small and sha; od!
ed sadly away, stunned and almost
dering embers’ with his heavy boots, and then | mockingly, ond then clambered down tothe shore- ely 5
rode down the cra} : ‘ ine, the plain, coarse dress could not hide the fine 90%
e storm did not abate, and the lightning bé- | -There all was stir and excitement, which the hor- | tour of her limbs. The room was meagrely2t<
came more vivid: and protonged. The ship had | rors of the storm seemed but to in + T and, walls were bare, the cc!9&
ship had, indeed, struck upon the reefs. She was re pars Of
a twain; every mast and spar was gone; and } glasa_wantingin the windows were, Upp DY
every sutye less and less of tho hall remained | paste ‘of other opaque substitates, But Rut
ixiblo above the water-line. * | did not mind the seeming dreariness; she Lad bes
The life-boat made the shore, after much di M™- and raised there: it was her home, and@ gh |
mite below. Evo other,
ad @ weak volos from g |
tacked about, but was nearing the reefs again
iad been but temporary wal
vation: rw
Dripping wot, her saturated dress clinging
limbs, her bare feet bleeding from th
and ber damp, matt
rent
to her | with
tor
born
shelving bank, Alien Rutledge stole to her side. pon’ thi @ dead body or some “Ruth!” presently called
Rath—be would bave killed you, had I not fol- | sip or It @ rich harvest for the de- | far corner of the room.
Jowed him—and begged! What did you do it for?” | spoilers. E by Brandon, they were wild] The girl arose and walked thither, Ona low |
he asked : in their avaricious delight, securing valuables at crone of @ mother.” There was sow,
“Go away! Don’t ask me!” she sald, shuddering. | every turn, the more hardoned of t jot seru- | thing of the hag about her—something repulsive
“0 the shamo! the sin!” : Pling to terminate @ life that was already almost | In the. two yellow snagged-teeth that projeci
“Lots of silks and satins, Ruth.” extinct . beyond her lips. Her face was dark and sallow?
“And dead bodies—and lost souls!” " When Ruth entered the low but known toher as | her hair was fron-gray, coarse, elfsh, while ty!
“ Pearle—and amber beads.” binck, sunken eyes burned brightly under the
“Horrid dreams and bangman’s ropes!’ Goback streams. | hidden fires of fever, There was a vostize of re
to your dark work, Allen! Iam~"* finernent about her, b fay
her, but it mnst have
ood. '
man, surlily, yet softly, * You “What is it, mother?” asked Ruth, taking fy
wite.”
wt The faco that the Inrid flames lit np was far from | hers the shrivelled hand that lay outside of the
Be not: too sure of that, Allen Rutledge,” eried | being a handsome one. mouth was too large, | cover. t:
the girl, haif turning upon him, '“Not unloss you | the check bones too prominent, the brows too| “It's a dreadful storm, Ruth.” \ +
mend your ways, Iean tell you.” heavy, the whole countenance too immobile. But | “Yes, mother.” : \ ‘
whe ast!
