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ovelette.
VOLUME I.—NUMBER 23.
BOSTON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1857,
1
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
SKIPWITH’S INTERVIEW WITH BEACHAMPE IN THE CABIN OF THE DANCING STAR.
District Court of Massachuse'
—or,—
Che Smnggler of the Chesapeatie,
A STORY OF THE COAST AND SEA.
{Entered according to Act of Congress in the Clerk’s Office of the
tts.)
BY J. H. INGRAHAM.
[conTINUED.]
CHAPTER VUI.
ALICE RESTORED TO: HER HOME.
Tue scene Nevil beheld. was. sublime. | The light-
ning played with terrific brilliancy over the vessel ; the
winds roared like Niagara, and the waters about were
white as a field of drifting snow. ‘ The ‘schooner was
laid head to the gale with difficulty, and it seemed as
if every moment her bending masts would snap, or she
would be cast upon her beam ends. The clarion-like
voice of their commander restored confidence and cour-
age in the appalled men, and the foresail having been
already reefed and the mainsail being furled, she held
her head gallantly to the hurricane, and rose and _ fell
on the mad billows with the wild grace of a prancing
steed of the desert, “‘snufling the battle afar off, the
thunder of the captains, and the shouting.”
ntil all was made safe on board the cruiser, no man
had a thought of the lugger, which, being Jooked for,
was now no longer visible.
“She’s swamped, without question,” said the lieu-
tenant; “butit’s a pity the assassin who threw this
lovely girl into the water has not lived to have his neck
stretched.”
When the commander returned to the cabin, he was
delighted to find Alice sitting up, and though dripping
like a mermaid, smiling and beaming gratitude upon
him. And well might she smile. She fully realized
her escape, and though still trembling and half doubt-
ing, she said, extending her hand:
“QO, sir, Heaven will reward you. Is there no more
danger from him?”
“None. He is at the bottom of the sea—which is a
ity, for drowning is too good for him. Pray, who is
e% What did he cast you into the sea for ?”
“Doubtless that he might escape while you were
rescuing me; I know not else. He is a very, very bad
man. He took me by force from my home to-night,
and but for your appearance, and that you heard my
shrieks, I should have now been in his power. O, sir,
my brother will be so grateful to you, also.”
“Who is your brother ?”
“Elliot Beaufort.”
“T know him !—I know him! _ Is it possible you are
Alice, of whom I have heard?” he said, with surprise ;
and as he gazed upon her sweet face, fast recovering its
natural tints, his heart insensibly ceased to be his own.
The revenue cruiser having safely rode out the gale,
about midnight the moon burst from the storm-clouds,
and shone upon the tumultuous waters over which the
schooner was leaping under freed canvass in the direc-
tion of the windmill. By one o’clock Alice was placed
by Henry Mainwaring, the commander of the cutter,
in the arms of Margaret and her father, who, believing
her drowned off the rock, were weeping her dead when
the cruiser arrived.
The next morning early. Elliot made his appearance,
having been detained, as he said, by the loss of his
rudder, which some one had stolen from his boat—and
he had to wait to have another made. ‘When he heard
of the events of the past night, his fierce anger against
Beachampe could only be equalled by his gratitude to
the captain of the cutter.
Beachampe, however, who had reached the land
safely, escaped from the country, well aware that the
revenge of Elliot would not sleep till the insult he had
put upon Alice was appeased in his blood.
Months passed away, and Henry Mainwaring as often
anchored his cruiser off Windmill Point as his duties
would let him; and at length, in its pure and sincere
[See page 855.]
attachment of the young scaman, Alice forgot that such
a person as Ralph Rowley had ever been seen by her.
If Henry: Mainwaring loved the sister, he became no
less attached to the brother, and often urged him to
take a berth in his vessel with him; but Elliot refused
to leave his mother and Alice; and when at length
Henry made known to him his devotion to the latter,
and his intention to make her his wife, when he would
help him in taking care of his mother, the latter said,
smiling gracefully :
“T love you, Captain Mainwaring, and I know Alice
loves you. You have my consent, and I have no doubt
you already have hers. But how can you have a wife
and live at sea all the time ?”’,
“T have thought of that,” answered the young offi-
cer, sighing; “the regulations wont allow me to take
her with me; and [ can’t live on shore without throw-
ing up my profession. But I hope in a year or two to
lay up something and buy asmall farm; and you shall
marry Margaret and have a farm by mine, and I will
retire from the sea, and be happy there with Alice.”
Thus the young officer would. talk with Elliot of his-
plans when they would meet, either at the windmill, or
in York, where the duties of the revenue service often
called the cutter to remain anchored there some days
at a time.
Nevil Beachampe, in the meanwhile, remained out of
the way. The outrage he had committed in carrying
off Alice Beaufort was well known to everybody; and
no class of persons were more indignant than the river-
men. He became a wanderer. In Baltimore and other
cities he passed his days sometimes with money, oftener
without a shilling, and plunging into scenes of dissi-
pation and dwelling in the haunts of vice. At length
he went a voyage with a man who had ‘secretly got a
erew and secretly sailed in a topsail schooner under
great mystery. After a year he returned, but not ben-
efited by his adventures on the seas, for he was pen-
niless and an outcast. At length he forged his father’s
name to a large amount, and drew the money ; and be-
ing detected, only escaped arrest by a midmght flight.
In disguise he sought his old home, and under the garb
of a knife-grinder he made himself known to his old
friend, Captain Ned Blouster. This worthy gladly
hailed his. return, and after some hours’ conversation,
