The Argosy — page 169: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee | In a West India Hurricane. 155 ‘“* After searching about, and not finding anything human of whom to make inquiry for my friends, I made my way back to the town. I had hardly entered it when, to my joy, I saw Mr. Walkingshaw coming to- wards me. Apart from his face and figure, he was scarcely recognisable, for he had hardly a rag to his back. I accosted him, and asked after Julia and the rest of the family. He answered me quietly and dis- tinctly, and told me that he could gain no intelligence of them. To my utter surprise, he next asked me who I was, and why I was so anxious about his family. The terror of the past night had deprived him of all recollection of my person. He knew Arthur Vernon, he said ; but he did not recognize me. ‘“ But I cannot linger over this part of my story ; I must hasten on to its sad and fatal dénouement. With a heart weary and desponding, I continued my search———” The old Admiral’s voice trembled, and he paused. “ After a time, we found Mrs. Walkingshaw, and we heard from her that Grant was all nght, and that she had sent him out in quest of us ; but of Julia we could hear nothing. Every part of the grounds, and the country within two miles, had been searched, but without success, and I was returning to the town, with a sinking heart, and my mind filled with a presentiment of evil, when I met a negro———” Again the Admiral’s voice faltered, and tears stole into his eyes. “Poor Julia!” he continued, in mournfully tender accents, “ they had found her, but she was a corpse! They took me tosee her. There she lay—stiff, cold, lifeless ; yet, even in death, beautiful as ever.” And the poor old gentleman buried his face im his hands. A young girl went up to him, and placing her hand caressingly on his shoulder, said, ‘Ah! that, then, was the reason you never got married, uncle Arthur ?” ‘Tt was, my dear,” answered the Admiral. ECOMicoOolkxs.cO©