CHAPTER III.
A MYSTERY OF THE PAST.
"I do not know that I have done just right by telling you this," went onMarion. "Mother may not approve of it."
"I am glad you told me. I was bound to find out about it, sooner orlater."
"That is true, Jack. But both mother and I dreaded that time. We wereafraid you might turn from us. And we both love you so much!"
"It is kind of you to say that, Marion." Jack's face flushed. "Youcouldn't be nicer if you were my real sister."
"And mother loves you so much."
"I know that, too--otherwise she wouldn't have taken me in as she did."
"What put it in your head to ask me this to-day?"
"Something St. John Ruthven said to Darcy Gilbert. St. John said I wasan upstart, a nobody."
"St. John had better mind his own business! It was not cousinly for himto interfere!" And Marion's face flushed.
"I suppose he doesn't look at me in the light of a cousin. He considersme an intruder."
"Well, if he won't count you a cousin he need not count me oneeither--so there!"
"But you must not hurt yourself by standing up for me," cried Jackhastily.
"I will not hurt myself--in the eyes of those whose respect is worthconsidering. In the eyes of the law you are my real brother, for myparents adopted you. St. John must not forget that."
"But tell me of the past, Marion. Where did I come from, and how did Iget here?"
"It's a long story, Jack. Do you see yonder wreck, on Hemlock Bluffrocks?"
"To be sure I do."
"Well, when that wreck came ashore, between ten and eleven years ago,you had been one of the passengers on the boat."
"Me!"
"Yes. I have heard mother tell of it several times. It was a fearfulnight and Old Ben, he was our slave then, was out on the bluff watching.Presently there was the booming of a signal gun--showing the ship was indistress--and soon the ship came in sight, rocking to and fro, with thewild waves running over her deck. Not a soul was left on board, captainand crew having all gone down in the ocean beyond."
"But where did they find me?"
"On the beach. Old Ben heard a cry of pain and ran in the direction ofthe sound. Soon he made out the form of a woman, your mother. She hadbeen hurt by being hit with some wreckage. You were in her arms, and asOld Ben came up you cried out: 'Jack is hungry. Give Jack some bread andbutter, please.'"
"Yes, yes! I remember something of a storm and of the awful waves. Butit's all dreamy-like."
"You were only three or four years old, and the exposure nearly cost youyour life. Old Ben took you and your mother to the boathouse and thenran up to the plantation for help. Father went back with him, along withhalf a dozen men, and they brought you and your mother to the house. Iremember that time well, for I was nearly seven years old."
"But my mother, what of her?" asked Jack impatiently.
"Poor dear! she died two days later. The physicians did all they couldfor her, but the shock had been too great, and she passed away withoutrecovering consciousness."
"Then she told nothing about me--who I was?"
"No. All she did say while she lived was 'Save my husband! Save mydarling little Jack.'"
"Then my father must have been on the boat with her?"
"Yes."
"And they did not find his body?"
"No, the only bodies recovered were those of sailors."
"Didn't they try to find out who I was?"
"To be sure, but, although father did his best, he could learn nothing.Your father and mother had taken passage on the ship at the last momentand their names did not appear on the list at the shipping offices, andnone of the books belonging to the ship itself were ever recovered."
"Perhaps they are on the wreck!" cried Jack, struck by a sudden idea.
"No, the wreck was searched from end to end, and all of value takenaway."
"I'd like to row over and look around."
"You may do so, Jack. I presume the wreck will have more of an interestthan ever for you now."
The distance to Hemlock Bluff rocks was a good mile, but Jack sooncovered it and, bringing the boat to a safe corner, he assisted Marionout and then leaped out himself.
"This news is enough to make a fellow's head whirl," he observed, asthey walked in the direction of the wreck, which lay high up on thebeach.
"I suppose that is true, Jack. But do not let it worry you. You are asdear to mother and me as if you were one of the family."
"But I would like to know who I really am."
"Perhaps time will solve the mystery."
Soon the pair were at the wreck, which lay with its bow well up on therocks and its stern projecting over the sea.
It was no mean task to reach the deck of the wreck, but Jack was a goodclimber and soon he was aboard. Then he gave Marion a hand up.
The deck of the wreck was much decayed, and they had to be careful howthey moved around.
"I am going below," said the youth, after a general look around.
"Be careful. Jack, or you may break a limb," cautioned Marion.
"I don't suppose you care to go down with me?"
"I think not--at least, I will wait until you have been down."
Soon Jack was crawling down the rotted companion way. At the bottom allwas dirty and dark. He pushed open the door, which hung upon one rustyhinge, and peered into the cabin.
"I wish I had brought a lantern along," he murmured, as he stepped intothe compartment.
As Marion had said, the wreck had been cleared of everything of value.All the furniture was gone and the pantries and staterooms were bare.From the cabin he passed into several of the staterooms.
"What have you found?" called Marion.
"Nothing much."
"Any mice down there, or spiders?"
"None, so far as I can see."
"Then I'll come down."
Soon Marion was beside Jack, and the pair made a tour of the wreck frombow to stern. Their investigations proved to be highly interesting, andthey spent more time below than they had anticipated doing.
"We must get back, Jack," said the girl at last.
"Oh, there is no hurry! Mother is not at home," answered Jack. It seemeda bit odd to call Mrs. Ruthven mother now that he knew she was not hisrelative.
So fully another hour was spent below, moving from one part of the bigwreck to another. Presently Jack came to a sudden stop and listened.
"What a queer noise, Marion!"
"It is the wind rising. We had better be getting back, before the baygrows too rough for rowing."
"You are right."
Jack ran up the companion way and Marion after him. To their surprisethe sky was overcast, and the wind was whipping the surface of the bayinto numerous whitecaps.
"We must lose no time in getting back!" cried Jack. "As it is, the windwill be dead against us!"
As quickly as possible he assisted Marion over the side, and then bothset off on a run for the little cove where the rowboat had been lefttied up.
As they gained the boat Jack gave an exclamation of dismay.
"The oars--they are gone!"
He was right. Marion had shifted their position before leaving thecraft, and bumping against the rocks had sent them adrift.