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Stormount Bay that night. The schooner's anchor was dropped and her
sails furled before nine o'clock. The voyagers had purposed waiting
till the morning before going on shore, but Jack's impatience would
brook no delay. Charley went first and announced himself to Becky, who
immediately exclaimed under her breath, "Is he come, Master Charles?"

"Never mind," answered Charley, "Do you go in and say Charley Blount has
come."

Somebody heard his voice, and that somebody, forgetting that he was not
Jack himself, rushed into his arms. "Has Jack come? has Jack come?
Dear Charley, have you brought him?" exclaimed Margery.

"I can't keep you in suspense, my sweet Margery, he has come, and is not
far off," answered Charley and before he could say more, Tom, who had
followed Becky to the door, darted out into the darkness, and was soon
heard exclaiming, "Come in, come in, my dear boy, joy does no harm to no
one!"

Mrs Askew, who had been sitting at her work opposite Captain Askew, who
was reading the newspaper by a bright light, hearing an unusual
commotion, rose from her seat, as he also did from his.

"What is it all about, Margery?" cried the captain, stumping to the
door.

"Good news, father, good news!" cried Margery. "Charley has come back
safe, and he has--"

"Has he brought our boy--has Jack been found?" asked the captain, his
voice trembling with eagerness.

"Yes, dear father, he has, he has!" cried Margery.

"Then let me have him here, and thank God!" cried the old sailor,
stretching out his arms; and Jack, who had been hauled in by Tom,
overheard him, and in another second, bounding up the stairs, was folded
in those arms, with his mother and Margery clinging to his neck and
weeping tears of joy.

The evening was indeed a happy one, and not till a late hour did any of
the inmates of Stormount Tower think of retiring to rest.

While Mrs Askew lived, the light in the Tower was always, as before,
lit at night, and on her death a lighthouse was built in its place.
Charley Blount at a very early age, got command of a fine trader to
India and Australia, and on the death of her parents Margaret Askew
became his wife, while Jack was chief mate with Captain Blount for many
years; and when the latter came to live on shore, Jack took command of a
fine ship he had built, called _The Stormount Tower_.

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Washed Ashore, by W.H.G. Kingston

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