Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-18
the early hours Of the following morning.

the maid in response to his angry queries
as to why he was not informed.
Finding that no intelligence could be
ELECTED from his servants, the half dis
tracted man drove into the city.
There at his office a letter awaited him
which told the worst. And the news was
more Overwhelmingly terrible than he con
ceived.
Dear daddy" the note ran, "do not
blame ME. l could not live without Leon
ard. We were married this morning, and I
write this from the cabin of one of the
dearest old fashioned ships you ever saw.
She is not a passenger steamer, but we
chose her so that we should have a long,
undisturbed honeymoon. The captain says
we shall call at Canary, SO do let us find a
letter there saying that you forgive your
loving daughter Grace"
But the sting lay in the postscript.
II almost forgot to say that the name of
our argosy is the Albatross."
"Merciful heaven!'' cried the wretched
man, ''let not the innocent suffer for the
guilty! Grant that l may no be the muir
derer Of my child!'
Then, driven into action by the force of
despair, he wrenched at the bell and sent
the astonished clerks flying with messages
In all directions.
Thirty minutes later a special express
was rushing toward Liverpool, and in it,
with blanched features and trembling
limbs, sat the unhappy wrecker. His was
a useless mission. Even if he obtained a
fast steamer it could not overtake his yes
sci in time.
By the evening of the following day at
the least the Albatross would be among the
shoals off Ushant. He remembered the
reckless nature Of the man Winch. In all
probability, when the crash came he would
save himself and not give a thought to the
safety of the passengers or crew, and 1t
vas not likely that he would recognize his
owners child travelling in such a strange
manner under the name of Harrison.
Richard Sparshott lived q lifetime in one
short hour. All the sins of his hard, grasp
ing, avaricious life rose up before him.
Drowning sailors were shouting fierce inn
precautions into his ears and deriding his
agony.
"She's well insured!'' "You must be
careful-very careful off Ushant! She's SO
rottenp' they shrieked amid flendish peals
Of laughter.
Suddenly a ray of hope entered his mind.
Fool that I amp he muttered, spring
ing up and Juggling at the connecting
cord. The train was brought to a stand at
a wayside station, and to the officials as
constituent Sparshott insisted upon i'm
mediately going back to London. After
much shouting and telegraphing the re-
turn journey was commenced, and the spe-
cial train shortly afterward steamed into
Euston station.
Early on the evening Of the same day,
as Captain Robert Martin of the steam
ship Lorna Doone, then lying in South
ampton waters, awaiting admission to the
docks, sat in his cabin overlooking certain
bills of lading, he was surprised by the
entry of his owner, who, pale and DISNEY
eled, babe him put to sea with all speed.
Incoherently Sparshott told himas much
of the matter as he deemed expedient, and
by 8 o'clock the ship, under full steam,
was we'll past the "Needles."
The events Of the next 10 hours were
never afterward very distinct to the ship
owner. He ragged the deck like q mailman,
calling for more fuel to be thrown upon
the fires. In vain did Martin try to soothe
him by the assurance that the Lorna Doone
had saved at least $50 miles by starting
from Southampton. 1t was a weird sight
to see the crew throwing huge bales Of
valuable merchandise over the ships side
in order to tighten the vessel and increase
her speed, if only by the fraction Of a mile.
Day broke at length, but still Sparshott
tramped the deck, refusing to take rest OF
refreshment. More than once the engineer
~, oft IN vonoyt thot thu bpi1ar, xyo,,1I
not bear another pound Of steam. The
distract man snarled at the captain like a
mailman and ordered more fuel to be piled
on. Noon came, but brought no sight Of
the Albatross. The flames were now leap
ing six feet above the smokestack, and the
pulsations of the engines threatened to
shake the rivets out Of the plates.
As the short September afternoon was
closing the lookout sighteda brig hugging
the land, topmast down. The skipper him
self went aloft and reported it was Cap
tain Winch's vessel, but his face expressed
the doubt which he felt as to whether they
could overtake her before dark.
Oil was thrown into the furnace, and
the gallant vessel raced on. They were
gaining rapidly now. Another ten min
utes Of daylight and their signals must be
seen.
A toy cannon was charged and fired,
but the Albatross sailed on. 1t was quite
dark. And now remained but one hope-a
signal rocket was sent up, and at last the
squared yards Of the brig were rounded,
and she hove to.
Richard Sparshott remained on deck
long enough to satisfy himself that the
vessel really wa the n they were in
search of. Then overweight nature as
serted itself, and he fell inert and sense
less. Nor did he recover consciousness
until the white cliffs of old England were
we'll in sight.
The Albatross did not founder off
Ushant, but was broken up at Blackwell
some months later. The old firm is still
carried on under the new title Of Sparshott
& Harrison, but the genial chief does not
now boast that he Is a self made man,
neither are there any coffin ships among
the well equipped fleet that flies their pen
nant.-Boston Traveller.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Thankful words written by Mrs. Ada
| IN rr,.A 80 C,o+o~ g ~ +. ttyNoo takpn