St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-05-03
rpoM OCEAN TO OCEAN.

7, all of Kipling's many books, famous
4o- their dash and vigor, no passage of
lo o,al length is more vivid than the de-
eeqqr;nt;on. in Captains Courageous" of
Harvey Cheyne's rush across the CONT
lan+ TO meet the son whom he had
ini' .n as dead. This is said to have
h no based on record" trip between
10 same points-San Diego, California,
ond BOSTON, Mass.-made by western
aa;way president in 1895. Mr.. Kip.
i ia" description shows singular know
i 1,ne of American railway men and
. eth as well as of American charac-
Ter, BY permission OF The Century Co.,
we print herewith the passage in ques-
lion. from Chapter TX. of Captains
Courageous
Whatever his private sorrows may be,
multimillionaire, like any other work
;roman, should keep abreast of his bust
ness. Harvey Cheyne, senior, had gone
Fast late in June to meet woman
broken down, half mad, who dreamed
dav and night of her son drowning in the
arav seas. He had surrounded her with
doctors, trained nurses, massage-women,
and even faith-cure companions, but they
we're useless Mrs. Cheyne lay still and
moaned, or talked of her boy by the hour
TOGETHER to any one who would listen.
Hone she had none, and who could offer
Il? All she needed was assurance that
drowning did not hurt; and her husband
watched to guard lest she should make
the experiment. OF his own sorrow he
spoke little-hardy realized the depth OF
It till he caught himself asking the calen-
dar on his writing-desk, whats the use
There had always lain a pleasant no.
tion at the back Of his head that, some
day. when he had rounded off everything
and the boy had left college, he would
fake his son to his heart and lead him
into his possessions. Then that boy, he
argued, as busy fathers do, would in
stantlv become his companion, partner,
and ally, and there would follow splen-
did wears of great works carried out to-
qether-the old head backing the young
fire. Now his boy was dead-lost at sea,
as it might have been Swede sailor
from one of Cheyne's big tea-ships; the
wife was dying, or worse; he himself was
trodden down by platoons of women
and doctors and maids and attendants
worried almost beyond endurance by the
shift and change OF her poor restless
whims hopeless, with no heart to meet
his many enemies.
He had taken the wife to his raw new
palace in San Diego, where she and her
people occupied a wing of great price
and Cheyne, in veranda.room, between
secretary and typewriter, who was
also telegraphist, toiled along YEARLY
from dav to day. There was a war o
rates among four Western railroads II
which he was supposed to be interested
devastating strike had developed in his
lumber-camps in Oregon, and the Legls
lature Of the State of California, which
has no love for it's makers, was prepar
ing open war against him.
Ordinarily he would have accepted
battle ere it was offered, and have waget
pleasant and INSCRIPTIONS campaign
But now he sat Imply, his soft black ha
pushed forward on to his nose, his BIZ
body shrunk inside his loose clothes
staring at his boots or the Chinese Junk
in the bay, and asserting absently tt
the secretary's questions as he opened
the Saturday mail.
Cheyne was wondering how much l
would cost to drop everything and pul
out. He carried huge assurances. coul'
buy himself royal annuities, and betwee
one of his places in Colorado and litti
society THAT would do the wife good
say in Washington and in the Sout
Carolina Islands, a man might forge
plans that had come to nothing. On tn
other hand
The click of the typewriter stopped
the girl was looking at the secretary
who had turned white.
He passed Cheyne telegram repeate
from San Francisco:
Picked up by fishing schooner Wei
Here having fallen off boat great time
on Banks fishing all well waltin
Gloucester Mass care Disko Troop fe
money or orders wire what shall do an
how is mama Harvey N. Cheyne.
The father let it fall, laid his head dow
on the roller-top of the shut desk, an
breathed heavily. The secretary ran ft
Mrs. Cheyne's doctor, who found Cheyr
pacing to and fro.
"What-what d'you think of it 3? Is
possible2 Is there any meaning to II
can't quite make it out" he cried.
II can, said the doctor 81 lose sew
thousand a year-that's ALL" t
thought of the struggling New Yo1
practice he had dropped at Cheyne's IL
perious bidding and returned the tel
gram with sigh.
you mean you'd tell her? May be
fraud?"
What's the motive?" said the doctc
cooy. Detection s too certain. II
the boy sure enough"
Il Enter French maid, impudently,
an Indispensable one who is kept
& only by large wages.
Mrs. Cheyne she say you must col
at once. She think you are seek"
The master of thirty millions bow
his head meekly and followed Suzanr
and thin high voice on the upper lar
ing of the great whte.wood squa
81 staircase cried: "What is it ? What h
happened?"
Il No doors could keep out the shri
that rang through the echoing house
moment later, when her husband blurt
out the news.
And that's all right" said the doct'
serenely, to the typewriter. About
only medical statement in novels WI
any truth to it is that Joy don't k
Miss Kinney"
II know it; but we've heap to
first" Miss Kinney was from Milw'
kee, somewhat direct of speech; and
her fancy leaned towards the secreta
she OWNED there was work in hand. =.
wnc lool,;,u oo rrest1v at the vast roll