The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-07
Flood Romance
How the Galveston Catastrophe
Made at Least Two Hearts Happy.

/ The one romance OF the Galveston dor
ror, a pathetic touch of happiness tina
lights I'D that awful catastrophe, was the
marriage of pretty Bessie Roberts ana
Ernest Mayo the brave and faithful COW
boy.
| Bessie Roberts was one OF the pretties
girls in Galveston.
whether swimming with firm, sure
stroke in the surf in the morning or rid
| ing down the broad streets on her favor
tie horse, Black Beauty, in the afternoon
/ or dancing at hop in the evening, she
| was always pretty Bessie Roberts" tc
the citizens OF Galveston.
She was as joyous as she was pretty
Her brown eyes sparkled with a gentle
ROBUSTNESS. Her teeth cleaned in fire.
quent laughter. 1t was a hard task fol-
the trim feet and the girlish figure TO for
get the feats that had won for her
the childish name Of ''romping Bessie. -
Age or sorrow might make her demure,
Nothing else would repress Bessie Rob-
erts' spirits.
Life was laughing song to her. She
laughed especially at the lovers that
%AON0CU dDOhh 4OA- Ol4C idhSANG, l-AOO5 ~
it was observed that she laughed less
than usual, at Ernest Mao.
He was a first class specimen Of the
cowboy. He had been reared on a ranch,
and could throw a lasso as skillfully as
an Indian or a Mexican. The life had made
him sturdy and brown and when he went
to the Texas town of Dickinson to go into
business as a ''stockman,' he brought
among his assets health that was perfect
and no liabilities in the way Of the usual
manly vices.
He brought, too, among his assets for
happiness and success his boyish ideals.
He believed in himself and he believed in
others and after he met and fell in love
with Bessie Roberts he believed in her.
He met her when she was visiting
friends at Dickinson. He followed her to
Galveston and had a ak with Mrs. John
Roberts, a wealthy citizen, and what was
a more distinctive honor, Bessie's father.
Bessie pouted a little and laughed a good
deal at the young mans earnestness. But
his very seriousness prevailed. They be-
acme engaged.
He returned to Dickinson a happier but
not quite a care-free man. The man who
is engaged to a coquette, especially to
girl who laughs, knows no security.
Besides, Bessie was rich. Her father
had pointed out that patent fact and said
that he liked the young mn and had faith
in his business prospects, but added the
trite pareuta lremrak that his daughter
must not leave siorof until she accepted
the shelter of one as spacious and as well
gilded.
Ernes Mayo had a money getting race
to win, with the girl of his choice as the
goal. He acOepte dtl1e conditions and set
out ardently in the race.
One Sunday recently he wrote a long
letter to Bessie. You remember the
hymn, dear" he said" I'm Nearer Home
Today, Today, Than I Have Ever Been
it sung, and 1 changed word, in my
mind, that made it more beautiful I'm
nearer you today, today, than have ever
been before You are making a sinner
of me, my darling. would rather be a
day nearer you than a day nearer heaven.
You are my heaven"
He did not notice, so absorbed was he
in thoughts of his love, that the night
into which he walked to post his letter,
was getting ready for a terrible storm.
He remembered it as one stunned remem-
bers blow, when he was awakened by
the thunders of the storm.
No norther had ever swept the Llano
Estacado with such a bosom Of death. A
wind, mingled with the screams of wo-
men and children, a wind that laughed
like a mailman or a demon as it tore on
its pathway Of death. Ernest Mayo
CROPPED his way TO the door and looked
upon a black hell of wind and water and
heard the sound of buildings torn to
piees and human beings struck dead by
flying timbers The sluices of the sea had
been opened. The furies of the wind had
been let loose. And death was every
where.
Ernest Mayo was brave man. He did
the duty Of brave men. He battled with
the night and the wind furies and the
angry water spirits for the lives Of the
weaker ones about him. Some he saved.
Some he placed reverently in some re-
naming nook of a half demolished build
ing. And all the time a great terror pos
sessed his heart. He feared nothing for
himself, but everything for the brown
eyed girl who had waved him laughing
farewell at Galveston the other day. Gal
weston was in the path of the wind. He
shivered with the chill of an awful fear.
When the storm had subsidized so that
travelling was possible he went to Cal
weston. He said not word as he sailed
across the bay to the city, so fair and so
today. 1t was hard to find in the week
age of a city the streets that had been so
familiar and household names. After
ravages like these the city was as unrec-
equitable as the face of one long dead.
Ernest Mayo shaded his eyes with his
hands and looked for the hotel that stood
three blocks from the Roberts home. 1t
was gone. + or the gymnasium in the
next block. It. too. was laid low. There
came TO him a sickening knowledge that
Of the entire block in which the Roberts
mansion had stood there was no house
remaining.
He nerved himself to look for what he
feared. He reached the spot He sound
some Of the heavy timbers lying prone. a
corner of the foundation in tact He
found some crushed pieces Of the r;ano
on which she had played. At sight of ii
the big ranchman 5 bbed ike babe.
Just beyond he saw negro lodging
stealthily among the ruins. He was look
ing for corpses. He was one Of the ghouls
who were fattening upon their plumber of
the dead Ernest Mayo cursed him and
drove him away.
He tried TO set others TO Join him in his
search hut ali were intent upon their
own dread missions. Someone told him
that many people, borne by the food. had
hoated TO the hin that was the highest
point outside the city
Thlther he went Thither he climbed