Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-04-06
THE HAND OF FATE
by Maj. A. E. Ransom.


FASTENED to take his place at the table
with his fellow officers. Though joking and
laughing in his usual pleasant manner.
his thoughts were not in camp. His af-
ternOon haG ncen spent sightseeing, and
one of the incidents had left strange
and lasting impression on his mind. He
had first of all taken Il car downtown,
made Il few little purchases at one of the
large Market street stores, gazed with
interest 1T the three immense buildings
at the intersection of Kearney, Market
| and Third streets, the homes of largest
daily papers on The coast, the Examiner,
Call and Chronicle and was then ready
for Il trip to the beach As he boarded
car he was attracted by party of sew.
eral young ladies evidently, like himself,
on pleasure bent.
| BY the time the car was climbing the
hills ON California street he had caught
enough conversation to know that at
least one of the party was an Eastern
| girl.
When the California street station was
| reached ana everyone left the car to
| transfer to the railway which runs along
! the coast to Sutler Heights he was for
| time separated from them, but as the
| peanut vendor pa Sed around the train
| for the last time before the conductor
| called ''All aboard" Jack found himself
| 4 few seats in the rear of the young la
dies again. Notwithstanding the small
ness of the engine which pulled the train,
compared with some of the immense
Observation-Disclosures, d rate of speed was
soon reached WHICH threatened to blind
the eyes of the passengers with the
| quantity of cinders which flew from its
smokestack. The italian cemetery was
soon reached and a few alighted with
lunch baskets to go down to Bakers
| beach.
Shifting his attention from the to him
| unreadable hieroglyphics on the tomb
stones, he saw the grand beauty of the
| Golden Gate burst on his view as the
train slowly rounded curve. Off to the
right the fort was plainly discernible,
and at intervals, on the hill. large can.
mons We're mounted to guard the en-
trance to San Francisco bay. Away be-
| yond the fort, across the stretch of wa
ter, the smoky summit of Mt. Tamalpias
was visible, Casting his eyes nearer the
train. the water shone brightly as it
| splashed on the rocks nearly 100 feet be-
| low. Then. without warning, the train
was developed in darkness, but the tun.
mel was short and in a few moments
| there was another stop, and half the
passengers left the train, Jack among
| the number.
! 1t is safe to say that the action of the
party of young ladies in alighting caused
| him to do likewise. 1t was Il long. steep
pathway down to the beach, but the ar
| rival there repaid the visitors. Hemmed
| in by high hills on three sides, little
cove lay nesting in their shadows, al
ways in sight Of the majestic old Pa
cihc. Several springs furnished excel
| lent drinking water. cave for protec-
ton from sudden storms, and plenty of
clean, white sand to take sunhaths on.
The remains of fires mere and there gave
evidence of prior occupancy. Perhaps
100 people. young and old, were gath
cred in this cove. whose area was about
threc-quarterS of an acre.
Various forms of amusement were in
dulged in. Some found pleasure in at
tempting to scale the steep emhankment
others read books under the shade Of an
umbrella while the younger and more
athletic donned bathing suits and mshed
out into the uninterrupted breakers. An
hour after Jacks arrival on the scene he
was startled by wOman's scream for
help. Turning quickly, he saw Il large
wave rushing in, and as it struck a bevy
of bathers, one threw up her hands and
disappeared beneath the surface. His
training as an athlete in his college DAYS
stood him in good stead now. He sprang
toward the place where the receding
wave showed Il dark mass still under
Meath the water, discardng blouse and
hat as he ran. There was no time to
lose, for the treacherous undertow from
the next wave would carry the unknown
still farther ont. Sprinting had been his
long suit in the days when the L. w.
faced a solid phaianX Of Ann ArbOr bone
and muscle ON the grdiron. but he felt
he was eclipSing all previous records in
this dash which might mean the saving
! of 4 life. Before the aStoniShed friends
of the girl were aware Of the real dan
! a n af.l~
had reached the limp and apparently life
less girl, raised her in ms Siroug arms
and dashed back to shore. Not until he
had deposited his burden ON the sand and
was being assisted in attempting 10 re-
suScitate the girl did he find that she was
, one Of the girls who had been on the car.
There had been a little romance in Jack
! uaIIlng'S life some years before. In col
eSe he had met and loved beautiful
Helen Grant, but being poor and proud.
while She was the daughter of wealthy
T parents, he, like many another mistaken
= lover. determined to bury his love until
such time as be felt he was financially
able 10 give wife all the comforts she
= enjoyed in her fathers home. While
Helen was aware of his love for her he
had never formally declared himself. and
when az graduation he said goodby with
s the expressed hope that he would see her
again, and started for the West. there
was an aching heart in a Wisconsin town
which She claimed rs home Months
passed by and heightened into years. and
! still he diu not return. Tier only knowl-
edge of his whereabouts was an uceaSion-
: al paper with an item concerning some
I hard-foUght legal battle i'm 2 far Western
state, for Jack was an attorney.
I Then came the news Of the blowing ar
Of the Maine and the subsequent call for
3 troops. Just before the regiments sailed
G from Frisco for the Philippines Sergt
: Harding wrote brief note to Helen
! stating that death might keep him from,
! coming for her a. he had intended to Dc
P the following summer had not the wat
broke out, but in any event she would
q now know that she was the one woman
D on earth he cared for. He said he would
o not write again until his return. Then
p the months rolled on again with occo.
! >lonal reports of victories won by ouI
troops. Six months after sailing lack
Was promoted to a second licutenanCy
Tor "a lantry in action, and Just befor,
the regiment sailed for home was made
first lieutenant. Helen had kept watch
] OF the movements of the regiment. ANA
al. Il