Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-26

ton and made his report. He was 90 sure
OF his own ears that he took q lantern
and went down to the beach. There he
found nothing. He stumbled on toward
Cadgwith along the unbroken beach. At
times he covered his lantern and peered
out to sea. At last something white caught
his eye. It was half ahoat mid the
breakers. He went knee deep and dragged
a woman to the shore. She was quite dead.
He held his lantern above his head and
stared out to sea. The face OF the water
was hecked with dark shadows and white
patches. He was alone. two miles from
held. up a steep combe and through muddy
lanes, and as he turned 10 trudge toward
the cliffs his heart suddenly leaped to his
throat. There was someone approaching
him across the single.
A strong, deep voice called to him, with
command and a deadly resolution in its
tones.
you a coast guard7" It asked.
Yes"
The man came up to him and gave him
orders to go to the nearest village for help,
for lanterns and carts.
"what ship?" asked the coast guard.
"Grandhaven, London, New Orleans" was
the answer. Hurry, and bring as many
AlNu rs gOu Ghu- wv = bVhN '.
There is one on the beach half a mile
along to the southland. But you cannot
launch her through this"
"Oh, yes we can"
The coast guard glanced at the man with
a sudden interest.
who are your" he asked.
"Stoke-hrst mate" was the reply.
The rest Of the story of the wreck has
ho., tar5 ~ ,AI,r r,pa In tho Aaflv nQna-
papers. How forty-seven people were
saved; how the Ifeboat from Cadgwith
picked up some, floating insensible on the
ebbing tide with litebuoys tied securely
round them; how some men proved them
selves great and some women greater; how
a few proved themselves very contemplate.
indeed; how the quiet chief ofhcer, Stoke.
obeyed his captains orders to take charge
Of the passengers-are not these things told
by the newspapers? Some OF them, es.
p~ecially the halfpenny ones. went further,
and explained to a waiting world how 1t
had all come about, and how easily 1t
might have been avoided. They, moreover,
dealt out blame and praise with a liberal
hand, and condemned the owners or eX-
onerated the captain with that sublime wis
dom which cometh out from Fleet street
only. One and all agreed that because the
captain was drowned he was not to blame;
a very common and washy sentiment which
appealed powerfully to the majority OF their
readers. Some Of the newspapers, while
agreeing that the nrst oficer having saved
many lives by his great exertions during
the night and perfect organization for relief
and help the next day, had made for him
self an immortal name, limited darkly that
the captains was the better part, and that
they preferred to hear in such cases that
all the officers had p9rished.
Stoke dispatched the surviving 9assen-
gers by train from Helston back to Lon
don. They were not enthusiastic about
him, neither did they subscribe to present
him with a service of plate. They thought
him stern and unsympathetic. But before
they had realized quite what had happened
they were back at their homes or with
their friends. Many of the dead were re-
covered and went to swell the heavy crop
of Gods seed sown in st. Keverne church
yard. 1t was Stoke who organized these
quiet burials and took a careful note OF
each name. 1t was he to whom the friends
Of the dead made their complaint or took
their fearful "reminiscences, to both OF
which alike he gave an attentive hearing,
emphasized by the steady gaze of a pair
VI klhy olut Vgto NhiNh
afterward without knowing why.
at is all right said the director OF the
great steamship company in London.
stoke is there"
And they sent him money and left him
in charge at St. Keverne. The newspaper
correspondents hurried thither and several
of them described the wrong man as Stoke,
while others having mentioned him weighed
hVr. ard Snnud him wanting IN n nTOneF
sense Of their importance. There NHa no
copy" In him, they said. He had NO cor
ceptlon OF the majesty Of the press.
At length the survivors were all sent
home and the lead thrown up by the sea
were buried, Martin. the second orlcer
was among these. They found the cap
tain's pilot jacket on the beach. He must
have made a fight for his life and thrown
aside his jacket for greater ease in swim
ming. Twenty-Five of the crew, eleven
passengers and a stewardess were never
found. The sea would never give them up
now until thai day when she shall relin-
quish her hostages-mostly Spaniards and
English-to come from the deep at that
trumpet call.
Stoke finished his business at st. Ke-
verne and took the train to London. Never
an expansive man, he was shut up now
as the strong are shut up by a sorrow. The
loss OF Grandhayen left a scar on his heart
which time could not heal. 1t had come to
his care from the builders yards. II had
never known another husband.
He was free now-free to turn to the
hardest portion of his task. He had al
ways sailed with Dixon, his lifelong
friend. They had been boys together, had
forced their way up the ladder together,
had understood each other all through. His
friends wife. by virtue of her once, per-
haps had come nearer TO this mans grim
and lonely heart than any other woman. He
had never defined this feeling; he had not
even gone back to its source as a woman
would have done, or he might have discov-
cred that the gentle air Of question or Of
waiting in her eyes which was not always
there, but only when he looked for 1t. had
been there long ago on a summer voyage
before she was Captain Dixon's wife at
all.
All through his long swim to shore, all
through the horrors OF that November
night and the long-drawn pain OF the sue
eeeding days he had done his duty with a
steady impassiyeness which was In keep
ing with the square Jaw. the r~esolute eyes.
the hrm and merciful lips OF the man; but
he had only thought Of Mary Dixon. Hts
one thought was that this must break her