Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-12-28
7 II e l..;: ;'; Tracy:
PILLAR Of f.: !: r.: E: Of
- Morning" |
1904
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self to divert the other mans thought :
from the embarrassing topic of Mrs.
Vansittart
He knew that Brand was not likely
to leave them In any dubiety as to the
past. discussion now was useless. Il
mere idle guessing ut probabilities, SO
he boldly plunged into the mystery as
yet surrounding Ends first year of
existence.
Mr. Trail, glad enough to discuss 4
moro con:,enal subject, marsholed the
ascertaincd facts. 1t was easy to see
that here at least he stood ON firm
ground.
"Your father. as you know, was 4
noted yachtsman, Charlie" he said.
Indeed, he was one of the first men
to cross the Atlantic In his own boat
under steam and sail. Twenty years
ago in this very month he took my
wife and me, with your mother, you
and our little Edith, then six months
old. on a delightful trip along the Flor
ida coast and the gulf Of Mexico. 1t
was then arranged that we should pass
the summer among the Norwegian
fords, but the two ladies' were nervous
about the ocean voyage east In April,
so your father brought the Esmeralda
across, and We followed by mail
steamer During the last week Of May
and the whole Of June we cruised from
n..l, 10 ,ly 20 kH~ IN
The fine. keen air restored my wife's
somewhat delicate health, and you and
Edith throve amazingly. Do you re-
member the voyageT
1T Is q dim memory, helped q good
deal. imagine. by what have heard
since"
"Well, on the Fourth of July, putting
into uardanger to celebrate the day
with some fellow countrymen, re-
ceived a cable which rendered my
presence In New York absolutely i'm
perative. There was q big develop
ment scheme just being engineered in
connection with our property. In fact,
the event which had such tragic Sc
quel practically Quadrupled your for
tune and mine. By that time the Ia
dies were SO enthusiastic about the
seagolng qualities Of the yacht that
they would have sailed round the world
IN her. and poor Pyne had no difficulty
In persuading them to take the leisure
~ way home. while raced of via
Newcastle and Liverpool to the other
side. I received my last cable from
them dated Southampton. July 20, and
they were due In New York somewhere
about Aug. 8 or 6, allowing for ordi-
nary winds and weather.
During the night of July 81 when
midway between the Scilly isles and
the Fastnet they ran into a dense fog.
Within FIVE minutes. without the least
warning, the Esmeralda was struck
amidships by big Nova scotian bark.
The little vessel sank almost like q
| stone. Nevertheless your father. back
ed by his skipper and splendid crew,
lowered two boats, and all hands were
saved for the moment. It was Pyne's
boast that his boats were always stored
with food and water against any kind
Of emergency; but. of course, they
made every effort to reach the ship
which had sunk them rather than en-
deavor to sail back to this coast. As
the Esmeralda was under steam at the
time. her boilers exploded as she went
down, and this undoubtedly caused the
second catastrophe. The captain no.
iced that the strange ship went OF
close hauled to the wind, which blew
steadily from the west, 80 he, in the
leading boat, with your father and mo-
Their, you and my wife and child, fol-
lowed in that direction. He shouted to
four men In the second boat to keep
close, as the fog was terrific. The
bark. the John g., hearing the noise of
the bursting boilers, promptly swung
around, and In the effort to render as
distance caused the second and far
moro serious catastrophe. The cap
tain's boat encountered her Just as the
two crafts were getting way on them.
Some one In the boat shouted, they
heard an answering hail and instantly
crashed into the bark's bows. The sail
became entangled In the martingale Of
the bowsprit, the boat was driven IN
der and filed, and the second boat
crashed into her. All the occupants of
the captains boat were thrown into the
sea. You were srasped by a negro. a
povogc1ls ewfmmer. He, with yourself
- tWo 6llonasEoee, rescued, and that
- n 3o1 166e was q strong
- M 1Ds1ooo4 swim well. He
- hevo - acoa o. injured in
ooono 80. - ~ oa11oEs Jumped
a. - eooe1d - 61f chung to the
nqsep be1gnyA - whole thing was
49, = = IN eonos"
I'm ~ ana paced slowly to
1oW. Ryhe stared into the fire.
LIE WaS no need for either Of them
y couture up the heartrending scene
as the sharp PROV Of the sailing ship
cleft through the seas and spurned the
despalr1ng hands clutching at her black
walls.
Too often had the older man pictured
that horriilc vision. It had darkened
many hours. blurred many a forgetful
moment Of pleasure with a quick rush
Of pain.
Even now as he looked out into the
still street he fancied he could see
Ends mother smiling at him from
luminous mist.
He passed a hand over his eyes and
gazed again at the moonlit roadway.
From the black shadows opposite q
policeman crossed toward the hotel,
and he heard bell ring. These triv-
1al tidings restored his wandering
thoughts. How the discovery of his
lost child had brought back a food of
buried memories!
1T is easy to understand that I
should be fanciful tonight" he said,
returning to the CHEEKY glow Of the
IRE and the brightness Of the room.
''The whole story of the disaster CEN
tered in the narratives of the sailors
and the negro. They all declared that
both boats went down. The crew Of
the bark. who ran to starboard. as the
leading boat was swe mped and sank
on that side. imagined 1ey heard cries
to port But. though they lowered a
boat and cruised about the locality for
hours. they found nothing but wreck
age. You. Charlie, when I went to st.
HNhNsC Ava -