Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-10
over IN a rev seconus.-
Mr.. Trail rose and paced slowly to
the window. Pyne stared into the fire.

There was no med for either of them
to conjure up the he.i..rcnding scene
as the sharp prov Of the sailing ship
cleft through the seas and spurned the
dcspairng hanGis clutchng ut her black
walls
Too often had the older man pictured
that horriiic vision. 1t had darkened
many hours, blurred many IL forgetful
moment of pleasure with Il quick rush
of pain.
Even now as he looked OIL. into the
still street he fancied lie could see
Ends mother smiling Mt him from
luminous mist.
He passed hand over his eyes and
gaZed again at the moonlit roadway.
From the black shadows opposite
policeman crossed toward the hotel,
and he heard bell ring. These triv-
ial tidings restored his wandering
thoughts. How the discovery of his
lost chila had brought back flood of
buried memories!
at is easy to understand that
should be fanciful tonight" he said,
returning TO the CHEEKY glow of the
fire and the brightness of the room.
1.-The whole story of tho disaster cen
tered in the narratives of the sailors
and the negro. They NIL declared that
both boats went down. The crew of
the bark. who ran to starboard. as the
leading boat was swamped and sank
on that side. imagined they heard cries
to port. But, though they lowered Il
boat and cruiscd about the locality for
hours. they found nothing hut wreck
age. You. Charlie, when went to st.
Johns five weeks later. could only tell
me that you had felt very cold and
wet. That is all ever knew of the
fate of the Esmcralda until. in Gods
| good time, met Stanhope on board
| the Falcon"
'"Then the manner of Ends rescue is
| conjectural!"
absolutely. But Stanhopc. who is
a sailor, and two men named Spence
and Jones. who We're Brands col
| leagues on the Gulf Rock at that time,
have helped me in building up COM
plete theory. 1t is quite clear that the
second boat did not sink, as was re-
ported by the captain of the John S.
She was damaged and had her mast
broken by the collision. In the dark
ness and confusion she would be read
lily carried past the bark. which was
probably travelling four knots an hour
| The two sailors in springing from her
gunwale into the bobstays would GER
tainly cant her considerable. and at
| inc, n;+
threw her child into the boat With
last frenZied effort or some one caught
the baby from her as she sank The
boat was seen by Brand floating In
with the tide on the morning of the
30th of July. She had been nine days
at sea. Some survivor must have Civ
on the little one nourislmcnt in that
time, rs a twelve-months-old child
could not possibly have lived. In all
likelihood the bank of fog chung to the
surface of the sea and followed the
tides, as there was little or no wind
on the days following the loss OF the
1 yacht.
again, there were provisions in the
boat, but no water. Why? Either the
water casks had started their slaves
when the smash took place or Il care
less steward had failed to fill them.
The next thing is the identity of the
boat. BY the stupidity of Il sailor one
of the Esmeralda's lifebonts was burn
ed to the waters edge in Norway. He
upset n tin of petroleum While he was
opening 1t. and a lighted match did the
remainder. Indeed, lie and another
man at the oars narrowly escaped
death. A boat was purchased. but ac-
cident or misclance prevented the Els
mcralda's name being painted on it.
There was a Norwegian port number
on the stern board and this was
smashed away by the falling mast
AS the sail WAS trailing in the water
when the boat was found by Brand II
is assumed that the survivor or sur
vivors. who paid some heed to the
child. suffered from injuries which pre-
vented him or them from hauling it In
One mans body was found on board
and he had been dead many days
Finally we have the evidence of the
cilild's clothing"
"'The girls told me something of tho
story Oil the rock" said Pyne. Geo
whz, little dreamed that Enid-ol
Edith. mean-was my first cousin!'
You know that her garments were
marked Z. I. and that Il little shaw
was pinned about her with gold
brooch set with cmcrlds arranged n.
Il four leafed Shamrock"
no. fancy that they were hin
dered in their yarn. Believe me. there
was always enough to do in that won
dcrful place. Besides. | knew about
the brooch. Had they mentioned it,
guess the gray matter at the back OF
my head would have become agitate
by thought"
yes. of course. ] am talking to yol
as If you were hearing this sad history
for the first time"
at is new enough. 1t has fresl
point OF view. Which is everything
Now, about that brooch?'
II bought it in Bergen. remember
your poor father laughing about It, Il
WAS odd to find an Irish emblem IL
that out Of the way little town. have
not seen it yet. but II is ludicrous Il
think that so many condolences ear
affect two different children cast adrif
about the same time in open boats II
the junction OF the ST. Georges channe
and the north Atlantic"
It's the kind of thing that doesn'
occur with monotonous regularity
agreed Pyne. by the way, have jus
made an interesting discovery on m.
own account"
What is it!"
ut might easily have happened tina
not Enid-sorry-I mean Edith-but
should have been the youngster cas-
adrift in that boat
Yes. that is SO, of course"
"And would have grown up as Con
stances brother. Guess things hav,
panned out all right rs it is
1t was on the tip Of his uncles tongu,
to ask for some explanation Of TIN
very sratified tone in which Master
Charles made this remark, but the heat