The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1909-07-08

y
out unstintediy for this consignment
to, the scrap heaps OF q wotId that had
abandoned war. The glofies OF past
deeds Of yalor would no longer Be
emulated upon the waves The sea
had been untenanted before mans
ingenuity found a means Of breasting
IT. His coming had left It nnscafred
and unimproved 1t alone was uncon-
lsquerable, changeless and heedIesd.
Through centuries 1t had eeorned
him, and now 1t was bidding his craft
farewell and carrying his fleets FOR.
the. last time. No more would Its
wastes echo to his passing salute or
Witness his trivial strainings for a
flag. Only the song OF the fisherman
might henceforth echo along tho
shores wherein It beat. It had out
lasted those sturdy hulls OF oak and
steel that ionce had dared its force. 4
High above swept the invaders OF
that new territory to which man had
at last laid claim and was to hold in
domination for his use Bite as the
skies above them, the rsdioplanes'
lowered over and babe farewell to the
vanishing fleets. In the vanguard.
few the Norma. her colors futtering
in the breeze OF flight as they@ had
done on that day when she swooped
down through screaming shells to
wrest power from the enemy. Float
ing after her moved the huge Roberts,
its metal sides throwing back the.
rays Of the western sun. Close be-
hind In stately pursuit was Seven.
teen, whose plates had felt the biting,
force OF the dead Yalsumo,s guns,
And so they came. bidding farewell
to the ships Of an abandoned sea.
Small wonder that the soul Of the girl.
who watched felt one instant's regret
that she was never again to know the
exhilaration of the fray! A half smile
of tenderness parted her lips az she
thought that there in the air above
her were her friends and companions
in arms grim old fighting Bevtns
with his prayerful oaths. good-natured
Broekton whose kindness she knew,
and studious little Jenkins whose I'M
perturbability equaled his steadfast
bravery.
Guy. understanding and respecting
the storm of feeling which must be
hers at sight OF this pageantry of
which she had been such q vital part,
watched her ih~ silence. Almost at
their feet squatted Fort Hancock,
whose guns were to below for the
last time. 1t too, like its fellow forts,
was OF the dying. Like them Its bas-
tions would be abandoned and the
men within driven to ways of peace.
Fortress and ship, garrison and crew,
would be no more. Z Crumbiing, un.
tenanted walls left as records of a
nations defense. and rotting uniforms
RELOCATED to garrets, would be all that
were left-armies reorganized and re-
duced for police force only, and sail
ors become fishermen or passing their
lives in other occupations and rem
iniscenslng of the sea; swords rusting
in scabbards and guns corroding in.
embrasures, nothing more!
The last salute had doomed out.
Lower and lower few the radioplanes.
till they were close above the outgoing
ships. The ports of the peacemakers
opened, and from them fell gariands
of flowers, which fluttered down
through the air Unfortunately upon
the doomed craft and the waves them
selyes-a tribute OF peace from the
living and wreaths for the dying
gladiators of war.
Hand in hand Norma and Guy stoof
upon the headland beneath the gray
beacon lights that would welcome
strange travellers from foreign ports
no more. Into the darkening skies Of
the east the fleets Of the nations were
speeding to dissolution and death.
The long, steady swell OF the free and
unburdened sea came monotonously
hammerlng at their feet. In silence
they watched the relics OF cruel war
sail out, saw their hulls disappear,
saw the trails of smoke diverge as
each squadron sought its own course,
and then looked into each others
eyes, reading therein nothing but a
promise of love and serenity. Their
troubles had vanished as had those
| fleets of the sea, and life with ali It's
possibilities of accomplishment and
contentment was before them. They
turned from the great silent ocean
and walked into the golden radiance of
| the sunset toward their home,
THE END.