Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-20
The Evening Story
Shlipwrecked
A Story For Labor Day.
Q, EMERY G TUCKER

old.
It was very pretty to see them play
ing together on one or the other Of
the patches Of ground belonging to
their respective parents. Carl was .
tribe darker than Gretchen. but that |
was because Gretchen's hair was like
. cloud streak. With the faintest tint |
Of yellow sunlight ON Il. ana her eyes |
were blue % the heavens against which !
the cloud rests. Both were light COM
plsxionsd. a. most north Germans are.
both had chubby red cheeks and white
teeth.
When Carl came 10 bs eighteen years
old ana Gretchen sixtssn he was full
Of ambition to make . home for him
self and bic sweetheart. The little
farm was too small even for his father
and mother and the younger children,
and hs had no hope Of making homo
for himself In land where persons al.
ways remain the same. SO he resolv.
ed to 60 to America.
He had never spoken Of love to his
little playmate, not even when she had
grown old enough to think Of marriage.
He did not speak Of 1t when he told
her he was going to America. He did
not need to speak Of It or to ask for
q reply In words. When he announc.
ed his purpose Gretchen looked at him
with her big blue eyes, and they filled
with tears. He took her In his arms
and told her he was going away to
make nest for them both. and when
he had made enough he would send
her the passage money to follow him.
But when she asked how long that
would take he said hs would have to
learn q trade before hs could begin to
lay up money for the home. which
would require several years, her heart
sank.
For at her age even ons year seemed
interminabla.
Cart reached the new world In safety
and. being 4 bright young fellow. sue
ceeded In getting 4 carpenter to take
him as an apprentice and teach him
the trade. He mastered It readily,
though he was obliged to serve out the
time Of bis apprenticeship before he
could begin to work for himself and
earn money. And when that term was
finished he was obliged to buy tools
before he could be regularly employed.
So It was three years before he could
60 to work as q member Of the union.
and even then be was put on merely a.
a helper.
But the time came ut last when he
earned enough money to send for Gret-
chen, and be didn't wait to earn enough
to buy the home. He had got his trade
and could lay up money. and he felt
that with Gretchen to comfort him he
would get on just as well pecuniarily
as II separated from her. So he sent
her the passage money, and when she
received his letter containing tho draft
her heart bounded for Joy. There was
the regret at leaving her poor old "a
Their and mother. but 1t is the nature Of
the young to leave the parent nest to
make one Of their own.
1t was springtime when Gretchen
sailed from Bremen in the steerage of
a liner for New York. Carl had writ
ten her that he would meet her at the
immigrant station. where they would
| be married. 80 that she would not be
sent back lest she be charge on the
nation.
Carl didn't think Il necessary to
tell her where to come to him In case
he should miss her, for she could not
get through unless he married her.
One morning 4 few days before the
ship bearing bis sweetheart was due
Carl took up Newspaper and saw In
large headlines an announcement that
the vessel had fouled in fog with an.
other vessel. The passengers had all
been removed to the colliding ship.
which had carried them to Halifax.
Carts Joy in learning that his Gret-
chen had been saved was dashed at 70.
Numbering that she would not enter
New York a. he had expected. and,
having only funds sufncient to bring
her across tho ocean, she might not be
able to come to New York at all. Even
II she could how would she nnd him In
30 large city?
Carl spent what money he had in q
trip to Halifax to nnd her. but could
ind no trace Of her. He and Gretchen
were irrevocably separated. and there
was no hope Of finding each other ex'
cept by accident
Five years passed. Carl had become
q master carpenter and was making
money. When Labor day approached
that year be was chosen to lead his
fellow w0rkmen in the parade and was
made one Of the door managers at the
ball IN the evening. He was making
up q set for dance and. there being
only three couples available. looked
about for Z partner for himself. Sec
ing q young woman with hair almost
white sitting alone. hs approached her
and asked her to dance. He was sur
prissd to hear cry. sob:
"Carir'
| Then he knew Gretchen. They had
found each other. Though Il was In
ballroom with hundreds Of persons