Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-12-11
By Kathlyn Williams

Copyright by tho selig Polyscope Company
with a look of mortal anguish my
Acknowledgements and having no
thought but to save me-hurled me
into the sea--fiung me directly by the
spar so that Immediately seized 1t
and chung to 1t.
"A wave carried me at once away
from the side of the vesse--and then,
oh the horror Of it'll saw the ship
disappear In the sea and my father.
Of course, went down with 1t.
"You will hardly believe me--unless
you are acquainted with these tropical
seas--when tell you that the gale
the hurricane--dled away almost as
suddenly as 1t had come. and | found
myself floating on quiet seattle
water becoming quickly as tranquil as
lake.
"But how long could hold on to
that spar. how long survive without
water or food, | wondered man
aged to get astride Of the spar-and
for the first time now looked toward
the horizon And there--surely what
! saw was land. Yes, the reef which
tho ship had struck was off the coast
Of this region from which we are now
trying to escape-not half mile from
the shore.
Making desperate efforts-the best
] knew howl propelled that spar
through the water, slowly, but yet
surely, toward the shore, and toward
nlghtfall ] was within sight of the ma.
tives on the beach. They swan out
to me and brought me to the shore
Of the land wherein was to know so
much suffering.
They carried me Immediately to
hut at the edge of the little fishing
village. ! heard them saying, on the
way:
"For there lives the senior from
America-the only Americana here.
4 And this senorita says she is an Amer
icano. So she will be safe with the
aged senor.'
"The aged senior proved to be none
other than the old mailman whom you
now know as Senior FL Tore With
him lived the same negro, whom you
know as Chacha-as the old mans
servant. The fisherwomen of the viii
lage put me to bed In the old mans
hal Lee hn
very kind to me, for at that time he
positively was not mad. Neither was
his servant, Chacha. For two weeks
the old man nursed me and Chacha
waited on me hand and ioot-till
recovered my health and was once
more as strong as ever in my. life.
1T was then that | said to the old
man: Senior, could you help me TO get
back TO my country-to the StatesT
1.-THE United States he said, speak
ing In a tone OF horror Why should
anybody wish to go to the United
States-land Of trouble and sorrow.'
He was in the inclpient stage OF
madness then-but | did not know 1t.
He told me of his life. 1t seems that
he loved his daughter more than life
itself--loved her to the exclusion OF all
else In the world. He was at that
time a naturalist employed In an i'm.
portant position by the museum Of
natural history. And one night when
he returned home from his work he
found the daughter gone-gone. she
said not where. She had left a note
saying that she had gone away with
Q certain man whom she loved And
from that day forth the old man never
again heard from the runaway daugh.
ter.
THE blow dealt by that heartless
daughter 80 distracted the old man
that he felt that he might 60 insane
from grief. He accordingly packed up,
withdrew his savings from the bank
all In golu pieces and took a ship for
Central America.
"He arrived at the little fishing set
tlement on the coast, of which have
already told you. There he engaged
I Chacha as his servant and settled
down to the quiet, uneventful life
\ practically OF beachcomber-bu q
beachcomber with money. For the old
man had much gold-gold which he
kept buried and Of which he never
spoke to human being,
For years he lived in that village
gathering specimens found in the ad.
jaeent forest. All these specimens
consisted Of skulls and bones of wild
animals and OF birds which he found
dead and which. using his skill as
taxidermist, lie would stuff and mount.
And II was amid these specimens in
bis hut, with his servant Chacha, that
came to him--a castaway.
"A few days after that on which !
asked him to help me to get back to
the States he suddenly said to me, In
Q hali.wild way:
"'You look exactly like my daugh-
ter. At least you resemble her 80
thoroughly that you could pass for her.
You are not my daughter, are your
This wild speech frightened me,
but only vaguely. did not compre-
bend that madness was even then
creeping upon him.
mo said, l am not your daugh-
ter. When can you help me to get
back to my own country
"'Wait' he said You must wait.
And q cunning light came into his
eyes.
CHAPTER VII.