Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1916-03-31

Another FIVE years brought a still
greater change. OEe morning while
sitting at his desk in his Office Mr.
Barrows was stricken with apoplexy
and died in q few days. Bess, while
she loved her adopted father, had look
ed forward to q day, after he had fin
ished his career, to her union with
John Baxter. She now had a double
reason for wishing this union. She had
suddenly come into the possession Of
a shipping business and believed-that
which she wished to beheye-that
Johns seafaring "a would have fitted
him to manage iI~sor her. John was
at sea at the time and was not expect
ed to return for several months.
Miss Andrews, after coming into pos
session OF the business, appointed the
best man in it to manage it under her
direction, she going to the office fire.
quently to overlook 1t. But being a
practical woman with some head for
business, she soon perceived that her
manager was unequal to the task. She
lOnged for Johns return. firmly be-
lieving that, though he had not been
educated for the purpose, his knOwl-
edge of sea trading would be valuable.
Then came a disappointment. News
came that the Petrol, which John on
sailing had been appointed to COM
mand, had been wrecked in u storm on
the east coast of Africa and all hands
had been lost. The statement that all
had persisted was given ON hazy au-
thority, and Miss Andrews hoped that
some Of the crew. including the cap
tain. might have gained the shore in
safety. Africa ut that time was a wild
country, and persons wrecked on its
coast were liable either to be MUIR
dered or made slaves. Miss Andrews
fitted out ship. made one Of her I'M
cle's most trusted captains master and
sent him to look for any members of
the lost crew that might have been
saved from the wreck. She would
have gone with the expedition. but at
this time she was trying to supply her
uncle's place in the management of the
business.
The Last Hope-such was the name
Miss Andrews gave the rescue vessel
sailed for the coast of Africa on the
10th Of September. The last words
she spoke to it's master were:
Captain, I'll give you $10O for ev-
cry seaman you bring back. 5000 for
each officer and $1,000 for the captain.
And II you will bring them in time for
Thanksgiving I'll add $1,000"
TN do the best can. in any event."
replied the captain. and. weighing an
Choir. he sailed.
There were no wireless messages in
those days, and the Last Hope was not
heard from except on being spoken by
an incoming ship on the way out. A
month passed and she did not return.
Six weeks more went by, and since
nothing was heard from her 1t began
to look as If the Last Hope had failed.
The day before Thanksgiving Eliza
beth Andrews had given up any hope
she had cherished of having Captain
Baxter with her for the anniversary.
She shut herself up in her home, In
tending to pass the day without max
ing any effort to observe the usual
festivities, but being alone was SO try.
Ing that she determined to go to her
office and find relief in occupation.
She had not been there long when
she received a telegram. Last Hope
signaled." Then followed three hours
of suspense. Had the mission been
successful? If SO was Captain Bax-
ter among those who would return on
the incoming vessel? She tried to think |
that she was as interested in the 9th |
ers' safety as in his. but she knew In her |
heart that she was not. She swayed !
between believing that she would meet
her lover again and that she would not.
The latter filed her with despair, the
former made her tingle to the tips of
her fingers.
1t would be some time before the
vessel would reach the dock, and part |
of this time she could get away with
by making her preparations to go to
meet the ship. and u part she would
spend on the way. Her Impotence to
know what had been accomplished led
her to start to the dock so early that
she was obliged to wait there an hour.
and this was the longest hour of all
and filed with flashes of hope and
despair.
When the ship came In and was
swung around there on the upper deck.
beside her master was a fig.
IRE which Miss Andrews eager eyes
for John Baxter. He saw
her. and smiling. waved to her.
These two who were eager to come
together were kept separate for awhile
longer by gap of water some of the
time not twenty feet wide. The ship
was at last locked. and as soon as the
was run out Captain Bax
ter, for whom all the others gave way.
descended and was met on the dock
by the girl who had been Instrumental
N bringing him and others of his crew
home. Notwithstanding those looking
IN, the couple were locked In an EN-
brace. after which Miss Andrews vel
,omed the others to their native shore
That evening the captain and crew Of
he Last Hope. the captain and doZ,
n Of the crew of the Petrel-all that
sot ashore from the wreck-sat down
o a Thanksgiving dinner. A seat at
he head OF the table was reserved foi
Hiss Andrews and when the dinner
lad baan dismissed ,lf sha antarod and