Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05

vessels long cast away. or sunken, or
dismantIed. Freights waited for ships
that were not, the world hung on the
news of obscure voyages and riches
ebbed and flowed under the hastfng
hands of the wreckers. The story OF
this may be read in the papers. with
all the names, the successes ana the
tragedies. Nowhere will you md any
hint of the history told here. the
daily press notes little of such events
as the determined rescue Of an oo-
scure human being, and there are no
quotations in any market for casts
away souls hailed into port for rent
ting. But the great fact remains that
John Somers, outcast and disowned ana
abandoned came back out of the
southern deeps and played mans
part He was just as truly Sawed oy
Angela Gaskell as any wrecked steam
er ever was salved and put PACK INTO
trade by daring and resourceful men:
And the profit that Angela realized:
Every now and then something nap
pens to mark man among his 1ello"s.
On succession of blowy March days
four men landed from four dlnerene
steamers at Port Townsend, Astoria.
Eureka and San Francisco. Each OIL
the four turned his back on the YES
sci that had brought him and MADE ms
way quickly to his home. Each SAID
to his wife, his sister. his sweetnear ,
OF his daughter: IF it hadn't oeeh
for John Somers, I'd ha' missed com
THE story of the affairs they referred
to may be read, if you like, in any OF
the papers of that date. 1t is snort,
lacking in detail and commonplace as
follows:
Eight survivors of the steam schoon-
or Macmillan were taken off a raft, on
which they had spent four days with
out food or water, yesterday forty
miles west of Point Reyes by boat
from the steamer Fortuna The maxi
milan foundered during last week
gaie while bound from Puget Sound
to San Diego.
The part that John Somers played in
This obscure tragedy escaped the no1lce
O the reporters in press OF bigger
news But quietly the word dr1oolea
IN and down the coast by word OF
mouth. among wives. sweethearts and
daughters. that there was young sea
man of that name who was nero. AT
one time and another inquiries were
made by soft-voiced women as to MS
whereabouts and his welfare. But
John Somers had vanished into the
hustling world mote in its great cur
rents. The men who had proclaimed
his daring went their ways, and spoke
of him no more. Only woman mere
and there thrilled when she heard the
name 'Somers," or grew thoughtnui
over some item in the news OF a like
tragedy. OF all who had dreamed OF
him. but one never forgot him.
Angela Gaskell was a pretty. well
hammered, Industrious girl of seven
teen when her father had come home
from the wreck Of the Maximlnon
and related over the supper table
the feats Of John somers. At eighteen
She finished her business school
course and became q clerk in ship
ping Office down on Battery street. in
San Francisco. When she was nine
ers to add failed to return from g
voyage to China and left her to fehd
for herself
In the hour that her compassionate
employee gave her to digest the News
that h ID come to the exchange. An
gela grew up, turned the leaf of her
old life and faced the world with
fresh understanding She went home
that evening and spread her fathers
bed anew, frightened the flowers in
the vase on the m4utei, busted her
mothers picture. changed the tides
on. the chairs in the sitting room.
polished her fathers heavy Sunday
boots and put mothballs In his over
coat pockets.
Sc
THIS done sis Unlocked the tall.
old-fashioned walnut secretary"
in the dim hallway and went through
it's contents by eandleHsht. At mid
night she had finished. She relocked
the desk, took small assortment Of
papers to her bedroom. shut the door
and stood in the darkness . long time.
pressing her hot hands over her
dressed and got into bed. Face to
the pillow she murmufed a new
prayer:
20 God. please save John somersw
Out OF the darkness q question
formed itself: my child. what does
Angela shut her eyes tight and tried
to remember her fathers clumsy de-
scription: "a tall, fairish chap with
big shoulders, curly blond hair, blue
eyes and a kind of drawly way Of
talking. When he's puzzled he throws
his head back and half closes his eyes
and you see him gathering like a cat
for a spring. If he has any folks 1
never heard of EN-"
With this description the invisible
was content and withdrew. Angela
fell asleep.
In the morning she returned to the
Office and resumed her work with
there was new purposefulness in hef
movements. and her employer re-
marked to his partner: THAT Gaskell
girl is all right. I wonder, did the
old man leave her anything"
Mighty little. guess" said the
other. But she won't need much.
She'll marry before long"
The aapfor hhed bio anca no<t,ot,
ly. 81 hope it's not to a fresh-water
scoundreI. Nice. fine girls like Miss
GaskelI usually do" He blink ed and
suddenly recalled his wandering
thoughts. Now. about that cable
from Ingrahan--if the Challenges
wreck is worth a dollar. it's
month later Angela Gaskelrs
starry eyes Suddenly fixed on a name
written in the middle of letter from
q New Zealand Arm Of shipping men
This is what 1t said:
No man here we feel like
trusting with the job you have in
mind The best available man is Capt
John Somers. He is anxious for the
berth. but can offer no references. He
Is. we believe. a resident Of San Fran
cisco. If you can recomme nd him. we
would advise cabling. in which event
we shall Immediately engage him as
master of the Challenger for the voy-
age to your port.
Angela reread the passage and put
together the details she had gath
cred about the Challenger. 1t had
been raised from a reef. towed into
Auckland for RENTING. and her en-
ployers had purchased it for a large
sum with the intention of bringing
the old vessei to San Francisco. and
loading her with grain for Europe
Then her eyes rested on the scrawled
notation in pencil at the foot Of the
page: