Gilpin observer., 1920-12-30
Nell's Golden
Calleon
By cLARISsA MAcKIE

20 1891. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate }
"When my ship comes in." sighed
Maud Blont as she slipped another
sheet Of paper into the typwriter, II
shall throw this wretched machine out
Of the windowi"
with never a thought Of the inno-
cent passerby, who might be the tar
get?" smiled Nell Woods, looking up
from her work.
"Oh, welll No danger of my ship
coming init has probably foundered
somewhere off the coast Of Nowhere
too heavily freighted with gold, per-
haps. What's the use of wishing for
money and love and everything
nothing ever happens to mel"
"Never mind, Maud, don't worry,
and some day 1t will come sailing into
port"
Maud lifted her shoulders express
lively, found a package Of chewing
gum, and went back to her typing.
Nell raised great, dark eyes. soft with
much dreaming, and looked out Of her
window at the panorama Of New York
harbor on sunny May morning.
From her window on one Of the upper
floors of tall Office building she
could see the ships come sailing home
she could see them set sail again
for foreign shores. She loved them
all. even the busy little tugs that bull
lied their way about the other craft /;
she built many strange fancies about
the ships, and the most elusive one Of
all was her ship that some day would
come sailing home through the mar
rows.
1t was no ordinary ship, this one
OF Nelrs dreams-it had grown to
be wonderful old Spanish galleon,
freighted with gold and silver and
Jewels. and Its steersman was a DASH
ing lover who would bear her away
from the tedious office forever-she
would never see another hall bedroom
again-never eat another meal In q
cheap restaurant. She never said
when my ship comes in." but when
my golden galleon comes home"
Sometimes she wondered why she
was SO anxious to leave New York.
She had been just as anxious to leave
Support, where she had been born.
When her parents died and her aunt
offered her a home, Nell refused.
Il must see the world, auntie," she
explained. II cannot be buried alive
here. Some day will come home
again-now I must CO."
So they let her go, and two years
had passed away. She had tired Of
New York with its fictitious air of
friendliness to the stranger within its
gates. New York is Support grown
up," declared Nell whimsically one
day. This summer she was going to
Support for her vacation. perhaps
my golden galleon will come sailing
through the inlet and find a harbor
there" and so Nell took her dreams
with her to Support.
Every day she went out on the
beach beyond her aunt's house and
read and sewed, and sometimes
dreamed. Mrs. Lynn scolded her for
her solitary habits. Lem Barker was
looking for your coming, Nell. II he
had been home you would not have
been alone, I'll warrantw The good
woman nodded wisely over this re-
minder Of Nell's old admirer.
"Where is Lem?" asked Nell lazily.
went to the fishing grounds with
the heet-he's making money hand
over fist-he's bought your old place
from Adam Marsh, and fixed 1t all up.
Some folks say he's going to be mar
ried."
Nell shrugged. Lem Barker, still a
nsherman-she thought Of the smartly
dressed men who had occupied the Of
hces in New York some OF them were
her co-workers. How they would
laugh to see Lem-to hear his drawl
~Well. I must get In one last sunbath
on the beach, auntie," she said; II
think II is going to storm"
Mrs. Lynn lifted a weatherwise eye
to the sky. "a bad blow" she pre-
dicted, with a worried look on her
motherly face. II hope the boats will
get In before II strikes"
II hope So" returned Nell, running
down to the beach and plunging into
the churning gray waves.
But the ships did not come home
before the storm broke. 1t was a
dreadful gale and not soul In Sun.
port slept wink while II lasted.
Nearly every home had a man out
among the feet of fishing vessels, and
hundreds OF eyes were strained toward
the inlet as the storm increased in
fury.
At last kilograms came struggling
in-messages that carried joy or woe
TO many homes. A few Support men
had gone down with their little boats
the rest were coming home. There
was one man missing-Lem Barker
No one Ind seen him or his gallant
little boat Nellie since the storm
struck the banks.
Nell Woods felt oddly anxious about