The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-14
Eoening Story
NeIl's Golden Galleon.
BY CLARIssA MACKIE.


shall throw this wretched machine out
Of the Window
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-noth-
ing ever happens to mel"
Never mind, Maud, don't worry,
and some day it will come sailing into
port"
Maud lifted her shoulders express
sively, 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 a sunny May morning.
From her window on one OF the upper
floors of a 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 faneies about
the ships, and the most elusive one of
all was her ship that some day would
rows.
It was no ordinary ship. this one Of
NelIs dreams-it had grown to be
wonderful old Spanish galteon,
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 a
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 I 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 it's fictitious air of
friendliness to the stranger within its
gates. New York is Support grown
up" declared Nell, Nwhimsically, 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 sco1ded her for
solitary habits. Lem Barker was
looking for your coming, Nell. If he
had been home you would not have
been alone, I'll warrant" The good
woman nodded wisely over this re-
minder of Nell's old admirer.
where is Lem?" asked Nell lazily
event to the fishing grounds with
the fleet-he's making money hand
over fist---he's bought your old place
from Adam Marsh. and fixed it all up.
Some folks say he's going to be mar
ried."
Nell shrugged. Lem Barker, still a
fisherman-she thought of the smart
ly dressed men who had occupied the
office in New York; some of them
were her co-workers. How they would
We'll, 1 must get in one last sunbath
on the beach, auntie," she said; 81
think it is going to storm"
Mrs. Lynn lifted a weatherwise eye
to the sky. "a bad blow she pre-
dicted, with worried look on her
motherly face: 81 hope the boats will
get in before it strikes"
81 hope So" returned NSil, 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 a soul in Sun
port slept a wink while it lasted.
Nearly every home had a man out
among the fleet 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 Barer.
No one had seen him or his gallant
little boat Nellie since the storm
struck the banks.
Nell Woods felt oddly anxious about
the missing man. She had felt a ten
dernesS for Lem in the days before
she had felt the call of the city-he
had been kind to her parents during
days of illness, and if she had re-
manned in Support it is very likely
that she would have married Lem
Barker and remained in her own
home.
But ambition had called, many
months intervened-and she could not
visualize Lem, save as a blushing,
bashful country youth with big hands.
Tho she shuddered at the recollection
of her passing fancy for him, she
watched for his sail, as did many of
her neighbors. Lem Bankers folks
were all dead and some one must look
for his homecoming. One by one the
neighbors shook their heads and gave
up the task.
Poor Lemmie's gone for good"
said the last one, shaking his old head
sorrowfully. HE was a good lad, was
Lemmie, and knowed his boat bet
tern most folks. Can't seem to see
how he'd let the sea get the better of
hirn-no. street I shan't believe he's
lost yet" but he went home at last
and Nell was alone, straining her eyes
toward the mouth of the inlet. 1t was
the last day of her vacation and she
would have to return to Ahe city on the
morrow; and here was Lem-her aunt
had promised to write and tell her
whether he ever came home.
Nell forgot all about her golden
galleon and the smartly dressed office
men in the city as she remembered the
touch of LENS strong arm across her
shoulders when her father died: once
his lips had touched her bright hair
reVerently. Lem would take no more