Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-01-30
TIE MYSTERIOUS WIDOW.
A Tale ofthc War OF l-lo.


bad not On ' 81 G atm ,p Al TIA, portion
% he Dlsts4e, Of A4ue wing EAST OF the
Pc ooseo., bus Adsnf,l :. Fsih AMI 81
John 5 ~ BIO Ike ,he stte hen being the
q svetaof 81 Nova Scotia. had J,sa seit
= b a hesvy force l. tsss possess IN. aud
occupied the town es CsstiDe, WITCH place
commands the entra &c 10 re Psaobseat
liver. shortly beiore tbs Arrival 81 sh.
Ensish squadron, Commodore Ssua
tucker had been sent atonsd % Pstsoaseat
b, u pretest the a'usrican cessisrs atd
white the 3 itlsa tai 81 UP Csstiac, ne ~
ot rhoms-ton.
1t VA sehosoer that the Commodore
commanded. but shs WAS . very heavy one.
well ARMED and manned and that shs carr
sied the true Yankee grit" upon her decks
the enemy had received, from thsm. many
proofs. On the morning Of the 23th OF
August, . messenger was sent down from
Belfast with the intelligence that the Bits
ish friga,e was coming from Csstine to take
him. Tucker knew the British feared him.
and also that Sir John Shsrbrooke had
offered large amount fer his capture.
When the Commodore received the in ell
ligencs bis vessel was lying at one Of the
low wharves where he would have 10 wait
two hours for the tide to set him Of, but
he has,ened TO have everything prepared
to get her oil Is soon As possible. for be
had no desire to meet the fisatc
The schosneI's keel was just cleared
from the mud, and one Of tie msn hs
been sent upon the haif to cast off the
bowling, when q wagon, urasn sy one
horse. caule rafting down to tho spo,.-
The driver, rough looking country man,
got out u1on the wharf, aud then assist
et middle aged woman from the ve',c e.
The iaiy's hrst enquiry vas for C"mmo-
dore Tucker. He was pointed out to her,
aud she stepped upon the schooners
deck, and approached him.
"Conmodore. she asked, when d. you
sail from here
I'VE sail right or as soon ~ possible,
madam"
"oh. then. l know you will be kind to
me-" the lady urged in persuasive tones.
MY poor husband died yesterday, and |
wish to Garry his corpe to Wiscasset,
where Ne belong, and where his parent.
will take care Of it,"
"Bu,. my good woman, shan't 60 to
Wisca, set =
"lf you will land me at the mouth Of the
Shsepscot, will ask ne moro. | can easily
lind boat there to take me up
"Whers is tho body > seked Tucker.
.In the wagon, returned the lady, At
khe same time raising the csrner Of hel
shawl to wipe away the gathering tsa,s.
Il have sum Of money with ne, and you
shall be paid for the trouble
Tut, woman If | accommodate YOU,
there won't be any pay about IT,"
The kind hearted old Commodore was
not tho man to r,fnse you favor; ano
hough he liked not the bother Of taking
The woman aud her very strange accom-
palimsnt on board, yet he could rot refuse.
W hen he ted her he would do rs she had
{. que-ted, shs thanked him with tears in
her eyes.
Some Of the men were sen. rpon the
wharf 10 bring the body on board. A long
buffalo robe WAS lifted OIL hy the man Who
drove the wagon, and b.ueith Law q neat
black coffin Some words were passed l.,
the seamen. * they were putting tie coffin
on bonri, which went To show very plainly
that tho affair did not exactly suit them
II may have been pr.juIlce on their part
but then ssameu should &c allo xcd u,l.
pr ludice once in White. when we consider
"ilush, my gsod men" sad the Gommo.
dore, AZ he heard their nufmurs. a. Ipuns.
yon was To die from houc, would vcu no.
wish that your mans might be cavtted 70
tolr parents1 Come, hurry now
The men said no more. aid ere long tho
collin VAS placed IN the hold. aud the woman
| taken to the cabin. Ia less than bali an
hour, the Schooner was cleared from the
/ rh ar nal A. h..
The Wind was sht from the eastward.
but Tucker had no fear of the irigate, nov
! that he WAS cut OF the bay.
In the evening the lady passenger came
on deck, and the Commodore assured her
that he would be able to land her early next
morning. She expressed her gratitude and
satisfaction, and remarked that before sh.
retired she would like to look and see that
! her husbands corpse was safe. This re
| quest was OF course readily granted. and
one of them lifted Oft the hatch that she
might go down INTO the hold.
| II declare, muiteIed Dan Carter, an o d
sailcr. who was at the wheel, "shs takes on
drssdially."
YES. poor thing !" said Tucker, az h.
heard her sobs aud rroans.
We notice .what'n eye she's got -
conrlnned Carter.
| ~ said Fucker. "only taasssolen
j wlth t,ars.'
"Mv eyes but the shonc, though, whsn
! She stood htre looking a. the comp.ss"
/ tn he. smiled III tho mans quaint cara
estuesss. ami without further remark lie
Went ltto he ca6sn.
When the woman came 'p from the
hoid. She cooked about the deck Of the
schooner for lev n oin. $, and then went
SIT. There was somsthing IN her coluts>
nance thai pn11scd Cater. He had been
one OF these who DIRECTED 10 tho cotliI's
| beng brought on boa, d. aid hence he was
| na, predisposod to lock isvorab'y upon its
owner. The woman's eye ran over the
schoonss's deck With a strange quickness,
md Carter eyed her very sharply. Soon
sae went to the tsfffal aud looked ever q,
the Atern beat, and then she came and
stood by the binnacle again.
Look out. or you'd j.bs the BOOM ut
tered The passenger.
| Carter started aud found that the main
sail sas shivering. lie give the helm .
coup Q Of spskss apart. and then cast hjs
eyes .gs'n upon the woman. whose features
we're lighted BY the pinnacle lamp.
AuAuA us hu. obiu UA0 uo, Ool0
on-why BILE. 8 my soul, there's big spider
right on your HAIR. No-not there. Here
-rll-Uxh'
This last ejaculation Dan made q he
seemed 70 pull something from the woman's
hsir which he threw upon the deck with
he "ugh |" abeve mention
Shortly after, the passenger went bsls I,
and ere long Tucker came on deck
"Commodors. said Carter, With = re-
ma,ksbls degree Of eArnestness ia his man
ner. "is the oman turned in p
II rather think 50" said Tucker, looking
1t the compass. Look ou,, look cut, CIR.
ter Why. man alive. you're two points to
the SOU Inward Of the course"
Bow me, 50 I sm," said the man, bring
ing the helm smartly aport. "But say,
didn't - notice any hing peculiar about |, be
old 'omani''
Why. Dan, you seem greatly interested
about her."
so am, Commodore, an SO an about
the coffin TOO. Wouldn't il be will for GU
and TO overhaul il ~
"Pshaw you are IS scared as child in .
grvs,ard'
No, not bit just bark bit. That
oman amt no oman
Ine cammsi lore pronounced the name OF
his Satanic je>ty in tbs most emphatic
manner.