The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-02-20

Just after that a sort of white squall
struck the ship, and the old man gave
Just the wrong orders. You see he was
clean out of bis head, He got SO worked
up at last that he fell down ir fit, and
they bundled him into his stateroom and
left him, cause nobody cared whether
he was dead or alive. The mate took
the irons off the supercareo first thing,
and broke open the middle room. The
supeecargo went in there and staid .
long time, whispering to the missus, and
she cried more'n ever, only it sounded
different.
Toward night the old man come to,
and begun to ask questions-as ugly as
ever, only as weak ss baby. Bout
midnight | was comm out out of his
room. and I seen the missus in a gray
dress, with her eyes shinin' like Goals
of fire, dive out of her room and up the
stairs, and nobody never seen her after
ward. The next morning the supercar-
GO was gone. too, aud [ think they just
drownded themselves, cause they
couldn't bear to live any more without
each other. Mebbe the mate knew
something about it, but he never let on,
and dunno no more about it only the
old man had another fit when he heard
of it, and died without no mourners.
ut might be she was saved, after all, "
l said with true Yankee skepticism.
Then why should [ see her ghost, if
she amt desd-drownded? ?"
''Did you ever find anything in the
stateroom that would explain?'
"Well. did find some bits of paper,
but couldn't read writin'.''
''Oh, what did you do with them? p
insisted, quiyeriDg with excitement.
You won t tell the cap'n?''
"No, never"
You Il give EN- back to ME p
YES, yes-of course
Here they be, he said, opening hif
shirt. and showing a little bag hung
round his heck like an amulet. and Civ.
ing it jealousy into my hand.
L will give it hack to you tonight. u
I said, with the solemnity of an oath,
| and carried it to my room.
1t proved to be short and fragmen.
tary account of the suferings which the
"missus' had endured in the middle
room. written in pencil, on coarse wrap.
ping paper, and bearing marks of tremb.
ling hands and frequent tears. thought
| might copy the papers without break
ing faith with Pedro. The outside pa.
per bore these words:
"Whoever finds this is besougEt for
pity sake by its most unhappy writer,
to send it as soon as possible to Mrs.
Jane Atwood, of Davidsville, Conn
u. s. A.
Then followed letter to her mother
DEAREST MOTHER If l never see
your blessed face again, know you
will not believe me guilty of what my
husband accuses me. | married Capt.
Eliot for your sake, believing, since Her
bert had proved faithless, that no COM
fort was left to me, except In pleasing
others. | meant TO be good wife to
Capt. Elliot, and | believe should have
kept my vow all my days, if the most
unfortunate thing had not awakened his
jealousy. Since then be has been near
ly or quite erazeJ.
We had a supercargo of whom Capt.
Eliot spoke highly. He kept his room
for month from sea sickness, and when
he came out. it vas Herbert. OF course
| knew him, bat / stroYe to treat him as
if l had never seen him before. If
Herbert could only have submitted pa
tiently to our fate But it was not in
him to be patient under anything, and
one evening, when was sitting alone on
deck, he must needs pour out his soul in
one great burst, trying to prove that he
had never deserted me, but only circum-
stances had been cruel l could only
keep repeating that it was too late.
When [ went down, Capt. Elio. dragg
ed ne into the middle stateroom, and
gave vent to his jealous feelings. He
must have listened to all that Herbert
said. His last words wero that | should
never leave that room alive. | had
wrctched night, ard the first time fell
into an uneasy sleen, | started suddenly
up to find my husband flashing the light
of q lantern across my eyes.
Handsome and wicked he muttered,
they always go together"
l begged him to listen to the story of
my ensagemen. to Herbert, and he did
listen, but it did not soften his heart. IF
he ever loved me, his jealousy has jeal
ousy had swallowed it up.
| have been in this room just a week.
My husba nd does not starve or beat ME,
but his taunts and threats are fearful,
and his eyes, when he looks at me, grow
wild, as if he had the longing of beast
to tear me in peaces.
Nay TO- I placed copy of the pa
per that is pinned to this letter in a lit
tie bottle that had escaped my husband
search, and threw it out Of my window
l am Waitstiil Atwood Eliot, wife of
Capt Eliot, of the ship Sapphire. l
have been kept In solitary confinement,
and threatened with death. for four
weeks, for no just cause. / believe him
to be insane, as he constantly threatens
to burn or sink the ship. l pray that
this paper may be picked up by some
one who will board this ship and bring
me help.
20, Herbert tried to communicate
With me by slipping paper under the
door, but j did not get it, and he has
been put in irons. Capt, Eliot boasts of
it. | wish he would bind US together,
and let us drown in one aaother's arms,
as they did in the Huguenot persecu-
tions.
%. A little paper tied to a string
hung in front of my bull's-eye window
to day. took it ill., The first officer
had lowered it down: Capt. Eliot
says you are i'll, but | don't believe it.
IF he tries violence, scream, and l will
break open the door. I am always on
the watch. Keep your heart up
This Is drop OF comfort in my black
cup, but my little window was screwed
down within an hour after | had read
the paper
June 10. Ny spirit is worn out. [
can endure no more. have begged my
husband to kill me, and end my misery.
| don't know why he hesitated. He
means to do it sometime, but perhaps he
cannot think OF torture exquisite enough
!or his purpose.
IL. My husband came in about four
in the afternoon, looking so vindictive
that my heart stood still. He gradually
/ T. y