The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-13
THE STUPID COUPLE.
Chambers Journal

/
peller commenced to revolvs slowly, and
! they bad not Vet found their state-room
when the signal "FulI speed ahead passed
from the bridge to tue enyine-room. She
1 was the large e AMI newest snip of the line,
and was commaalsl by the company COM
| modore, Capt Hold, a general favorite.
Jonn Pierrepoint AMI has wife seemed to
be particularly inexnerencel in travel, and
therefore deserving ot bsins called stupid;
| they mus. certainly never have taken a
long voyage before; tley showed no diSpos-
| itt,n to struggle for what some Thought the
bsst seats at the table. ami they accepted
without a grunble tie state-room assigned
to them, which was ons OF the smallest in
the snip. In fact, they were too easily sat.
| isiiei. The Pierrspoints were reserved be-
cause they knew no one ON board, but this
seemed to give them no concern, they being
! perfectly atisiisi with their own society
! The weather was splendid out in the At
! lantc. The ocean hal its long low roll.
sometm's showing ripple where the wind
| touched It tanleriy. and spnetimas crispeI
| by light breeze, which generally died away
! at sunset AMI each day Che voyaEerI saw
rel run sinking into the water right ahead
! At length, one aftern 'on, the voyage was
! huif over-m;d Atlantic; has beel reached
| Pirrepont aud his vie were Ear aft on the
| poop, close tn tho rail, he reading and she
knitting, rs their custom was She is fair,
! gracious woman, with gray eyes and SOUR
rei-co'u rel hair, perhaps about y years Of
| age. He Is a long-limhed weil-knit fellow
Of 81, deeP-chestet aud lean, black hairei.
with n crisp beard and ttway skin. He is
dressed in one Of his Old white flannel crick-
citing suits, with a hat Of the same material
| There was one passenger who attracts:
more attention than any other. and this was
not young LAZY, not a gentleman with
diamond pin; he was simply a little boy of
s; but thea h. was Capt. hoods son, ana
| every one shell e. be friendly with him
ami to enusa aim. H. haG made friends of
all the passengers, anil was quite at home
on board, and nov wa, running to and fro
! on the poop among the groups Of ladies' and
gentlemen rolling great colorel ball Of
hollow India rubber
Capt Hoods home was on the Hudson. a
! few mics from New York city. His eldor
children were girls and little JACK was his
only son. Il hli bssa au oil promise that
as soon as Jack was Syears VI age his father
was to take him on "a voyage 10 England
and bacN When tho tims came. aud Capt.
Hood aw he Coutl tax. Jack over his mother
was very unwilling To Let him 20; she feared
some harm might happen 70 hitl, AMI raj Ell
all tbs tjliealt.s> ant Obi cgions she poss bly,
couli; hut jack ami hi, iathsr carried the
day. The iirs, eastward run Of The Shasta
was chance uJt to be missed; and TIE
| weather was very fine anl settlel. Mrs
Hood with her daughters came down t. tn,
/ wi o~T in, NJ -,
Her last words to her husband were: "Re-
member, il y2u don't bring Jack safe home
you nee!nt come without him The can.
| tain remembered thasa words later. He re-
piled: "AIl right little woman; we'll be
back with you for breakfast some line morn
ing in less than five week.
During the voyage to Liverpool all wen.
we'll. The chief ,tewarIes5 took JACK under
her special care, and he slept in her cabin.
lie had become quite friendly with many of
the sailors, AMI he had not the least obisc.
ton to q cOnfilgutil! chat with soma OF the
grimy and half -nakei stuksrs, most OF
them Irishmeu, who came up on deck when
they could from the depths OF the st IKE hole
to got a breath of fresh air. The solemn
Scotch engineer was his particular favorite.
Jack Hood was rolling his great ball and
rushing about after it screaming with de-
light, when suddenly after strong throw
it fell on the rail AMI thau with a bound
into the sea. The chill stood still with
amazsment for a second, ami then, running
TO where his bail had disappeared he
climbed on the rail to see what bad become
Of it, and before any hand could roach him
he had fallen over into the waves The
terrified passengers saw him rise TO
the surface aud stretch out his arms,
while the SETTLING foam from the ships
propeller turned him round and round in
the water, and the snip rushed on, leaving
him behind The P.erreplints were not
worry near tho puCe where little JACK fell
over; they were at the other sile Of the
deck: but Mrs Pierrepoint, when she saw
him climbing, lHil her hand quickly on her
husbands shoulder re looked up instantly
and following her eye, to the spot saw tire
boy just rs he fell. IN one moment he was
on his feet kirkel or his canvas shoes.
threw his hat on the deck, and turning face
Oward the bri ,ga, whore he knew soma of
he Ship Hi,icers were alwsys s5Htiuns /. he
called out in "A voice which rang Ike a
Fumpai-rall over Jle ship: @NIan over
board" Thon, with q quiCi. run AMI leap,
he had cleared Che rail, and the broken
twisting wafer OF tho shin, tract, nal clo.aI
oyer INN lie wn op M, .prf,ro os,ain :,
moment and t,l.in-. "A ,,Iqur, h,cl, ,,t +h,
shin 10 know his m, itioo .t,..tc,,,I o,t
into loD,. ste,Jv sir,ko in tbo J,.,ctioa
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p'TFb'o' thdb region 0lhho Of the
tlant al nut tya