Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-11-30

they were detained by the doldrums and
variable winds. Afterward she passed
into the northeast trades, and then, further
north, met a series of westerly gales, that
ultimately drove her to the Azores, Just
as her crew were getting very short OF
water and provisions. And here Augusta
bid farewell to her friend the Yankee skip
per; for the whaler that had saved her life
and Dicks, after refitting once more, set
sail upon its almost endless voyage. She
stood On the breakwater at Ponta Delga
da, and watched the Harpoon drop past
The men recognized her and cheered lusti-
ly, and Captain Thomas took off his hat;
for the entire ships company, down to the
cabin boy, were head over heels in love
with Augusta; and the extraordinary Of
ferings that they made her, on parting,
most of them connected in some way or
other with that noble animal, the whale,
sufliced to fill a good-siZed packing case
Augusta waved her handkerchief to them
in answer; but she could not see much OF
them, because her eyes were full of tears
She had had quite enough of the Harpoon,
and yet she was 10th to say farewell to her,
for her days ON board had in many re-
spects been restful and happy ones, they
had given her space and time to brace her
self up before she plunged once more into
the struggle of active life Besides, she
had throughout been treated with that I'M
varying kindness and consideration for
which the American people are justly not
ed in their dealings with all persons in
misfortune.
But Augusta was not the only person
who with sorrow watched the departure
of the Harpoon. First, there was little
Dick, who had acquired a fine Yankee
drawl, and grown quite half an inch on
board of her, and who fairly howled when
his particular friend, remarkably fierce
and grisly looking boatswain, brought him
as parting offering a large whales tooth,
patiently carved by himself with a spirited
picture of their rescue on Kerguelen Land.
Then there was Mrs. Thomas herself.
When they finally reached the island of
ST. Michael, in the Azores, Augusta had
offered to pay fifty pounds, being half of
the hundred sovereigns given to her by
Mr. Meeson, to Captain Thomas as pass
age fee, knowing that he was by no
means overburdened with the goods Of
this world. But he stoutly declined to
touch n farthing, saying that it would be
unlucky to take money from a castaway.
Augusta as stoutly insisted; and, finally,
a compromise was come to. Mrs Thomas
was anxious, being seized with that acute
species of inconsistencies from which Suf-
folk people are 10 more exempt than other
folk, to visit the land where she was born
and the people midst whom she was bred
up. But this she could not well afford to
do. Therefore Augustus proffered fifty
pounds was appropriated to this purpose,
and Mrs. Thomas stopped with Augusta
at Ponta Delgada, waiting for the London
and West India Line Packet to take them
to Southampton.
So it came to pass that they stood to-
gether on the Ponta Delgada breakwater
and together saw the Harpoon sail off to-
ward the setting sun.
Then came a soft dreamy fortnight in
the fair island of St Michael, where Ma
ture is ever as bride, and never reaches
the stage of the hard-worked, toil-worn
mother, lanll ana lean With The burden Di
maternity. The mental act of looking
back to this time in after years always re-
called to Augustus senses the Odor of
orange blOsSOmc, and the sight of the rich
pomegranate bloom blushing the roses
down. 1t was pleasant time, for the
tertained them-with much more personal
enthusiasm indeed than he generally con-
sidered it necessary to show toward ship
wrecked Yoyagers-a class of people of
whom consular representatives abroad
must get rather tired with their eternal
misfortunes and their perennial want of
clothes. Indeed, the only drawback to
her enjoyment was that the Consul, gal
In n aN- tf1f w
charmed by her adventures, her literary
fame, and her person, showed a decided
disposition to fall in love with her, and n
red-haired and therefore ardent naval Off
Ger is, under those circumstances, q some
what alarming parsonage But the time
went on without anything serious happen
ing; and, at last, one morning after break
fast a man came running up with the in
formation that the mail was in sight.
And SO Augusta took an affectionate
farewell of the gOlden-haired Consul, who
gazed at her through his eyeglass and
sighed when he thought of what might
have been in the sweet by and by; and the
ships bell rang and the screw began to
turn, leaving the Consul still signing on
the horizon, and in due course Augusta
and Mrs Thomas found themselves stand
tire of an admiring and enthusiastic crowd.
The Captain had told the extraordinary
tale to the port officials when they boarded
the vessel and on getting ashore the port
officials had made haste to tell every living
soul they met the wonderful news that
two survivors of the Inflated Kangaroo
the history of whose tragic end had sent o
thrill Of horror through the English-speak-
ing world-were safe and sound on board
the West India boat Thus, by the time
that Augusta, Mrs. Thomas, and Dick
were safe on shore, their story, or rather
slndry distorted versions of it, was flash
ing up the wires TO the various press
agencies, and running through Southamp-
ton like wildfire. Scarcely were their feet
set upon the quay, when, with Il rush and
n bound wild men, with note books in
their hands, snrang upon them, and beat
them down with n rain of questions. Au-
gusta found it impossible to answer them
all ut once, so coutented herself with say.
ing, Yes, y Yes Yes to everything
out of which monosyllable, she afterward
found to her surprise, these fierce and ac-
tive prcsSmen contrived to make up a suf-
tictently moving tale; which included
glowing accounts of the horrors of the
shipwreck, and, what rather took her
abaCk, a positive statement that she and
the sailors had lived for fortnight upon
the hrnilcd remains of Mr. MeeSon One
interviewer, being a small man, and
therefore, unable to kick and fight his way
through the ring which surrounded Au-
EuSta and Mrs. Thomas, seized upon little
Dick, and commenced to chirp and snap
his fingers at him in the intervals of ask
ing him such questions as he thought suit
able To his years
Dick, dreadfully alarmed, fled with n
howl; but this did not prevent column
and n half of matter, headed, THE In
fant's Tale of Woe, from appearing that
very day in Il journal noted for the accur-
acy and unconstitutional character of its
communications. Nor was the army of
intervicwers the only terror that they had
to face. Little girls gave them bouquets;
an old lady, whose brain was permeated
with the idea that shipwreCked people
went about in condition of uudress for
much longer than was necessary after the
event, arrived with an armful of under
clothing streaming on the breeze; and
last, but not least, tall gentleman, with
beautiful muStache, thrust into Angus
ta's hand note hastily written in pencil,
which, when opened, proved TO be an offer
of MARRIAGE
However, at last they found themselves
in tirst-class carriage, ready to start, or
rather starting. The interviewing gentle
mon, two of whom had their heads damned
through the window, were forcibly torn
away, still asking questions, by the Of
hcials of the compauy-the tall gentleman
with the pGuStachiOS who was hovarinc-