The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-16

it?' says he.
=" She was a little plump woman
says with brown hair that was brushed
.tTeague's face became white as a
cc y aT5 "a and d he held up his hand
ask the lady to kindly step up
wasn't hankering after that cabin
jest then, but it was better than TeagIe's
o VOC before got to, the foot of the
went over to where she'd been setting
and there, on the table was a sheet OF
paper and on it in a woman's writing
was the three words, Steer due s0utb7
l BraDDed the paper and went back on
Geek. As l came up it seemed as
tnougn Teagues eyes grabbed hold of
4" The lady's gone, sir 1 says, but this
mere paper was on the cabin table
i don't know how he got the paDer
l didn't hand it to him. He lest had it,
Ihen there come a sound like herd OF
pulls believing and it was league calling
TO the man at the wheel.
+" Hard starboard,' says league and
around she swung
Keep her due south says league,
and mind your eye
THAT minute the breeze shifted fair
ana began to freshen. and inside of two
hours we was jumping along at ten knots
The first mate looked feazed VIII n he
come on deck to take his watch but
league give his orders and didn't make
no explanations. Then he went up into
the bow and took his seat IN the knight
head.
For seven days that fair breeze lasted
and for seven days we went clipping
south, with the sun so hot that fl boiled
the pitch out of the decks and our mort
or destination further and further over
our port quarter. And for seven days
Ieague set up there on the knighthead
looking forward out over the sea. We
passed ships and then got past the traV-
eled way and league paid no heed
But on that seventh day we raised a
speck on the horizon and league jumped
to his feet when he seen It. We come
up to it in the first dog watch. She was
what was left Of a fine schooner her
masts gone AID laying so low in the
water her decks were partly awash.
" Lower away the yawl says league.
1t was his first word since he'd turned
the bark south.
Il was in the yawls crew. They was
dozen starving men with bloOdshOt
eyes on that wreck and two or three
dead ones.
" Water the men whispered as
league come aboard, and held out their
hands.
Where's the woman? says league.
'Dead-under yOn tarpaulin.' says one
of the men. Poor little woman Barker
beat her to death before she starved
- God be praised says league I'm a
quiet voice that shook that waterlogged
wreck And which Of you's Barker?
g Dead a week. says the man. Give
league went over. pulled the tarpau-
lin off and picked the woman that vas
lying under 1t up in his two hands. TEHy
said afterward that shed been dead three
days. He looked at her a minute and
put his face down to hers. Then ne hol-
some brandy here-this womans
alive
"They passed him a flask out Of the
yawl and he forced some down between
her set teeth. Then he IOOsened her dress
and rubbed her body and blew in her
mouth and worked over her for two
hours without raising his head. And then.
as 1 hope for mercy. the wOman's eye
lids began to fiutter like a loose stud1in'
sail in light breeze and her eyes opened
and she smiled with EN- up at league.
ing up to the size Of his clothes with
every second that passed.
Come here. Bill says he to me-
speaking soft as a woman with q young
baby; Is this her you see In the cabin
81 crept over and looked at her
Yes, SIR I says. though not mar
so pale
" Well how says league, could that
sperit Of hers come to be settin' In that
there cabin. with her not dead yet, down
here 400 miles awayp
AT that the woman opened her eyes
and smiled UP at league again
- You was a long time coming. Jim
she whispered. II been a-dreaming
that I was writing you q letter
"They was married when we got 70 port
q month overdue. league lived to be
seventy-eight, but his wife was eighty
one when she died. Sometimes I've felt
sorry for that poor little brOwn-haired
ghost that had to wait them sixty long
years before it had a chance to get about
again"