Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
REAL SURPRISE

Perhaps you read the other day" re-
marked the Washington agent of a trans
atlantic steamship line about the case of
the famous youthful Jockey. Harry Coch
| rane. who turned down a SIS 900 contract
to ride race horses in England on account
OF his fear of the sea.
Il know many persons right here in
Washington who would dearly love to visit
Europe, and who possess ample means to
crafty such a desire, but who simply can
not bring themselves to the idea of making
an ocean voyage. Not few OF them draw
back appalled, at the very thought of such
thing. Men as wen women are affected
in this way, and there is no manner Of
doubt, to my mind that this dread is an
hereditary trait with them
Il happened to be the witness of humor-
Gus case of sea-dread from its beginning to
it's end only last summer. A very well-to-
do German merchant Of Washington re-
Jo1ces IN a clever and good-natured wife
from the ould sod. They have been mar
ried for great many years, and have nu-
merous grown children.
For good many years, ever since he
had become well off, in fact, the German
had been endeavoring to induce his wife
to take a trip abroad with him. He wanted
to take her to Ireland to see her remaining
village in Germany where he was born.
But he could never induce her to undertake
the voyage. They are a very devoted
elderly couple but she couldn't see his
proposition at all. She wanted to see the
Emerald Isle again the worst way, as she
admitted, but her recollection of the stormy
time she had had of it when she came to
THIS country from Ireland as a young girl
lived in her memory. and all her husbands
persuasions were In vain. She begged him
to go back to Germany alone and enjoy
himself, but he declined to do this. play
fully telling her that he was afraid she
might run away with some younger and
better-looking man during his absence.
Last summer however. his desire to
see the fatheriand became so strong within
him that he determined to go, and to take
his wife along with him by fraudulent
methods. seeing that he couldn't get her
to accompany him by and other means
The couple have a married son in New
York city and the old German got his son
and daughter-in-iaw to go in with him in
the devising of the put-up job. In order to
carry it through, it was necessary for the
son and daughter-in-law to go along on
the ocean voyage, and the old gentleman
willingly paid the expenses of their trip.
So, early last summer, the old lady received
letter from her New York son, telling
her that he and his wife were going TO
start for Europe within ten days, and ask
ing her to run over to spend the interyen-
ing time with them and to see them off
the steamer. The old lady. taking with her
only such apparel as she thought she would
| need for the little visit in New York, went
on to visit her son and daughter-in-law.
After her departure, the crafty old Ger
man immedia tely began preparations to
close up the Washington residence for the
summer. He Installed a care-taker. and
had one of his sisters go through his wife's
effects and pack up everything that might
be necessary for AN extended European
trip This luggage he shipped on to New
York, together with his own outfit. Then.
a couple Of days before the sailing time of
the steamer that was to carry his son and
daughter-in-law away. he went on to New
York himself, oStenSibly to see them off
But he had state room for himself and
wife all engaged. of course, right along
Size that of his son.
''The steamer was scheduled to sail for
Queenstown and Liverpool at 10 O'Clock in
the morning, and happened to be making
the trip over on her myself. The old Ger
man and his Irish wife and their son and
daughter-in-law were down at the dock an
hour before sailing time, and they all went
aboard the boat, the old lady having been
told that the steamer wouldn't get under
way until noon at least. They spent about
half an hour watching the excited crowd on
the pier, and then they went into the main
cabin to have a final chat. The old Ger
man had told me with many a wink about
his scheme, and joined the party little
before the steamer began to glide into the
stream. The old lady was biissfully I'M
conscious that the steamer was a-move
and went on talking and laughing at a
great rate, until, when the ship was down
y
pulled out his watch and told her that he
thought they'd better be going ashore. We
all walked out on deck together.
1.-THE old lady took one look at the scenic
panorama that was passing in review be-
fore her eyes, and then, with the shouts
Of laughter of her husband and son and
daught er-in-law in her ears. the whole sit
uation was plain to her. She was stunned,
but she was dead game all right.
'Ye shpalpeensT was all she could ejac-
ulate for a full minute. but right then she
crowded down the Unborn sea dread that
was in her. and said to us, as cool as you
please:
81 am hoping We'll be having rough
weather from now till we rache Quanes-
town.!
That's how game she was, although
they'd all had a sneaking fear that when
she discovered the job that had been put
| up on her and found herself on the bosom
of the deep she'd faint and do all sorts CT
things that she didn't evince the most re-
mote notion of doing.
1--WE had a pretty rough time on the
voyage, and the old lady was the only one
of her party who didn't become seasick
Her husband. son and daughter-in-law
went through all the miseries of it. while
| she stood by and joked them about the
| great job they had framed up on her She
| liked travelling we'll that her hus-
| band took her all over the Mediterranean
during the summer, and they're going over