The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-05
SAILOR LADS IN LOVES SEA

Copyright. 1902. by W. r. Haa-st.)
"That last beatin' was too much for me.
He'll never get me home again. l quit for
keeps this time. He don't do nutin' any
how but take what I earn and blow it on
rum. Wot's de use? If he wasn't my
father Id a punched his head off"
Jerry, hero of a tenement fire, the best
swimmer on his side of the river, the boy
who never took sass" from any one-eX-
cept the ''cops"-sat at the edge of the
wharf watching the 'longshoremen I'M
load a ship heavy with fruit from Florida.
He was 10 years old, with q street expert
ence that represented ages. Despite his
life he was always an honest boy, and his
disregard Of personal injury made him the
hero Of his associates. Left to himself by
a father whose affection was only demon
strated in cuffs and kicks and punches,
Jerry grew up a genuine product of the
water front.
Although home had never meant my
thing to him, Its very name seemed to
stand in his way as he deliberated wheth-
er or not he should ever return to it.
Jerry was not much given to cogitation,
and as he eased his position to lessen the
pain of a bruise on his side, inflicted by
the boot of his father, he grit his teeth
and winched his little face into as small
a circumference as would contain all his
features. His final resolution had come:
mo, sir, no more home for me-. Don't
like the colors 1t leaves" This last re-
mark was prompted by the sight of his
bruised forearm.
Jerry was Of distinct landlubber origin,
but he had a strong and ardent love for
the sea ever since he was left to crawl
under the lumber piles scattered on the
wharves. Many Of the shippers who
locked their ships along the river knew
him. He was a handy lad and was we'll
liked. His latest resolution was to try
the sea. Maybe after hard years of work.
he figured 1t, he might return with a ship
of his own-a captain come home to marry
Mamie Ensel, whose affections were just
now divided between Jerry and one of his
friends, Tommy Mcintyre. Tommy was a
sailor already, his first trip having been
made and his second about to begin.
Mamie had declared that the man of her
choice would be none other than a sailor.
Jerry found no difficulty in shipping as
a cabin boy on a schooner. After saying
goodby to Mamie Ensel he made the
rounds Of farewells and the day his ship
sailed tho district youths were there to
bid him a noisy, vociferous God speed"
jerry, hard and toughened to the vaga-
bond life Of a big city, grew bigger and
stronger every day he was at sea. Ho
took on sinew and reached a fine height.
until after his fourth trip he had rounded
into a stalwart lad of splendid proper
tons. Mani was still the friend of.
Tommy and Jerry, and the two rivals,
both cast in the same mould Of human
endeavor, fought hard and fairly to be
the first in her affections.
Two years went by, and Jerry was earn
ing an able seaman's pay. So was Tommy.
Both had developed in an equal measure
morally, physically and mentally. Both
had the same ambitions-an elevation in
position and a wedding, Mamie Ensel be-
ing the other and necessary half in the
picture OF marital Elysium. In the kit Of
each man was a photograph Of Mamie
from the same negative. But one token
Of affection neither had. 1t vas a plain
gold locket. a charm in which was d four
leaf clover given to her by her mother.
She had told both men that the man she
was to marry would carry this to sea the
trip before the wedding.
Time, with it's ruthless swing, wore on,
making men Of Jerry and Tommy and a
woman Of Mamie. Then came a hard win
ter and rough sailing. The third day out
the Sylph, Jerry's ship, poked it's nose
into a heavy storm, and for a week 1t was
a fight against nature manifested in,
warning elements. The Sylph rode the
storm successfully, but there were other.
ships on the same main which were not
so fortunate. After the skies cleared and
the sea subsidized, the Sylph's crew spied
a drifting wreck. The next day two men
were found on a raft all but dead from
exhaustion. They were Tommy and the
first mate Of the Triton.
When taken aboard the Sylph Jerry car
rled his rival to his own bunk to nurse.
him back to life. A gold locket hung
round the exhausted sailors neck. jerry
removed this, putting it into his pocket.
In Havana Tommy, fully recovered
shipped on an Englishman for a trip to-
London before returning to New York.
Jerry was on the point of returning the
locket on several occasions, but each time!
lost heart. While his successful rival was
sailing eastward his own ship was ploW-'
Ing O. restless sea to New York. He de-
termtned to return the locket to Mamie,
wish her good luck and say goodby.
An hour after his ship locked Jerry,
made racks toward the girls home. A
rush of joy came over Mamie at seeing
him. For the first time she threw her
arms around him and kissed him full
upon the lips. Jerry moved back, not COM
pretending.
Jerry" the girl said, my heart has,
beat for you every day since you left,
and when I heard Of your safe arrival 4
was never so happy. L wanted to give you
my clover locket before you left, but 1T
was stolen. Some one took 1t and I could
not find it."
Jerry fumbled with a gold chain and a
pendant In his pocket. That night ne;
placed them in a small safe in the SALON
boarding house which was Jerry's nome
on shore. Mamie never knew who stole
the gold-bound clover.
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