The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-09-24
- APR rLIsuA HopEWELL. Of

had been repairing and repaint
Ing and making his craft ready Tor
voyage To London and return. The
year was 1856. and boy and man he
had been sailing for owe thirty years
Although he had owned and com
handed the Mary Ann for ten years
she was by 10 means a new craft
when lie got her. In making repairs
he had found many signs of weak
ness. and as he finished his days work
and started for home his knees were
stiff and his back ached.
He reached his house to find his
wife. Nancy, and supper waiting for
him. and as he took his seat at the
table he looked at her critically and
for the first time noticed that there
were gray hairs among the brown
ON her head.
Elisha. have you lost your jack
knife or heard that your brother was
deads' quietly asked Nancy after
awhile.
No" he answered. and followed the
word with a sigh.
"Mebbe We are comm down with
measles. Your mother says ye never
had 'em as a boy
"A[ebbe l am" he gloomily replied.
Nancy waited for three minutes to
see If he had an explanation, but as
none came she brlskly said:
Now look here, Elisha. | know all
about 1t, and I've been sort o spectin'
this thing would happen any time.
You've been oyerhaulin' the Mary Ann
and you've found she's growing old.
You've found out the same thing Of
yourself, and you've suddenly seen 1t
in me. 1t has struck you all in a
heap, and you feel glum over it
Then, by Josh, you've hit it, ex-
claimed the captain, glad to have an
opportunity TO talk II over
wall, there amt no call TO cry over
it, she continued. Ever since you
got this charter. I've made up my
mind that it would he our last yoy-
age
But how can 1t be. Nancy"
1t won't be so hard. We are purity
well off fur common folks, Elisha.
That Is, we've got enough money 10
start you In ship %chandlery, and we
own our own house and lot. No fear
but what We'll come out all right.
must give up the sea to younger
They talked it over for a couple of
hours, and it was fully decided that
when the Mary Ann returned to Salem
her last voyage under Captain Hope
well would be ended. Perhaps an
u%strologer might have warned them
that there would be no Homecoming
for the brig which had borne them
over SO many leagues Of ocean,
out there was no reader of the future
At hand.
1t got TO be known over Salem that
Captain Hopewell was making his last
voyage, and when the Mary Ann cast
off from the wharf there was a big
crowd at hand to cheer her departure
and wish her a safe return. She head
ed out into the Atlantic on Il sum
afternoon, and as the Massa-
shores faded behind them,
Captain Elisha said TO Nancy:
by Josh. then, Nancy, but it seems
as If a piece Of that beef we had
fur breakfast had got stuck In my
throat
Its a sort O weakness of our feel
ms, Elisha" she replied as she turned
away to wipe her eyes. but l guess
we've decided for the best
For a thousand miles, headed to-
ward the rising sun, the Mary Ann
was driven as she had never been
driven before. There was a piping
breeze, and 1t scarcely varied a point,
and a third of the run had been mark
ed off when there fell a fiat calm.
1t was noon when the wind died
out. and the man sen aloft reported
the ocean clear Of sail. As shutdown
came the sea was like glass, and 1t
was the same state of affairs at mid
night when the watch was changed.
The mate went off and the captain
came on and he had been only on deck
half an hour when Nancy appeared. She
declared 1t 10 be too hot below to
sleep.
In a calm mldocean at night there
are strange and uncanny sounds from
the hold If a ship as she lazlly heaves
up on thes ground swell. Boxes and
barrels down in the hold rub each
other, bulkheads creak and timbers
groan, and now and then there are
shrill squeaks from the fighting rats.
Men who sleep during a clam breathe
stentoriously and sigh and groan now
and then, and the wakeful ones move
about ~uneasily and cast ap%prehenslye
glanees over the sea.
Nancy walked aimlessly about for a
while and then rested her arms on the
rail and gazed off into the darkness
and let her thoughts wander back
home. She had been silent for a quar-
ter of an hour when she gave a sud
den start and bent her ear to listen.
Captain Elisha happened to note her
attitude and he crossed oyer to her
side and asked:
wal Nancy, dye think anybody
will steal the woodpile while were
gone ON this tripf'
I'm listenin', Elisha" she replied.
as she laid a hand on his arm. Cant
you catch the sound of oar locks of
here TO the northf"
Its some noise in the hold" hi
answered, after listening a minute.
mo. it's not. There-there-don''
you catch it?"
W a. sound. M,