Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-30

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doubt, be surprised to find am in this
town when 1 usually go to Gloucester
or Boston, but the truth is l had
strange adventure during my last fish
ing trip. on the Polly Sanders, and
thought would come into port as
close to you as l could About ten
days ago 1 had a good catch on the
Banks and sailed for home, bound for
| Boston. A heavy fog came up, and we
lay to for more than twenty-four hours.
During the night, heard cries, and my
mate, Jim Brown, stuck to it that some
ship must have run ashore; and he
was right, for when the fog lifted we
saw the masts of three-master stick
ing out of water, close on shore, and
about mile from where we lay. We
up sail and ran down as close as we
dared to see if there was anybody liv-
ing on the wreck. We couldn't see
anybody, but l sent out Jim Brown
with boat to make a thorough search.
/ In about an hour he came back, bring
1 ing half-drowned woman and just the
1 incest, chubbiest, little black-eyed girl
/ baby that you ever saw in your life.
Jim said the woman was dashed to a
spar, and when he first saw her, there
was man in the water swimming and
trying to push the spar towards the
land, but before he reached him the
man sunk and he didn't get another
sight of him.
ooh, my poor father!" cried Co.
leste. The letter dropped from her
hands and the tears rushed into her
eyes.
"Shall 1 finish reading it?" asked
Quincy, picking up the letter.
Celeste nodded, and he read on:
81 gave the woman some brandy and
she came to long enough to tell me
who she was. She said her name was
Linda Chester or Chessman, couldn't
tell just which. Her husbands
name was Charles, and he was an ar
tist. He had a brother in Boston
named Robert, and they were on their
way to that city. The wrecked ship
was the Canadian Belle. bound from
/ Liverpool to Boston. I didn't tell her
| her husband was drowned. / gave her
some more brandy and she came to
again and said her husband left lot
of pictures in London with Roper &
Son, on Ludgate HILL asked her
where she came from and she said
! from Heathfield, in Sussex. She said
no more and we couldn't bring her to
again. She died in about an hour and
we buried her at sea. noticed that
her nightdress had a name stamped
on it different from what she gave me,
and so I cut it out and send it in this
letter Now, I've heard you, and Heppy
4 say that if you could find nice little
girl baby that you would adopt her
and bring her up. I sold out my cargo
lat Portland, and so I've put in here,
and I'll stay till you and Heppy have
time to drive down here and make up
your minds whether you'll take this
handsome little baby off my hands.
Come right along, quick, for must be
off to the Banks again soon. From
your brother,
Obed Putnam,
i Captain of the Polly Sanders
Portsmouth Harbor, N. H.
"P. S. The baby was year old the
eighth of last January. It's name is
i Linda Peterborough Chessman."
i The tears had welled up again il
4 the young girls eyes, when Quincy
\ read of the death of her mother anc
4 her burial at sea. His own hand trem
bled perceptibly when he realized thai
the young woman before him. though
not his cousin, was yet connected by
lindisputable ties of relationship to his
own aunt, Mrs. Ella Chessman. Fol
flowing his usual habit of reticence he
kept silence, thinking that it would be
inappropriate to detract in any way
from the happy reunion of grandfather
J and granddaughter.
7 Sir Stuart had scarcely moved dur
ing the reading of the letter. He hat
: sat with his right hand covering his
eyes, but yet evidently listening atten
> lively to each word as it fell from thu
readers lips. AS Quincy folded up the
letter and passed it back to Linda, Sil
Stuart arose and came forward to thu
front part of the room. Quincy tool
Linda's hand and led her towards Mr.
Peterborough. Then he said, ISL
Stuart, think this letter proves con
clusively that this young lady's rea
name is Linda Peterborough Chess
( man. knew personally Mr.. Silas Put
! nam, mentioned in the letter, ant
scores of others can bear testimon,
! that she has lived nearly all her life
| with this Silas Putnam, and has beer
known to all as his adopted daughter
Z There is no doubt but that the Lind;
; Peterborough who was buried at Sc;
, was her mother. If you are satisfied
that Mrs. Charles Chessman was you
r daughter, it follows that this youn.
lady must be your granddaughter"
"There is no doubt of that in m.
: mind" said Sir Stuart, taking both O
2 Linda's hands in his. 81 live,at Fern
borough Hall, which is located il
!, Heathfield, in the county of Sussex
: But, my dear, did not know until tc
J, day that my poor daughter had child
r and it will take me just a little time t.
get accustomed to the fact. Old men
( brains do not act as quickly as M
! young friends here" AS he said thi
. he looked towards Quincy. But ar
e sure that we both of us owe to him
a debt of gratitude that it will be Difficult
e for us ever to repay"
/ The old gentleman drew Linda t.
r wards him and folded her tenderly i
his arms. Come, rest here, my dea
d one" said he; your doubts and hope
0 your troubles and trials, and your wal
e behring's are over He kissed her O
l. the forehead, and Linda put her arm
/ about his neck and laid her head upo
his breast.
r you are the only one united to m
by near ties of blood in the world" ST
Stuart continued, and he laid his han