The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-11-22
From the Deep


that he saw boat on the starboard
quarter. The events that followed IN
rapid succession are as fresh in my
mind as on that eventful day, but new
err till now have been completely nap
DIV, for not since then till now have
been free from dread.
| ordered the vessel put off a couple
of points, and as we neared the boat 1
could see that it was an officers boat,
probably the captains gig that had
belonged to some ship. l could see
something Ling in the bottom, and as
we got the boat under our bows it was
plain that the something was wom-
an. She was brought aboard uncon-
scious and carried below. l gave up
nv room to her and directed that she
have every attention. The truth IS
that when saw her lying on the deck
oblivious to all about her there was
something in her face that drew me
strangely to her.
AS soon as she was provided for l
ordered her boat to be hauled on deck,
and examined it. 1t was an old boat,
and it had been so battered that l could
not read the name. There was moth
ing about it to identify it. At 9 o'clock
that night the woman came to herself,
but the stewardess said that she was
zoo weak to be questioned. The next
morning the newcomer had revived
sufficiently to talk, but said that she
could not remember a single event In
her past life l had known a similar
case where a man had been shipwreck-
ed and nearly starved. On recovering
consciousness he had, like this woman,
forgotten the past. l directed the stew
ardess to search the wOman's clothing
for some mark. and she found on an
undergarment the letter Q. This was
all there was in the way of possible
identification.
In time the woman came on deck
and sat wrapped in blankets, revived
by the fresh air. For the want Of
better name we called her Miss Query.
She was about twenty-five years old,
but whether she had been married or
not of course we couldn't tell. Not all
of us considered her pretty, but to me
there was something infinitely more
engaging in her expression than mere
beauty, an expression rejecting some
great past grief. l took her into my
heart, and she has kept her place
there to this day.
We had picked up Miss Query not
far out of New York on a voyage tc
the Pacific and Japan. l insisted on
her making the ship her home until
we returned to America, for, in the
first place, l loved her, and in the sec
ond common humanity forbade my
leaving her in a foreign country tC
shift for herself She had no other
course but to accept my hospitality and
completed the long voyage with us.
Our return was one persistent plead
ing that she would become my wife.
She resolutely declined on the ground
that she might have a husband. In
vain l argued that the chances were
that one of her age was not likely to
have been married. She said she would
not take that one chance. At the same
time she gave every evidence that she
loved me. Indeed, the fact that we
must be separated by an uncertainty
xuac &c oront a uriouanoo 70 bor 70
me.
Before sailing on another voyage /
discussed with her what course we
should pursue. l proposed that we
take action to discover her identity
Then if she had not been married our
course would be plain. If it came
out that she had a husband living
she could choose between us.
Your past life is blotted out" 1 said
land there is no law to prevent your
marrying whom you like" To this she
replied, Suppose after marrying you il
should come to my knowledge that
had husband, would you consider it
my duty to leave you?" Certainly
not" l replied. eff you knew today
you had husband living, a husband
identified with that past obliterated
life, and married me, 1 would not
blame you"
This ended the argument, for she
gave her consent, though the marriag e
was to be of the Scotch order, simply
mutual pledges in presence Of wit
nesSeS.
Three voyages my wife made with
me, during which we were both su-
premely happy. At times l noticed a
dread cross her brow and knew what
she feared. But laughed at her fears
and assured her that on the high seas
nothing could part us.
We were stopping at a hotel between
our third and fourth voyages. One
morning my wife took up a morning
paper-she always scanned the papers
when ashore-and, suddenly glancing
at her, l saw her shiver with some in.
tense emotion. As soon as she had col
lected herself she said:
"It has all come back to me-" And
handing me the paper, she pointed to
an item giving an account Of the kill