The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-01-30
From the Deep

(Original.l

that he saw a 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
er till now have | been completely hap
py. for not since then till now have
been free from dread.
| ordered the vessel put off couple
of points, and as we neared the boat
could see that it was an officers boat
probably the captains gig that had
belonged to some ship. l could see
something lying in the bottom, and as
we got the boat under our bows it was
an. She was brought aboard uncon-
scious and carried below. gave up
my room to her and directed that she
have every attention. The truth is
that when l 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
ordered her boat to be hauled on deck,
and | examined it. 1t was an Old boat
and it had been so battered that could
not read the name. There was moth
ing about it to identify it. At 8 O'Clock
that night the woman came TO herself.
but the stewardess said that she was
too weak to be questioned. The next
morning the newcomer had revived
could not remember a single event in
her past life | had known similar
case where man had been shipwreck
ed and nearly starved. On recovering
consciousness he had, like this woman,
forgotten the past. | 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
by the fresh air. For the want of Il
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 ali
of us considered her pretty. but to me
there was something infinitely more
engaging i'll 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 Queery not
far out of New York on IA voyage to
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 to
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 OH the ground
that she might have husband In
vain / 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 th1 same
time she gave every evidence that she
loved me. Indeed, the fact that we
must be separated by an uncertainty
was as great grievance to her as to
me.
Before sailing on another voyage |
should pursue. | 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 Il husband living
she could choose between us.
Your past life is blotted out" l 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. IF you knew today
YOU had husband living, a husband
identified with that past obliterated
life, and married me, / would not
blame you"
This ended the argument. for she
gave her consent, though the marriage
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 We're both SUI
premely happy. At times | noticed 6
dread cross her brow and knew what
she feared. But l laughed at her fears
and assured her that on the high seas
inn LIT