Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-02-14
From the Deep
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

MY NCdI WIG Cttule. 10 me llltIsllIN
from out the deep. One afternoon the
mate called to me from the forecastle
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 cventful day. but new
rr till now have | been completely hap
Ply, for not since then till now have l
been free from dread.
l ordered the vessel put off Il couple
of points, and as we nearcd the boat |
could see that it was an officers boat.
probably the captains gig that had
belonged to some ship. I could sec
something lying in the bottom, and as
we got the boat under our bows it s,as
plain that the something was Il wom-
an. She was brought aboard uncon-
scious and carried below. l gave up
my room to her and directed that she
have every attention. Tho truth is
that when l saw her lying on the deck
oblivious to all about her there was
something in her face that drew ne
strangely to her.
AS soon as she was provided for J
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 naplc. There was moth
ing about it to identify it. At o O'clock
that night the oma came to herself,
but the stcwardeSs said that she was
too weak to be questioned. The next
morning the newcomer had revived
sufficiently to talk. bun said that she
could not remember Il single event in
her past life. l had known n similar
case where Il MAI had been sllipwreck-
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 OIL an
undergarment the letter q. This was
all there was in the way of possible
Identification
In time the woman came OF deck
and #at wrapped in blankets, revived
by the fresh air. For the want of Il
better name we called her Miss Quecry.
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 Soplf
great past grief. | 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 Il voyage tc
the Pacific and Japan. l insisted OIL
her making the ship her home unit
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 t.
shift for herself. She had no othel
course but to accept my hospitality INC
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 Il husband. Ii
vain l argued that the chances were
that one of her age was not likely t.
have been married. She said she would
not take that one chance. At the sam
time she gave every evidence that sh'
loved me. Indeed, the fact that W.
must be separated by an u%ncertaint.
was as great a grievance to her as t,
me.
Before sailing ON another voyage
discussed with her what course w
should pursue. I proposed that W
take action to discover her identity
Then if she had not been married GU
course would be plain. If it cam
out that she had a husband living
she could choose between us.
"Your past life is blotted out" | said
"and there is no law to prevent you
marrying whom you like" To this sh
replied, Suppose after marrying you
should come to my knowledge that
had a husband, would you consider
not" l replied. eff you knew toda,
you had a husband living. a HUSBAND
identified With that past obliterate'
life, and married me, l would no
blame YOU"
This ended the argument, for sh
gave her consent, though the marriag
was to be of the Scotch order, simpl
mutual pledges in presence of wit
neSSeS.
. Three voyages my wife made wit
me, during which we We're both ST
premely happy. At times l noticed
dread cross her brow and knew wha
she feared. But l laughed at her fear
and assured her that on the high sea
= nothing could part us.
: We were stopping at a hotel betwee
our third and fourth voyages. On
morning my Wife took up Il mornin
paper-she always scanned the paper
when ashore-and, suddenly glancin
at her, 1 saw her shiver with some IL
tense emotion. AS soon as she had co
E iected herself she said:
cit has all come back to me-" Ant
handing me the paper, she pointed t
on TOW, osvtnr op 1oN,r 0F tho LII