Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-06-14
A Strange
ElOpenent.

the pool at London for forty days to
get cargo for some port in the Unit
ed States. The captain was the sole
owner of the brig. and as he WAS not
a wealthy m&n and as the preceding
voyages had been without profit it lie
gan to look as if it were the end OF
his mercantile career. On the fortiei h
day, when things seemed to have
reached their worst, waterman row
ed gentleman out to the craft.
We spotted the man to be gentle
man and some one not at all interested
in shipping as soon as be came aboard.
/ believe to this day that he was e
man Of title and wealth, though l
haven't the faintest idea of his name.
He asked to look the craft over. aH.l
our first idea was that he was leolii@"::,,
to buy ship. The Lee had Il fire
cabin and staterooms, having Oh e
been passenger packet to S>u;h
American ports, and after an iavesti-
cation the stranger, who gave the
name OF Montgomery and who was a
man about forty years old, announced
himself as satisfied and then desired
to charter the brig for New York. The
story he told was that his wife was in
poor health and that the doctor ha,!
recommended slow sea voyage. He
did not want other passengers aboard.
nor did he want to wait for cargo. He
offered much higher price for the
passage of the two than we could have
got from an average cargo and wCull
furnish all the cabin stores in addi-
ton. One of the stipulations made was
that we were to engage cook above
the ordinary and carry a steward. An
other was that the two were to. dine
by themselves.
We began engaging crew and tax
ing stores aboard the next day. and in
four days we were ready. No mer
chairman sailing the seas ever took
such cabin stores aboard The wines
alone would have lasted half Il dozen
people for voyage Of sixty days.
while the provisions were what any
rich man would have ordered for his
pantry. Montgomery himself came
aboard at least an hour before the lady
did. She waited for darkness, and as
soon as ever her feet touched the deck
she went to the cabin, and tug took
our line and started down the river.
It was at breakfast next morning
and we were we'll down the channel and
had cast of the tug, when there was a
row in the cabin. We could eaten
nothing that Montgomery said, but the
voice of the lady could be heard
through the open skylight to the fore
mast. She surely had tongue on her.
AS matter of fact, she swore like g
trooper. and the man could not quie.
her. She called him a rascal, a rogue,
liar and many other things and
ended up by throwing crockery at him.
The captain and l heard it all and
were amazed. For sick wife the lady
seemed very vigorous. 1t was not for
us to interfere. however. In about half
an hour Montgomery came on deck for
smoke and a promenade. He seemed
TO think some explanation due, and he
said that his wife was quick tenn
pered woman and was blaming him
that mail had not been provided for
her. She did not show herself during
the day, and we heard no more rows
That night we had something Of gale,
that remained with US for three days
and brought her seasickness, and none
of us heard anything from her. Mont
gomery attended her and had very lit
tie to say.
1t was on the fifth morning after
leaving London and we were well cut
on the Atlantic when Captain Saun-
ders was called into the cabin by the
woman. TO his great surprise he
found her person at least fifty years
old. She was not even commonly good
looking. On the contrary, she would
have been called homely anywhere,
and the wrinkles in her face betrayed
her age. She began abusing Mont
gomery as if he had been a pickpocke..
She called him hard names, and she
swore. She declared that she would
go no farther in his company and
must be transferred to the first craft
bound for London. Montgomery at
first tried to soothe her, but she yelled
and screamed and finally would have
used her nails on his face had not the
captain interposed. The woman de-
MED that she was his wife and said
that he had grossly deceived her INFO
the situation, and she offered Captain
Saunders 500 to transfer her that
day. Montgomery finally told her TO
go If she so desired, and that settled
1t. Within an hour we raised a ha1-
Der vessel coming from the Amer
can coast. The woman was informed
as TO what sort Of craft it was an!
that the accommodations would he
very meager. but she insisted on being
transferred. She offered the other cap
tain 500 to receive her and was duly
landed on the lumber laden decks
she nor Montgomery had h"d
word in farewell. OF all her ba.-
gage she would take only one single
trunk, telling Captain Saunders tina.
he could have the rest for his wife.
Montgomery made no explanations
after the ships parted. Indeed, it did