The Echo register. (Echo, Umatilla County, Or.) 190?-1909, 1909-07-16
The RETURN OF
TIE MARY DENTON
sy EVELYN WENTWORTH.

NNAAAts' Aut NitN Testimony lnul .
have 10 personally bear IN the matter
OF her last return Is that was one OF
those who saw her the morning. she
was observed TO be making iuto port
with NIL her sails set. I'm not going TO
try 10 explain anything either psyche
logically or scientifically. That shall
leave the reader 10 do after reading
the story.
The Mary Denton was named FOR the
niece OF the owner. There were
number Of pcntOus In New Bedford ut
that time, mostly sailor folks. Mary
was about twenty. She was in love
with young fellow named Kendcll-
Edward kendell-a fine young fellow,
but landsman. Kendell was rs much
in love with Mary as she was with
him. but he was at the beginning of
life and was not yet prepared TO sup
port n wife. Mary had u love for the
sea. inherited from generations of sail
or ancestors. Whether II was this that
induced her father to ask Captain
Denton to take her on a whaling voy-
age or whether he wanted TO get her
away from Denton with view to
breaking or the match or TO pass
some OF the time that must elapse be-
fore their marriage I don't know. l
never heard that the Dentons had any
objection toy Kendell provided he could
take care Of Mary. At any rate, Mary
went with her uncle on voyage that
was TO last three years.
Edward Kendell seemed heartbroken
when he heard that he was to be sep
arated from his love for this long pc
r!od. Mary would have been delighted
to go had II not been for leaving lover
behind. As 1t was. she was equally
cast down. She cheered her lover with
the hope that by the time Of her re-
turn he would be doing well In bust
ness and they could be married.
Whoever conceived this plan Of sep
arating them seems to me to have act
ed with as much foresight as human
beings are given. The lover knew that
he was In no especial danger of losing
bis love while shut up on vessel with
only her old uncle and crew Of un-
refined men. and a cruise would like
ly build up her physique. which was
delicate. For little while after she
had gone he seemed stupefed, then
suddenly went to work with a will
that was bound to produce results.
New Bedford. being then the center for
the whaling industry. was a lively
place, and kendell was employed with
q mercantile house trading In the oil.
! Every year he was advanced both as to
position and salary. When the time
for the return Of the vessel had come
he had become one of the first young
business men Of the place.
Captain Denton had told Kendell
that he would bring his girl back to
him ON the third anniversary Of her
departure. and some said that II he
were ahead OF time on nearing port he
would slow down and II behind would
hurry. But rs he was dependent on
the winds this was doubtless said to
encourage the downbearted young fel-
low. Naturally We wondered II the
ship would come In on the appointed
day. Kendell seemed to think It
would. But noticed one thing about
him-after certain date he became
very despondent. He said In explana-
tion that he had had n dream or SEN
sation, or something of the sort, that
the ship was I'm trouble.
/ shall never forget the third ami
versary Of the sailing Of the Mary
Denton. II had rained during the
night before. and the morning was
balmy, but with fog. was sitting at
my desk on the SECOND floor by a win
dow facing the harbor when the sun
came out. heard a cry from the
street. There she is. true enoughr'
Looking. saw the fog rolling away
and ship with all her canvas set
coming In under very light breeze.
ran downstairs and Into the street.
to find several people looking at the
coming ship. We all agreed she was
the Mary Denton. While we looked
another bank Of fog enveloped her.
We waited to see II roll away. bu,
there was no break In II till sunset
when II suddenly vanished.
But where was the Mary Denton
We all had expected to see her riding
at anchor. There was not sign OF
her. She could not have sailed away
for there had been no wind. She could
not have sunk In the harbor.
was standing beside Edward Ken
dell when the fog lifted. The moment
! saw the ship was not there looked
Mt him. An ashen gray slowly spread
itself over his face. as II he had been
touched by a specter. With moan he
turned away and disappeared.
There were Eve Of us who saw the
ship. all. as have said, agreeing that
she was the Mary Denton. Most oi
Us believed that she had for some rea
son and In some unexplained wal
stopped in the fog and probably drift
ed out to sea. But why she should MOI
have cast anchor In plain view Of hel
port none Of us could understand
There was no more fog that day
and we who had seen the ship-or thu
vision-looked for the Mary Denton d
come back. But she did not come tha
day nor any day. She In on the lis
Of missing ships. Tho port she sale,
from is no more the busy place Of tha
period. The piers are deserted. whai