The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-03-18
Jirnrny's
q, Wife
BY T. JENKINS HAMS

Cape Horn, hove-to In high, rolling,
northwest sea which made the main
deck uninhabitable.
In the dog.watch the carpenter took
mercy on Gantline and myself and
allowed us to share his room in the
forward house for an aftersupper
smoke. We had started forward when
the nan on lookout hailed Through
the gloom of the flying drift and twi-
light shadow, bore down upon the
ship, grey-white above black Then
there suddenly loomed out the shape
of great ship tearing along under
tgallant sails dead before the gale.
Then in an instant she was gone.
The drift had closed upon her as she
swept astern before any one could
read her name. She had vanished as
quickly as she had appeared, passing
or into the dismal sea behind us like
a salt-streakeu mystery.
We stood gazing at the whirling
drift in the gloom astern for some
minutes, and then we followed Chips
into his room. Gantline could not re-
call the vessel by her shape or rig.
and asked the carpenter about her.
do ! know her?" he Kissed fierce
ly. would | be apt to forget herr"
And he thrust out an arm, pulling up
his sleeve until long livid scar show
ed clear to his elbow. ut isn't likely
anyone would forget the Morning
Light if they ever sailed in her. Man!
I'd know her in the depths O perdi-
ton. the deepest hole In devildom,
where she'll sail in the hereafter
mo, / didn't intend to ship in her.
Jimmy Turner an l got into her after
we left the navy. When we went
broke fellow wanted hands for the
Morning Light Capn Sam Smith,
master, so on we signed with shaking
hands an dry throats, willing to go
anywhere or do anything for enough
frog to keep alive.
Jimmy had gone in the navy, be-
cause he couldn't live ashore. He'd
married and was sorry for it-made a
mistake. But he'd never said any.
thing to me about his wife or fam.
iIy, and neve- asked. Nobody asks
questions of anybody aboard memo.
war.
when we dropped down the bay
q tug came alongside and Cap'n Smith
welt to the rail to greet little hatch
et-faced fellow who jumped aboard
He was with woman.
=. Sammy Smith an niece said an
old shellback standing on the forecas-
tie head, L tho ight so'
whats the matter? we asked.
Matter! Don't you know fel-
low? That's Morrell the worst thing
in mans image that ever trod a deck
plank. Come it on us as Sammy
Smith! Man II ye can get ashore.
swim fer it afore it's too late. I'm
too Old But Morrell didn't ship
men to have them do the pier-head
Jump. We were in for a Western
ocean cruise in one of the packet
ships, which will leave her memory a
black and bloody track in the minds
of sailor men.
Before we'd crossed the stream
Morrell had begun on us. But-well.
never mind 1t would make the tales
OF old-time of what took place in a
week. Save ye. Gantline, / could sit
here and tell you things till morning
and each one would Lake you shiv-
er. We had five men missing" be-
fore the voyage was half over. jim
my and / came in for some Of 1t but
even that tiger-sharp aft knew when
he had reached the l.mit-and we
were men-o-war's men.
"One night there was row aft and
there were cries of woman. Jimmy
heard them and started out on deck
with his sheath knife but we held
him and four of us got the marks of
the knife to remember how we saved
him.
AFTER that Jimmy was quiet and
ugly. He never spoke to anyone
There were no more men in the
crew, only square-heads and Dutch
men, and they never go aft.
Il wouldn't consent to go alone
when Jimmy gave me look that told
his game. Soon | noticed he wouldn't
turn in at night, and then l knew it
end.
81 found him standing close under
the break of the poop, talking in a
whisper to some one. Then l caught
the CLINT of skirt, and recognized
the voice of the woman
It's no use, Jim, let me live it
out, she said. 1T won't last long
her voice was like that of the dying
Ihen Jimmy answered her slowly
and quietly. His words came deep and
low like the smothered roar of the
surf on the short. Man, it was like
the great sea rolling over an outly-
Ing reef, bursting, gathering again,
and then rushing with that mighty
power to the end. When he STONED
she was choking, gasping for breath
Man. 1t seemed like her heart would
break. l couldn't help listening, hear.
ing her pay for what she'd done. But
Jimmy never blamed her, no, not he