Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-16
HOW THE CAPTAIN
GOT HIS REVENGE,
[Copyright. 1903. by American Press AS
ciation1
By MARTHA 3. pAeeAN


Copyright. 1903. by American Press Asso.
ciationl
In the good old colony days"-they
were not so good as the present by
any means--a young sailor named Wit
ridge. who was not so infatuated with
his religion that ne must needs wish 10
make bonfire Of those who disagreed
with him on doetrinal subjects, came
out to Boston from England and stayed
long enough TO fail in love with Pa
thence Hartshorae, the daughter OF
Puritan. Patience was engaged to he
married to Aminadab Longshanks.
young man of a sanctimOnious air and
nose that was very blue. As soon
as the jack tar made his appearance
she became fascinated with his devil
may care ways and forthwith, as We
would put it today. shook the said
Aminadab and married the sailor
Aminadab afterward married Conse-
Grafton Smith, but he never furgaye
Witridge for cutting him out.
Time came when Witridge got a ship
of his own and sai.ed away with the
products of the soil of Massachusetts
skins of wild beasts--to visit foreign
lands and bring back such things, pots
and kettles principally. as were needed
in the colonies. He babe adieu to his
wife and little boy and girl who had
come to him since his marriage with
sad heart, for he was not TO meet them
again for three years and was in the
.
the sea. II was long three years for
them both.
But it is a long road that has no
turn, and one Sunday morning the cap.
tain, who had arrived in port the nigut
before. just as the sun was rising and
Patience was preparing breakfast
rushed into the house and with the
windows all open, for it was summer
caught her and the children in his
arms. Few people We're in the street
at that early hour, and the captain
who suddenly remembered that it was
Sunday and that q man was not per
mitted to kiss his wife on that day.
thought no one had seen him. But
Patience disabused his confidence,
When her husband kissed her she was
facing the window and saw the ank
form of Aminadab Longshanks so by
and corner of his eye turned toward
the house.
The next day Captain WitTidge was
taken before a magistrate and con
victed of '1ewd and unseemiy con
duct" in kissing his wife on the Lords
day. He was forced TO pass two hours
in the stocks and to pay fine OF tive
pounds. 1t was not known except to
the Witridge family who was The in
former, and the captain charged his
wife TO say nothing about her having
seen Aminadab go by the house at the
time the 'lewd and unseemly conduct
| was enacted. The fact that the in.
former had been Mrs Witridge's be-
trothed would place her husband in
an unenyiable position IL Lougshanks
chose to deny completely In the matter,
Witridge made several voyages after
that. accommodating snug property
| He was happy except for one thing
! he had not got even with the informer.
One Saturday night, when he was
ashore, Patience told him that Truth
| HOLSTER had told her that Eunice
Trotter had told her that Aminadab
Longshanks was hurrying with prepa
rations to go to New Amsterdam on
| important business. 1t struck the cap.
tain that possibly the business might
be so consequential thnt his enemy
would be tempted to travel on the
| Lords day He would not likely start,
however, till after sunset. which closed
the Sabbath The captain wished III
/ his heart that his enemy might 70
earlier in the day. that he might be
tempted to kiss his wife before start
ing and that he tWitridgel might catch
hin in the act
The next afternoon Captain Wit
ridge took a walk about the town.
Something prompted him to turn his
steps toward the Longshanks dwell.
| ing He passed ii about the hour Of
sunset He saw Aminadab come out
OF the house and glance at the sun
| His horse was before the door held
| by a negro. Mrs. Longshaghs casue
out. and the two looked at the sun To-.
gether. The atmosphere was murky
and it was impossible to tell whether
/ the sun was setting beneath the hori.
zon or cloud When It disappeared
Mrs. Longshanks put her arm about
her husbands neck and their lips met
In kiss. Then Aminadab mounted
Ills horse and rode away.
| Several persons saw the act and they
were uncertain whether or no the sun
| had set beneath the horizon or cloud
/; They watched for matter Of FIVE
| minutes. when the lower limb of dull
red ball protruded beneath the clouds
When Aminadab Longshalks re
turned from New Amsterdam he was
met by charge of having kissed bis
wife on the Lords day and was fined
ard put into the stocks.
While Aminadab was in the stocks
Captain Witridge-and this was not