Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-03-02

How Jack Stoughton came to fall in
love with Emily Gunter no one could
ever find out. Jack was a fine, manly
! young sailor, and whenever he came
home from a voyage all the girls made
a dead set for him. Emily was the
only girl in the village who paid no
attention to him. Perhaps he was
piqued on that account. Emily was
fairly good looking, though she had a
square jaw and the corners Of her lips
were drawn down, denoting a strong
will.
On one Of his h~omecomings Jack
sided up to Emily either from pique
or curiosity or a little of both, and
they were seen walking together on
the beach or sitting on the dunes.
Their friends observed that Emily
usually had a scowl on her face and
Jack seemed to be trying to get her
into a good humOr.
"What do you want with that girl,
Jack?" one of his messmates who was
ashore with him said to him one day.
"She seems to be continually quarrel
ing with you. You're the best natured
man in our ship, so | know it's no
fault of yours. If you marry her
you'll get a wasp. take my word for
that"
81 know you're right, Billy, but
somehow there's a fascination in being
treated as if she didn't care a rap for
me and being hammered by her. The
nearest 1 ever came before to an in
%fatuation was by a little Mexican girl
at Vera Cruz who tried to stab me
Singular, isn't it, how we men find a
zest in that kind of women?"
81 can understand that so long as
you're not married to one of 'em. But
you just put your neck in a halter and
give Emily Gunter the loose end and
she'll make it hot for you all your
married life"
"There was Petruch1o, who tanned a
shrew"-
"PetruchiO be hanged! All imaginary!
No man eve tanned a shreW. You can
tame that kind of man, but not that
kind Of woman"
But Jack Stoughton was too intent
upon tampering with gunpowder to
heed his friends advice. Shortly be-
fore they sailed he told Billy he had
married Emily, that she seemed very
amiable and that she was so averse to
parting with him that she was bent on
taking the voyage with him.
The Albatross, in which they were
to go to Japan and return, was com
handed by Captain Larkins. Billy
Anderson was first mate, and Jack
was second mate. Emily went to Cap
tain Larkins and induced him to let
her go on the voyage with them. He
had never seen her before and thought
a woman on board would have a rein
ing influence on the crew. He had
given his consent before Anderson
told him what kind Of woman Mrs.
Stoughton was; but, having given 1t,
he would not withdraw it.
The lady was very pleasant till the
ship was we'll on her way-indeed, too
far out to warrant a return-then she
began to belabor her husband In nc
uncertain tones. What the trouble
was no one knew, but Mrs. StOughton's
| voice could be heard in her stateroom
even in stormy weather above the
whistling Of the wind in the rigging.
It was not long before poor Jack
was an object of pity on the part OF
the crew, and not a man but con-
demned his wife. The captain finally
went to Mrs. Stoughton and besought
berating himself that he was glad to
beat a retreat.
It is surprising that Captain Larkins,
who had some twenty men under him,
not one Of whom dared to give him the
least back talk, should have been driv-
en- from the after cabin and up on to
the poop deck by a woman. The day
this occurred and it had been discOv-
cred that Mrs. Stoughton was virtually
In command Of the ship each one OF
the crew went about his duties as 1t
something momentous had happened.
AACJ hoo ~ VI liz" OCCh L wv
for years, they had encountered hurri-
canes, some had lived for days on a
raft without food or water, some had
been cast upon desert lands, but none
Of them had ever passed through ar
experience like this. Their captain,
whom they respected and feared, had
been downed. They were as much
taken aback as If their rudder had
been put out of commission.
The captain had become a different
man. He walked the deck with q
hangdog look. He gave his orders in
a humble tone, as if be would be much
obliged If the men should obey them,
and the men themselves did their du-
ties l%anguidly, as If some misfortune
hung over the ship. Only one man,
Jack Stoughtor. seemed to have been
improved by the incident. Before 1t
occurred he had the demeanor Of a
whipped cur: now he went about as If
he felt himself as good a man as any
aboard.
The crew, sympathizing with their
copfoip ond ono onotbor IN ~ proS-