The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-11-16
HOME FROM A
VOYAGE
By WILTON G. BROOKS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

I courted Nance while was goin' to
sea, and man courtin' gal that way
feels every time he comes back from
q cruise that some Teller has stepped
in and carried her off, but Nance was
as much set on me as I was on her,
and every time 1 locked on a home
comm she was standin' at the door
of her fathers cottage wav1n' to me.
After we was married and we got
into our own house around the point
where the light stands, whenever l
rounded it to make the harbor, there
was Nance a-wavtn' to me. But one
time comm in from a cruise when l
rounded the point Nance wasn't there
to wave to me. My heart sank down
into my boots, for she could "a seen
me miles out, and she knew the cut
Of my jib and the lurch Of my ship as
well as she knew her own mother.
Nance and 1 had been married five
years without gettin' a kid. 1t was
the only disappointment we had.
Nance said and l knew that If she
had little one to keep her company
when I was at sea she wouldn't be so
lonesome. But the kid didn't come,
and we began to feel that we was
doomed to be one o. them couples that
20 through life maxim baby out Of
a dog or a cat or some other animal.
But the day l got back and Nance
wasn't at the door to wave to me l
wasn't thinkin' about what I couldn't
git, but what feared I'd lost. The
moment we touched the dock l turned
the ship over to the first mate and
steered direct course to my house.
When l got there found the door
unlocked, This relieved me some
what, for if my wife had diedwhtle l
was at sea the house would "a been
closed up. l went in, my heart beat
in with hope O. SEEM Nance either
in the Twin room SEWN or in the
kitchen or somewhere downstairs.
But she was not there, and I made
q dash upstairs for her bedroom. The
door to that found locked. l knock
ed, but got no answer. l could hear
voices inside talkin' low, but nobody
said anything to me. l hollered out:
IL want to know If my wife is dead
or alive!"
Then a woman's voice, strange to
me, said: "She's very much alive, but
hasn't been well for a few days.
She's all right. She saw the ship
come In from her window"
"Well, why the dickens can't come
in and give her a hugo
"It wouldn't do for you to come in
just now. l can't explain why, but
when we're ready for you We'll let
| you know"
Cali right I'm wanted at the ship.
I'll go there and come back in a cou-
pie O. hours"
AS l was goin' down the stairs l
heard the funniest sound comm from
the room ever heard. At first it re-
minded me. of a distant fOghorn. so
far away that a man would have to
strain his ears to hear it. Then |
| thought if wasn't like a foghorn nei-
| Their. It was more like some one try
| in to talk with sore throat l didn't
| like the idea O. leavin' everything to
| my mate on just gettin' into port, so
I didn't stop to make any more in
| quiries. l just went on across the
point toward the dock.
Reachin' high bit of land, turned
to take a look at the house I had left.
kind a wonderin', and if l didn't see
a man comm out O. the front door
I'll be jiggered! What did it mean?
Here was I kept out O. my wife's bed
| room and q man in the house. A hOr-
rible suspicion took possession of me.
But with gasp l got back my conf
dence in Nance, and then l remember
ed that the voice in the room with her
on to the ship.
found that she had been locked
without any accident, but there was
lot Of things to do that can only be
done by the master of a ship that's
just come in from a cruise, and didn't
git away from the ship till the day
was about over. Then / started back
home, beginnin' again to wonder what
was the meanin' Of all the. strange
things that had happened. Somepin
must a-gone wrong durin' my absence,
and they was fxin' things up to break
1t to me.
When I walked into the house l
heard some one in the kitchen and,
goin' there, saw a young woman in a
striped dress cookin' a bird Nance
wasn't the kind to spend money for
such delicacies. and 1 marveled some
more
"See here I said to the gal, 'some-
pin gone wrong since l been away.
A trouble has come into this house,
and l want to know right off what's
the matter"
By jing. she burst out a-larfin'.
81 reckon you'll find it some trouble
she said, before you git through with
it. Such Happenings always turn a
house upside down. It's never the
same place it was before But wait