The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-01-24
HOME FROM A
VOYAGE
Bv WILTON C. BROOKS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

| feels every time b" comes DacK from
! a cruise that some Teller has stepped
in and carried her off, but Nance was
| as much set on me as l was on her.
and every time locked on a home
comm she was standin' at the door
| Of her fathers cottage wavin' to me.
| After ave was married and we got
! into our own house around the point
where the light stands, whenever |
rounded it to make the harbOr, there
was Nance a-wavin' to me. But one
time comm in from 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
we'll as she knew her own mother.
Nance and had been married five
years withou; gettin' kid. 1t was
the only disappointment we had.
| Nance said and l knew that II she
| had little one to keep her company
when l 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 he one o. them couples that
90 through life maxim baby out Of
a dog or a cat or some other animal.
But the day got back and Maze
wasn't at the door to wave to me
wasn't thinkin' about what couldn't
git, but what l feared I'd lost The
moment we touched the dock ], turned
/ the ship over TO the first mate ian1
steered direct course to my house.
When, Il got there found the door
unlocked. This relieved me some
what. for If my wife had died while
was at sea the house would a been
closed up Invent in, my heart beat
in with hope O. SEEM Nance either
| in the livin' room SEWN or in the
kitchen or somewhere downstairs.
But she was not there, and ! made
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" b.
| Then a woman's voice, strange to
ue, said: "She's very much alive. but
hasn't been well for few days.
She's all right She saw the ship
come in from her window"
"Well, why the dickens can't l come
/ in and give her hug?
1T wouldn't do for you to come in
just now. l can't explain why, bu:
when we're ready for you Well let
you know" =
"All right I'm wanted at the ship.
I'll go there and come back in a cou-
pie O. hours
AS was tgoin' down the stairs l
heard the funniest sound comm from
the room l ever heard. At first it re-
minded me Of distant foghorn. so
far away that man would have TO
strain his ears to hear it. Then l
thought if wasn't like foghorn nei-
Their It was more like some one try
in to talk with sore throat. | didn't
like the idea O. leavin' everything to
my mate on just gettin' into port. so
| didn't stop to make any more in
quiries. just went on across the
point toward the dock.
Reachin' high bit Of land, l turned
to take a look at the house had left
kind q wonderin. and If | didn't see
IL man comm out O the front door
III be iiggered. What did it mean?
Here was kept out o my wife's bed
room and 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
was wor' IS So just went right
on to the 81. ,,
found that she had been locked
without any accident, but there was
q 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 fixin' things up to break
II to me.
When l walked into the house
heard some one in the kitchen and.
goin' there, saw young woman in u
striped dress cookin' a bird Nance
wasn't the kind to spend money for
such delicacies. and marveled some
more.
See here" said to the gal, some
pin gone wrong since l been away.
A trouble hos come into this house.
and l W.. - know right Off what's
the matter
BY jing. she burst out alartin'.
II 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
So place it was before. But wait
a +, aVte till put this bird on tray
and well go upstairs" ~;
d., .,l,,. ,N,y, u ~ D y