Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-02
The Daily Story
A SAILORS Warmly r. A. mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1919 by Associated Literary

7 was sailing between Japan ana q
Francisco. On ore of my return ~
/ ages when out on the Pacific 80
one morning. seeing a dark obiort i
the horizon. I raised ny glass ana 4.
cerned ship rising and falling ~.
| the waves. / could discern no rns..-
! neither could see smokestaek e.
! sequently / was unable to MAXI =.
/ whether she was a sailer or a stesr,.
We were heading few points sor,s
of her, and when we had come nas,s-
and I was still puzzled as to what =.
was I directed that the ship be pos,..s
directly toward her.
She's a derelict, SIR" said the a.,
ond officer, who was also watch,,-
her.
Il believe she is" I replied. III.
lucky we met her by daylight and !,
near on her course. We must snk
her"
As we drew near the vessel we nv
that she was sailer, or rather. tss
been, for every mast was gone. viz
nothing to steady her, she was roln,,
about, sometimes on her beam end
yet sometimes riding over a wave-in.
deed, helpless. We saw no one a,
deck and had no idea that there ~.
any one on her. We approached Asr
from her stern, and / kept my glass
fixed upon her so that as soon as We
came near enough I might read her
name. Before / made out the letters
composing 1t 1 read the name Of the
place from which she hailed, aPorts-
mouth, New Hampshire"
Get a boat ready, Mr. Marks I
said to the second officer.
The order was obeyed, 1 intending 10
send him to the wreck to sink her
But when we came near enough for
the purpose 1 changed my mind and
went myself. The sea was running
quite high, but. approaching from the
lee side, we managed TO get safely
aboard the vessel. She had evidently
met with prolonged foul weather, for
her masts had been cut away. The
remnants of a jib were still futteriag
in the wind. Some of the poats were
gone, others were swinging from their
davits, while one, loose at the bow,
was pounding on the deck.
The fore part of the ship had been
washed by the waves, but YVES now
dry The stern was high out of wa
ter. Descending the companionway, we
came upon several corpses Of men or.
rather, skeletons, for they had evident
~ starved. One of them l had seen
In life, but 1 did not know that had,
for he was so changed that 1 did not
recognize him. Leaving my men amid
ships, went aft, for if there was any
living creature aboard l would find it
there.
said at the beginning of this re
cital-it is too serious to call yarn
that 1 would test the credulity Of the
hearer. But, after all, what / am 60
ing to relate was but a coincidence.
There is nothing improbable in one
meeting a former friend in Patagonia.
or in going into morgue and seeing
6 FETCHED on a slab a brother one has
not met for years. These things are
happening frequently, and why should
not L
But 1 am going too fast. I made my
way to the stern companionway and
uSSGeuuEO lHtO Tic tdO1h- hC UtU1 "
a room stood open; it was hooked and
] looked in.
Would that there were some medium
capable of giving my quick mental
transitions as l stood there gazing on
the object before me. There is no such
only words, and they are not
adequate. A living woman lay in
berth. l looked at her and wondered
where / was, what 1 was doing. wheth-
er some mental stroke had not 5efaAen
me. Within few seconds the with
cred features resolved themselves into
hose of my lost love. My Jennie was
there, starving.
There was not the same look OF as
on her face there was on
nine. Her senses were too blunted
vent to her, kne't by her berth and put
ny arms around her. Then, realizing
hat food was of the first Importance
ran out and called to the men. Think
ng it possible that some living person
night be found on the derelict, Dot
lie of broth had been brought IRIS
allied for and began TO feed 1t In mi
ute doses.
My yarn has been spun. What re-
mains is little more than explanation
Jennie had gone on voyage with her
husband. A prolonged storm bau
wrecked the vessel. The supplies. eA
ept few biscuit and a quart OF
water, had been cut off by the waves.
This remnant had been given TO the
aptain's wife. We had found her Just
n time to save her. the only hVinS
hing left on the ship
1 dared not take her from the oere
ct till she had gained little strength.
nd yet 1 feared that at any momeh.
he weather might change and the sea
Ise. II a wind should beat up the
raves we might not get her on Mt an
We fed her lightly till just before sun.
1t. then lowered her into the boat anu
)ok her to our own ship.
All this happened years ago. JENNIE
as long been my wife. and we nave
rown children. But their mother WIZ
OF consent to any of them going 10
en-. Her frightful experience gave ner
dread from which it is impossiDie
hat she should ever recover.