Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-02

or's yarn Is generally well stretched,
and I don't deny that many time on
the fo'c'sle I've made up things myself.
but thst was to help my mates pass
the time. We didn't have any story
books, and some OF us couldn't have
read 'em IL we had. so we just made
up stories of or own.
But this is different There ara
things about 1t too serious for a made
up yarn. I'll admit that none of the
happenings 1 ever told Of or listened to
Oh the fo'c'sle were harder to believe
than this one, but since haven't
made it up I'm not responsible for
that.
Jennie Kline and I were brought up
at the same place on the coast, and
both Of US were used to boats from
the day we were born. Our parents
were able to send us to school, and
since we were about the same age we
went to school together. No such thing
as love occurred to me till was six
teen years old-Jennie was fifteen
and Tom Hobson came home from q
cruise dressed in sailor toys and was a
mighty fine looking fellow. He was
twenty one years old, and since Jennie
was passing from childhood to woman
hood he took a fancy to her. He was
the first man who ever paid her any
attention, and she was mighty well
pleased
: 1 complained to her about her going
so much with Hobson, and yet it
seemed senseless for me TO do SO. I
hadn't appropriated her. True, she and
l seemed to belong to each other, but
there was no reason why It should al
ways be so. Jennie took my COM
plants seriously. She didn't like the
idea of any break between US any
more than 1 did. She said she didn't
see why we shouldn't be the same as
we always had been. and yet she knew
better. She knew that a change had
come over the boy and girl condition
that had existed, and we were enter
ing upon something different.
Hobson stayed ashore for some time,
during which there was a sort of
rivalry between him and me. Jennie
wouldn't give up his attentions to
please me; indeed, didn't ask her to
do so. I only let her see that every
time she was with Hobson was like
perhaps, almost as much as it did me,
but there was nothing to do in the
matter, no reason why she should re-
fuse Hobson's attentions, no sense in |
her combining her associations to one |
boy not yet seventeen years old.
When my rival went to sea again it |
was as third mate of a vessel. The |
night before he sailed he was with |
In xuh Sod he
tween them, but after he had gone |
Jennie seemed very much changed.
Whether he had made love to her and
she was pining for him. whether she
didn't know If she wanted to tie up to
him or to me couldn't find out. If she
knew what was troubling her she kept |
1t to herself I've often thought it was |,
a kind of indecision
After this, instead of being ingenu-
Gus with me, as she had been, she was
freaky Sometimes she would be very
or affectionate, rather, and
sometimes she would be the reverse.
My father about this time told me that
It was time for me to be doing some
hing, and since.the only thing for me
% do was on the water 1 shipped for
, voyage. When 1 said goodby to Jen-
While, and it seemed that she couldn't
pear to part with me. I asked her IL
he would be the same to me when l
anne back that she had always been,
,ut she didn't give me any answer
whatever.
From this time Jennie had an easier
OBJ of it, since Hobson and 1 were not
It home at the same time. When 1
a nn I I
leard that he had been there and that
le and Jennie had been great deal
ogether. Jennie seemed mighty glad
o see me back. kissed her, but in
tead of taking 1t as kiss from a
over it seemed to give her a little
hook.
This coming and going continued for
everal years, during which 1 became
n officer. Hobson kept coming and
DING as well, and finally, returning
rom one of my voyages. I heard he
ad got ship. He was now Captain
while 1 was plain Mr. Gibbs.
lie was twenty-four years old, while
was but nineteen
I fancy 1t was Hobson's higher and
lofe lucrative position that induced
ennie's family to bring their influence
y pcdA bpVh hct W nj
ny rate when I sailed the next time |
be threw her arms around me. and IT
aemed she would never let me 60. I
,ok it for granted that had won and /
-ent away very happy. Alas. it was '
goodby. She had promised her par '
nts that she would say yes to Hobson s
hen he returned from his next voy. | {
ge-
aptain Hobson sailed on his next ! {
oyage he took her with him as his I
ride. I learned of my loss at Bonn s
ny, where we received letters. 1t | .
I've me the shock of my life. I didn't :
ame Jennie. She had been placed =
hen very young between two lovers
nd during the transition perfod he III