The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-01-22
A Sailors
Yarn
1t Involves a Strange
Coincidence
BY F. A. mitchell

1
or any part Of it. know that sail
or's yarn is generally well stretched.
and | don't deny that many time on
the fo'c'sle I've made up things myself,
but that was to help my mates pass
the time. We didn't have any story
books. and some Of us couldn't have
read EN- If we had, so we just made
up stories of our own.
But this is different There are
things about 1t too serious for made
up yarn. I'll admit that none OF the
happenings ever told of or listened to
OIL the foc'sle were harder to believe
than this one, but since | haven't
made it up I'm not responsible for
that.
Jennie Kline and | 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 thins
as love occurred to me till was six
teen years old-Jennie was fifteen
and Tom Hobson came home from a
cruise dressed in sailor togs and was
mighty fine looking fellow He was
twenty-one years old. and since Jennie
was passing from childhood to woman
hood he took fancy to her. He was
the frst man who ever paid her any
attention. and she was mighty well
pleased.
complained to her about her going
so much with Hobson. and vet it
seemed senseless for me to do so. |
hadn't appropriated her. True. she and
seemed to belong to each other. but
there was no reason why 1t 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 ! did She said she didn't
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 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. only let her see that every
time she was with Hobson was like
sticking knife into me. 1t hurt her,
perhaps. almost as much as 1t 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 1t
was as third mate of vessel The
night before he sailed he was with
Jennie. didn't know what passed be-
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 1t was
kind of indecision
After this. instead of being ingenu-
GUS with me, as she had been. she was
friendly, or atfectionate. 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
thing. and since the only thing for me
to do was on the water | shipped for
q voyage. When ! said goodby to Jen-
ME she held on to my hand long
while, and II seemed that she couldn't
bear to part with me. asked her II
came back that she had always been.
but she didn't give me any answer
whatever.
Frop this time Jennie had an easier
job of 1t, since Hobson and | were not
at home at the same time. When
, came back from my first voyage
heard that he had been there and that
he and Jennie had been a great deal
together. Jennie seemed mighty glad
to see me back. | kissed her. but in.
stead OF taking 1t as kiss from q
lover 1t seemed to give her little
shock.
This coming and going continued fol-
several years. during which became
: an officer. Hobson Kept coming and
going as well. and finally, returning
from one of my voyages, | heard he
had got ship. He was now Captain
Hobson. while ! was plain Mr. Gibbs
He was twenty-four years old. while
was but nineteen.
fancy 1t was Hobson's higher ant
more lucrative position that induced
Jennie's family to bring their infiuenc'
: to bear upon her to marry him. A
any rate when l sailed the next TIM
she threw her arms around me. and I
, seemed she would never let me go.
took 1t for granted that had won ant
went away very happy. Alas. 1t wa
goodby! She had promised her par
/. ents that she would say yes to Hobsol
when he returned from his next voy
age.
Jennie kept her promise. and whel
Captain Hobson sailed on his mex