The Washburn leader., 1914-06-05
The Story Of Mrs.
Rescue =
-
b NJ QUAD
copyrisht, ls14 BY Associated Lit
erary Press

@SAS.01 1AADOS18&O0 40S.
erary PresA
We were between the Azores and
Madeira. bound for q port in the West
Indies. In the American ship Ben Joyce
when a curious thing happened one
morning about an hour before day.
light I was digging my eyes and
lighting away sleep when a curious
sound from over the bows caught my
ear. As I listened to the noise the
only thing l could compare it to was
the noses Of sharks humping up
against a small boat 1t would have
been ridiculous to call to the mate and
give him any such wild explanation.
but I finally called his attention to tho
curious noises and left the cause to his
own perception.
There's raft or a boat out there"
he said after moment land tho noise
may be made BY oars Ill burn q port
flre." y
The port fire lighted up the sea for
a hundred feet around. and the 6rst
thing we saw was a ships boat within
forty feet Of US on the port bow. In
the bottom Of the boat were two hu-
man figures, and one of them was a
woman, and all around the boat the
sea was alive with sharks. As soon as
we caught sight of the boat the mate.
ran to call the captain. By the time
the captain arrived the boat had drift
ed right down against us, and one Of
the crew lowered himself into her and
made fast the painter. Then got
down to assist him. and we passed up
the bodies-the man first. We might
just as we'll have dropped him into the
sea. for he had been dead for twenty
four hours at least. He was rec0gniz-
ed by all as sailor. As we picked mp
the woman. having not doubt that
she was dead also, she moved and ut
tered groan. We had her on board
after couple Of minutes. and the
small boat. which was captains gig,
new and without name. was later
hoisted up.
The woman awoke to find herself
aboard of a strange ship. with strange
men around her. She was handsome.
we'll formed woman. English in looks
and speech and about thirty years of
age. Her apparel was fine and costly.
but she wore no jewelry and had
neither purse nor a cardcase. When
asked how she came to be at sea In
the gig. what her name was. If she
had visited Madeira or the Azores, IL
she lived in England, she could tell
nothing. She began new life when
she opened her eyes in the cabin OF
the Joyce. After three or four days
both cabin and f0'castle came to the
same conclusion. which was this: The
sailor must have been rowing the
woman of to ship or from ship
to shore at some Of the islands.
That's the way we figured 1t out.
and It looked reasonable enough. and.
of course. the right thing to do. was
to leave the woman at Trinidad and
report the case as widely as possible.
Queerly enough. she fought and baftied
this plan. Our captain was a good
looking man. and. feeling that she
owed him her life and doubtless being
rather romantic by nature. what did
she do but fall in love with him! That
is only half the story. He fell head
over heels in love with her. The posi-
ton was most embarrassing for htm.
however. All Of us agreed that the
woman was or had been q wife,
though she had no finger ring to prove
1t. I think he saw things as AN honor
able man should. and yet be could not
help loving her. When we reached
Trinidad he notified the English con-
sui, placed the woman in the house
hold Of friend and then sailed for
the; port Of New York.
The story OF our picking up the liv-
ing and the dead was published far
and wide. The publication Of that
story all over the world did not solve
the mystery. No husband came for
ward: no relatives wrote.
: When three years had elapsed and
still no news had come the two were
married. The woman had not recovered
one single point Of memory. She was
a stranger to herself.. She had no
country. no relatives. no name except
by chance. After marriage the cap
tain left the sea and went into the,
ship chandlery business In Brooklyn.
One evening two years after the we'd
ding the captain of an English tramp
steamer Just in called to ask for some
information. He complained of not
being we'll. and. one thing leading to
another. be dnally related tale OF