The Washburn leader., 1916-08-04
A Singular
Marriage
By DONALD CHAMBER IN

By DONALD CtIAMBERIlN
When I walked the deck Of the liner
.Arganda on the third day out and saw
for the first time among the passen-
gers who were recovering from NAL
de mer and getting out from the ships
smells to help them do SO Helen Tim
erson I little thought that within five
days she would be my wife and we
would be married in way such as no
couple had been married before.
was going abroad to establish
wireless telegraph station, wireless te-
Biography being my profession. 1 kept
away from the wireless Office on the
ship, fearing to make known my inter-
est in wireless matters, and did not
care to have what might say re-
ported. . But time came when this
did not deter me.
We were steaming along through
thick fog one afternoon when suddenly
I felt a shock. We had collided with a
vessel, which passed out Of sight, leav-
ing us with a big hole in our ships
bottom. I ran to the wireless Office,
and from that time till the vessel went
down I alternated with the operator
calling for help. Meanwhile the ship
had been put on a course toward the
shore, and when we were left on the
water we were not far from it.
xroS s,iolxo1 nm l,u hook &Iok no
left the ship with but few persons in
her, and during the exposure that fol-
lowed they all died. How kept body
and soul together am at loss to
know. have hazy remembrance of
the boat being overturned and l ex-
pecting to be drowned. But later l
found myself lying on beach. This
seemed like life to me, and made an
effort. Sitting up. looked about me
and saw only bodies Of those who had
been washed ashore from the wreck.
It was grewsome sight, one that i
shall never forget. And was oppress-
ed with the thought how narrowly
had escaped like fate.
Presently arose and staggered
about on my feet. One Of the first OBJ.
jects to confront me was the girl l
had seen on the steamers deck-Hel-
en- Timerson. I supposed she was
dead. I approached her and saw that
she breathed. had flask in my
pocket with top well screwed on. and
I had refrained from taking the last
drink. This I gave to the girl. and it
revived her.
Looking about me. l discerned at
distance the antennae of wireless
station. Expecting that there would
be persons there, took Miss Timerson
In my arms and carried her there.
What was my surprise to find the
place deserted. Why no one was there
is another story, too long to be given
here. Leaving. the young lady on a
lounge, went on the roof of the sta
ton building and saw that we were
on an island. though the mainland
was dimly visible. There were pro-
visions in plenty, and prepared some
thing for Miss Timerson, feeding her
carefully.
Well, to make a long story short, we
were the only two persons on that is
land for a week. Others started to go
there. but were turned from their
course. Within couple of days of
our arrival the young lady and 1 had
quite recovered our strength. and l
noticed that she seemed concerned at
the euuivocal position in which she
was placed being alone with man.
I told her that the circumstances in
which we were placed would preserve
us from scandal. She replied that
they should preserve us, but they
would not. There were always per
sons who would take advantage OF
such situation to cast slur.
/ told her that IL she felt that way
about the matter there was but one fe'
course for us-to be married. After
much pondering without reply to this
she said that she did not see how we
could be married, since there was no
one to marry us and no witnesses. A
plan occurred to me for marriage
ceremony that would be legal. but II
seemed 30 wild that said nothing 70
her about it at the time.
The next day I led Miss Timerson
into the operating room and began TO
call for ships out at sea. l soon came
in touch with tramp steamer 5oo
miles distant and asked If there was
clergyman aboard. The reply being IN
the affirmative, called for him and
asked If he would marry a couple oy
wireless. He assented. and then toId
Helen what I had done.
We were an hour talking the matter
over. at the end of which time We
agreed to be married. called the snil
I had called before, gave the parsol
our names and such other Information
as was required, and we went through
q marriage ceremony by wireless teleg
raphy. The minister was. requesteo
to send the certificate to her address
duly witnessed by two persons ol
board the vessel.
The day after our union boat ar
rived. bringing persons to take cnares
of the station. and the same boat TOOL
me and my bride to the mainland. VI
reaching it we learned Of the grea'
oommotIon oxcited nv the loss OF tnt