The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-11
Jennie
Hatch'S
Secret
Only One Other
Person Shared Il
By ESTHER vANDEvEER

asurlter and lived In New Bedford In
no whalin. days when ships went of
" lonr voyages for oil. Jennie grew
rn almost as good a sailor as her ia.
Nor When she was ten years old she
.oud handle a pair Of oars as well as
Asr strength would permit and when
ne was fourteen would be seen any
lime in Tie bay on which she lived
anlne q little boat with q leg-o'-mut.
IN sail. skimming the water like n
k,rd Shl didn't seem to mind it when
ne wind was quite fresh and the
raves were rather large for SO small a
boat
Tn,e. on one occasion she was cap
lied by her main sheet getting caught
the tiller but she chung to the boat
I'M she was rescued and laughed at her
escuers as though she considered her
ucklns a good Joke.
II was that CHEEKY disposition and
bsence of fear which made her popu-
ar with her neighbors, who were all
mphiblou>. and. as for the few young
blows who were not at sea, they were
D In love with her, TO say nothing of
hose who were at sea and came ashore
pr short periods. When she came to
manageable age her father wished
hat his first mate, David Larraway,
hould get the prize. Possibly David
hight have won her had he passed
bore Of his time ashore. But a man
Tho is gone on two or three years
oyage. as sailors were In those days,
tas not very well situated to make
bye TO a girl ashore.
Besides. David was thirty when Jen-
be was seventeen, n matter Of fact
hap, steady as rock and not at all
emonStratlye. Captain Hatch had
cen on the same ship with him for
)ght years and during that time had
armed that he was as reliable I'm foul
fair weather. And that was the
fason why he wished Jennie to be his
|ife.
Jennie al this time was Of an age
which girl has not yet let 60
boys to care for the attentions Of
Yen.
One day when the captain and his
Fst mate were on their way back from
three years cruise Hatch intimated
larraway that If he could win Jen-
le 1t would be relief to her parents.
hey feared she might take up with
(me worthless fellow who would make
miserable. Dave confessed to the
lptaln that he had loved Jennie ever
nee she was passing from girlhood
womanhood. He had intended to
|eas to her as lover before they had
|led from New Bedford, but some
pw be couldn't get out what he had
say. The captain laughed at him
% told him TO "heave the lead" when
ley returned.
nut when they brought the ship into
II and went ashore they found a
eat change in Jennie. She was not
" three years older. but all that
nehtlneSs that had made her so at
ac'iVe had gone out of her. Some
ins mad happened during their alb.
nce. what was 1t? No one except
selr seemed to know. and she told
one
'ooh after her father had gone to sea
'nis voyage from which he was re-
'nhs Young sailor named Baker
Y come INTO port and remained there
'e'ai weeks while his ship was un-
uns her cargo and loading for an
'ei voyage He was q handsome
~ Win devil-may-care way about
'iiat was especially attractive to
'us eirls' But he was disssipated-
eas' during his stay ashore-and
.eh he sailed left q number Of un-
~ y accounts behind him. mostly for
naker paid some attention to
aie Hatch. 1t was known that her
1er o.s mad reproved her daughter for
eating with him. but this was all.
us ship was about to sail he
.a,ous'n ng on shore with a num-
" us messmates, and the party
49,. .aiFied on board by an officer and
s n crew that had been sent for
PURPOSE This was town talk after
ma sli'ils Of the ship. and Jennie's
s .ohsldered that II she had had
l.s se.'Ous Intentions with regard to
y was well for her that he had
nos u good time what he was.
~ =. condition was not favorable
!, sa~ays s. attempting to win Jen-
hn, nu lie did not attempt to do
IN, Ne showed his great friendli-
n iuls l she accepted-indeed, seem
nj. p reeu' Her fathers ship-the
N match. named for ber-remain-
an, ~ several months for repairs,
n an this time Larraway saw a !
eons,s ol Jennie. No one seemed |
b er ma their being together any
No, =. tllan friendship. for they |
mia. ' NE lovers. At any rate,
nea :, oenasior toward Larraway
q b,o.l a' Oh woman toward an
'ef awhile