The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-09
Jennie
Hatch'S S
Secret
Only One Other
Person Shared Ii
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

UP almost as good sailor aS her IA
ther When she was ten years old she
could handle pair of oars as well n
her strength would permit and when
she was fourteen would be seen any
time in the bay on which she lived
sailing little boat with a lego -mut-
ton sail, skimming the water like Il
bird. She didn't seem to mind it when
the wind was quite fresh and the
waves were rather large for so small
boat.
True, on one occasion she was cap
sized by her main sheet getting caught
in the tiller but she clung to the boat
till She was rescued and laughed at her
reScucrS as though she considered her
ducking good joke.
Ii was that CHEEKY disposition and
absence of fear which made her popu-
lar with her neighhors. who were all
amphibious. and. as for the few young
fellows who were not mt sea. they were
all in love with her. To say nothing of
those who We're at sea and came ashore
for short periods. When she came to
a marriageable age her father wished
that his first mate. David Larraway.
should get the prize. Possibly David
might have won her had he passed
more OF his time ashore. But man
who is gone on two or three years
voyage. as sailors were In those days,
was not very well situated to make
love TO girl ashore.
Besides. David was thirty when Jen-
ME was seventeen. matter of fact
chap, steady as a rock and not at all
demonstrative. Captain Hatch had
been on the same ship with him for
eight years and during that time had
learned that he was as reliable In foul
as fair weather. And that was the
reason why he wished Jennie to be his
wife
Jennie at this time was Of an age
in which girl has not yet let go
OF boys to care for the attentions of
men.
One day when the captain and his
first mate were on their way back from
a three years cruise Hatch intimated
to Larraway that IL he could win Jen-
ME it would be relief to her parents.
They feared she might take up with
some worthless fellow who would make
her miserable. Dave confessed to the
captain that he had loved Jennie ever
since she was passing from girlhood
to womanhood He had intended to
a. h..,. hot hnU III
sailed from New Bedford, but some
how he couldn't get out what he had
to say The captain laughed at him
and told him to "heave the lead" when
they returned.
But when they brought the ship into
port and went ashore they found a
great change in Jennie. She was not
only three years older, but all that
sprightliness that had made her so at
tractive had gone out of her. Some
thing had happened during their alb
sence. What was 1t? No one except
| no one.
Soon after her father had gone to sea
on this voyage from which he was re-
turning a young sailor named Baker
had come into port and remained there
several weeks while his ship was un-
loading her cargo and loading for an
other voyage He was a handsome
chap, with devil-may-c way about
him that was especially attractive to
young girls But he was disssipated-
at least during his stay ashore-and
when he sailed left a number of un-
paid accounts behind him. mostly for
liquor.
Ned Baker paid some attention to
Jennie Hatch. 1t was known that her
mother had reproved her daughter for
associating with him. but this was all.
When his ship was about to sail be
was carousing on shore with num-
Der of his messmates, and the party
were carried on board by an officer and
boats crew that had been sent for
the purpose. This was town talk after
the sailing of the ship, and Jennies
friends considered that II she had had
any serious intentions with regard to
Baker 1t was well for her that he had
shown In good time what he was.
Such a condition was not favorable
TO Larraway's attempting to win Jen.
MES hand. He did not attempt to do
so, but he showed his great friendli-
ness, This she accepted-indeed, seem.
ed to need. Her fathers ship-the
Jennie Hatch, named for her-remain
ed In port several months for repairs
and during this time Larraway saw d
great deal OF Jennie. No one seemed
to consider their being together any
thing more than friendship, for they
did not act like lovers. At any rate
Jennies behavior toward Larraway
seemed that of woman toward an
elder brother.
After awhile Larraway took on 8
serious look as well as Jennie. He saw
her less often and seemed to be dis
tressed about something. When bis
ship sailed, before going aboard be