Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-11-17
IN BALLAST
BY DOROTHY scoVILLE


I TIRE Sea Wind was only two days
- out of Boston when she was run
down one foggy morning by freight
er, Of Sow ana Pig shoal. by the
united efforts Of four ulsky seamen ut
/ the pumps, and the coast guard cutter
I towing her, the Sea Wind managed to
/ get into the Cove Harbor without sink
Ing, although her deck was awash.
/ The day after she came in nor'east-
er blew up during the night and the
Sea Wind dragged YEARLY over TO the
I hsh company's old pier, long deserted
and half to pieces. where she lay as
though moored by her own seamen.
The schooner was old; was being
taken down 20 Perth Amboy TO be dis
masted and used as coal barge. and
the company who had bought her de-
cided she wasn't worth bothering with
after seeing the hole In her bow, so
she was stripped and left
The day the Sea Wind was aban-
doned, Jimmy Croker discovered and
adopted her. Jimmy was the assistant
/ keeper OF Easterly light He was tall
/ ish, sea-browned and Young. with n
stern far-away look in his gray eyes
4 that came from dreaming Of the time
/ when he would step before the inspec-
tor at Boston and would receive his
coveted masters license lie had been
/ ready 10 take out his masterpieces
4 was In Boston. when he had been run
down by carelesSly driven auto The
/ lameness had never gone, although the
accident had been nearly three years
ago. Old Doc Hanes had said It might
never go.
He had taken the lighthouse Job be-
+ cause II was where he could watch the
\ ships, and because the doctor had pro-
/ hlbited hard work for while. Then.
/ too Il was away from people and pity
1 pity that he dreaded more than any
thing lie wanted to he alone That
was why he adopted the Sea Wind.
/ The villagers smiled tolerantly mt
: this queer young man who preferred
/ his own company 10 that Of the men
/ in the village. He got the name Of
being bit queer" Even the sweet
est smiles and the gayest chatter of
/ the girls did not interest him. Then
Mona Clarke came along
/ Mona Clarke was slender little
I fiaprer, with short black curls and the
/ features Of saint saint with cherry
red lips. flaming checks and sparkling
/ black eyes
"IIer heads Ike ship in ballast"
old Captain Gates would chuekle to his
crones; ITS empty I"
Yet when Jimmy Croker first saw
Mona Clarke his heart turned com.
pletely over
In very short time the whole viii
iage had II that Mona Clarke was
making fool Of that good looking
4 young lightkeener NJ Easterly point.
No one could understand It. and least
OF all did Jimmy himself. He shud-
dered at her actions and her paint.
yet he was fascinated; admitted he
loved her.
Then the tragedy came. one morn
4 Ing Mona Clarke was found on the
beach. a bruised and torn little heap
She had dared the Needles once too
often, and had been caught in the surf
that broke against those Jagged rocks
Her family took her away IN search
OF the best doctors, but In spite Of
their care three months later the YER
dict was lame for NE"
Jimmy Croker was almost wild He
had heard no word from her AMI,
thinking she had forgotten him, tried
to forget her He studied all the
books on navigation he could find His
lsmeness was slowly disappearing. and
the day came when he left the light
for Boston. and the examination that
would give him his masters papers.
Through Capt'n Zed the taciturn old
man who had shared the lightkeep-
ers duties with Jimmy, the village
heard that he had a coastwlse freight
err Sometimes the steamer would
pass by the point. Captain Zed would
4 be on the highest, barest dune then,
waving II turkey red table cloth. aud
watching through the glass for re-
turn futter Of red
year ran along and summer came
again. To the surprise Of the much
/ interested villagers, the old Sea Wind
showed signs Of Ife She was patched
and painted til she looked almost 1T
for sea again Then one day a sign
appeared al the foot Of the dock. and
the mystery WAS cleared. The Sea
Wind was renewing her youth as a
place for teas and luncheons and the
manager was slim, dark eyed girl
who walked with n limp, and who had
the face Of saint.
The Sea Wind was nm lnstan, sue
cess The red tables on the deck be
meath the striped awning were always
filed MonRs old crowd came NJ fret
prepared 10 be amused M her latest
within, but they were, instead, respect
ful and puzzled. She was so changed.
II Was In the fail when Jimmy
Crocker came 10 visit Captain bed for
q few days As he rounded the point,
Jimmy saw the changed Sen Wind.
He walked Ibout half way down the
wharf and then stopped, bBt after a