Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-25

nus u NhcsaiVhS. MY ledi Nic HibH'
find it out, and then there would be
hill to pay"
"Oho," ] exclaimed. so that's the
way the wind blows, eh?"
81 said she was my wife," he con.
tinued lamely. because | thought 1t
might help to save her from your SAIL
| ors. But don't want my wife to find
1t out"
''All right, SIR" | said, 81 won't re-
| port 1t, and | won't let my officers or
crew know anything about 1T. That
will be best. Treat the girl as your
wife. will keep my mouth shut, and
| you keep your mouth shut"
1t was difficult point of morals
aboard ship. If the sailors found OUT
| that the girl was not the officers wife,
| but only kind OF stowaway, they
would lose all respect for her, and
| there was no telling what they might
| try to do. Sailors are not angels, but
| usually, In fact, lot of rogues. but
they are highly respectable. They
have a very fine code of honor, and
woman who Is Off the line Is simply
Off the line to them. Certainly. ! did
| not want them to know that the Off
| GERS wife was not the officers wife.
One of my prisoners turned out to
| be an acquaintance of the officer OF
| the 81. | told him that the Off
Ger of the :. had his wife
along, and introduced him to the girl
| He laughed so hard he nearly fell
over. He wanted to tell the joke all
around. Ii was awkward for a mo-
ment. but col the two men aside and
talked earnestly to them.
I'VE must be gentlemen in this mat.
ter" | said "She Is girl. We are
men, We must protect her. The sail
ors must not know about It, You must
both give ME your word of honor that
you will keep mum and tell nobody"
They both promised they would obey.
Everything wRnt all right until this
other prisoner took n shine to the girl,
too, 1t was funny business. She kind
| of liked him. | kept an eye on the
whole affair and saw what was hap
| penlng. Here was more worry and
trouble. took the two men aside
and said to them:
II don't care what arrangements
you two fellows make with your fur
| playmate, but II mas got to be kept
quiet. The sailors must think that
she Is the wife of the officer OF the
and that Is only
friend"
They made some kind of change,
believe. | never could figure just how
1t was. never was much good at
mathematics or at figuring out any,
thing. for that matter. AT any rate,
they kept Il quiet. The other prison
er was married, too, and he didn't
want anything of the complicated ro-
nance to get around either.
had come to expect my prisoners
to be good company. Our former Cap
tains' club bad been one of the most
delightful social organizations ever
formed. These two sentimental SWANS,
however, were not much good for
comradeship. Ii was difficult to get
together with them for a pleasant
chat or game of cards. They were
always thinking about the girl, and.
although they were sacquaintnnces In
captivity, their feelings toward each
other had become slightly strained.
There Is something about the air
down there In the South Seas guess,
One OF the captains made up tor
fine companionship that had been lack
ing He was a fine fellow. lie was
'Jpyial and intelligent, and thorough
seaman If there ever was one. We be-
came fast friends and had many
long and sympathetic talk about the
war.
Weeks passed, and we did not see
another ship. The idle days became
very boresome. Ii was broiling hot,
and we had little exercise Our water
visions. Our prisoners did not find
their stay with us so pleasant now,
but we could moi find vessel on
which to ship them. One decided that
he could not stand II any longer. He
wanted to put his feet on land at any
price. He came TO me with strange
idea. Would | not land him on des-
f-ert island and leave him there cast
away2 Anything was better than ship
board. But the principal part of his
plan was more subtle. He would be
reckoned dead al home, and his peo-
pie would collect his insurance money.
Perhaps ! would be so kind rs to
make IL seem certain that he was lost.
Yes. no? On the island he could live
as a Robinson Crusoe, kind of exist
ence which he fancied would be quite
agreeable. Unfortunately for him, |
felt obliged to decline ! was not in
terested in swinding insurance COM
panies.
(TO BE CONTINUED)