Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Jan. 24, 1909, edition 1 / Page 20
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I HAD rome off the dog-witch about an hour, as I i i I l ; A 1. reckon, ana was sleeping naru wmcii kc siiui.il upon the reef. The jerk pitched me out of my bunk, and 1 lost my bearings and couldn't think where 1 was till I heard Tom Hands swearing. it was generally a lew worm anu a kh oi swears with Tom; but this time it was no vords and all swearing; and I sat up on the floor and laughed at him. "Must have struck a whale," I said. "Whaie"' roared Tom. "The cargo's shifted. That$ what it is; and we'll be working double shifts till it's right." We scrambled into our clothes and ran on deck; where the first mate told us off to get out a boat for the passengers. We had about a boatload aboard, though we were mostly cargo. Tom and I climbed into the cutter on the starboard beam; but as soon as we were in her the ship gave a lurch. We hung further and further over the water and I saw the deck tilt and tilt till it was like a wall, and the peaple went sliding down it and clung to the bulwarks Little Mrs. Williams, who had always a pleasant word for us com mon sailors, was just beneath us, and Tom cut off a lift-buoy and flung it to her, (but she missed it. Then the I HAD A TURN SEEING A WOM&N sea seemed to rise up at us and we were doused with a crash, just as I grabbed an oar. I was whirled about underneath the water till my breath was gone; and " when I came up I went spinning round and round in a sort of whirlpool, bobbing under and up again ' till I was nearly choked. I stuck to the oar, but some thing hit me on the head, half dazing me. I never remembered properly what happened, only that I saw the ship had broken in two and left a bit of the bows Sticking up on the reef. A woman swept by me, and I grabbed at her but didn't catch her. I heard one or , two cries from the water, but none from the ship ' what was left of it and judged no one was there; ' and the cries soon stopped. So I tucked the oar under my chin, to keep my head up, and floated aboutjn the dark. I kept saying to myself that it was a bad business, a bad business," but couldn't think about any thing properly, except that I'd like to smoke, tf I had a pipe and matches and tobacco. And soon I began ' to fed drowsy, and thought it wasn't much good hold ing on any longer.' Perhaps I shouldn't have, only the ' moon came out between some black clouds, and I saw land ahead; and so I stuck to the oar. When I dorea and half let it go I got the water in my mouth, and , that woke me. Presently something knocked my legs, and I found it was the land, and got ashore like a half-drowned rat, and squeezed the water out of my :", clothes. Then I tumbled down on the beach and went .' to steep. , . , 5 When the sun grew hot enough it woke me My ' ! clothes were dry, but stiff and crusty with the salt, and I ached- all over and was. hungry and thirsty. I saw ' - some fresh water running down from We land, ana lay beside it, lapping it like a dog. Then I found some shell-fish like whelks and ate therjv It oewrredto tne Mux some of the others might be left, so . went and looked out to sea. and saw the bows of the o d ship on the reef about a mile away , but tt was plain enough that no one was there. I started along the . ' shore to look for them. , Five washed ashore altogether, and a (juantity of wreckage. I dug five graves in the loo se with a bit of plank for a spade; and I dug hers deepest. I cat fire strips off the plank with my kftife-hers was the widestr-and stock them op and scratched their naToTihem; and on her. I nut "In lovmg mem-raory- and I said a bit of the service that I could re- . TkS'I walked along the shore, looking for rnc-re wreckage; and presently I came round the corfter ot --I-sodhVd- tad. Itrnj. seemg a woman toUmg a ?lT ik trp the beach 1 I ' didn't recogmie ner . frsVwVthourber gold eye-glasses, knt corteht td stared at we. I saw it -was Miss Horton. X we called -Mis. Haughty- becanse fketH biiih and mighty. She tad a kttle money, and a lot o( bWearSinc aod-was bo tad M She was good-looking, rnfulsort of . turned up her month, and hardly looked at ym when yrfTske to her. So I'd rathcr-ve seen any of the ,h passeugers east on m bj UUnd. -ilowsomerer." I thought. "sbeH be robody. She's a woman, and . not ed I to rcmghM ' it, so HI have to p her the cave. Ajd I -alked y.j--y - up and touched my head with a friendly grin. "Glad to see you, miss," I said. But she backed away from me with her eyes wide open, her hands go ing as if she were swimming, to keep me off. It was plain enough that she was in a mortal fright of me. "Bless you, miss!" I told her. "I sha'n't hurt you. I'm Thom'pson Jack Thompson off the old ship. It' a bit of rough luck, this wreck, but we'll be more com fortable than you'd expect. There's eggs and shell fish and fresh water, and I reckon we'll get no end of things from the wreck; and I've found a nice httl cave that will do for a house, and " She gave a shriek and clenched her hands. "If you touch me I'll kill myself," she declared, jumping back. . - . . "You've got wrong ideas of me, miss, I said. 1 wouldn't hurt you on any account. You shall have half the island to yourself, if you like." ' "Swear it !" she cried, in a great state of excitement, "swear it !" as if the word of a common sailor wasn't enough. So I made believe to kiss a book, to pacify her. "The truth and the whole truth," said I, holding out my hand. "Draw a line I" she screamed, as if we were going to BOLLING A CASK UP THE BEACH have hysterics. "Draw a line across the sand. That will be your side, and this will be mine, just as if it went right atross the island, to those trees." "Very well, miss," 1 agreed, shrugging my shoulders. "Ml draw a line, but you'd better change sides first There's a cave this way I pointed to where I'd come from "that will come in useful to you The weather doesn't make as much odd to me. She crossed over without even saying "Thank you and I made a deep furrow in the sand, leaving the cask n"Tbereldyou are, miss," I said, "but I've got to have liberty to go just there and back." I pointed to where the graves were, "Why?" she asked sharply. "Weil" I told her, "I don't want to give -ou cause to fret. 'but you'd soon see for yourself. It s graves. rerytweU." she said with a shudder. "Now go, please, so that I csin fetch the cask." She evidently wouldn't trust herself within arm s length of me, thinking that a common sailor hadnt the feelings of a man toward a helpless woman. "Well" I said, "I'll go. You'll find the most shell fish on that little spit; and there's a freshet c ,f water just opposite, and birds' nests in the km bushes, but they're prickly. You'd better take a bit of plank to oP7n them, but don't beat them down or they'H not lay there again,-and some day you'll know that you thought wrong of me." The following day I saw her near the line and wanted to call out and ask how but I noticed tEat sheTd stuck Iff her belt a chopper that must have come ashore, and knew that she was going armed, as if I were an enemy. I took n rather to heart, and for a fortnight kept well away from her part of the island in the daytime, but along to hear her sing in the erentog feeling lonesome. E?pt for the 1glJJSJ& not fancying w pork. ftJLT2; At hrtt i uvea mosuv va w . : 7- - hv wsrt rasr cnouitu w . . , - - , , ' sun. and I did, and liked them better that way. I ttomrht snt might not ve hit upon ?S??,e4-Be" sage on a bit of wood, and, left it for her. f you want eggs I've Fty. Yon cm cook trn in the sun. Cn a white stone with another, behind I them is the best way." ' . , She scratched an answer underneath, and left one of the gfessts-emt-of a teJesc-heJide Ifej. . -Thanks. IVe plenty. Yob eaa light , fire wit this lens. Tve another." . . A ta I thought it showed a neighborly Jf A nail her next chance, but I happened graves, and found she'd been there, and pnt np waras learnea n w uw"' " - . the sun; bat I thought thea that it was "fE.4 effing, because X saw that she had Vo"rrm tbTnW, and only one "ra" in the &&?: ' oty." and I'd put two. It annoyed ,e great deaU S X spent three ftenooMirtUnf . osa ib Dwelt proper spelling, and put it there instead. After that I didn't try to speak to her, but I knew she got on all right because I saw her cooking things in big shells. She used them for plates, too, and a tin for a cup ; so took the hint for myself. One lay I saw that she dragged herself about as if she weren't well; and she didn't sing in the evening. The next day she seemed worse. The following day I - didn't see her out at all. I was afraid to frighten her by calling after it was dark; but I sat down by the line to watch if she came out in the morning, and when she didn't I decided that the promise had to be b broken and went along to tne cave ana cauea to ner "Don't be afraid. Miss." I shouted. "I thought per haps you werent well. "I am ill." she answered in a hoarse voice. il's some kind of fever. I I'm so thirsty." I picked up the can that was lying outside, and ran off for some water. "Shall I put it round the corner?" I asked. "I can stand," she said, with a groan. So I went in. She was lying on the sail I'd thrown over to her, and her teeth were chattering as with the ague, but she tried to laugh. ... "A bit hard, those stones,"' I suggested; and she gave a great sigh. "They make nje ache," she owned. So 1 fetched a lot pf grass, and rolled up my coat (I didn't want it, having a jersey) for a pillow, and lifted her on to it, Covering her up with the sail. Then I boiled her an egg, but she only ate half of it The next time she wouldn't eat any, and I couldn't get her to touch anything else, although she kept drinking water. "If only I could have some milk," she waa always saying. "There was such a lot aboard." She meant the tinned stuff. "Well," I said, "there migif be some in the bows now. Perhaps I could float out with a plank, when the tide', going that way, and back again when it turns." "No, no!" she cried. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Those horrid little goblins will take me ifvou do." She was light-headed, off and on, and I had tf sit be side her, and pretend that 1 kept the goblins off. She got worse and wprjfcTand at last she was so bad that she only moaned and didn't open her eyes, and couldn't swallow anything but water. She kept clutch ing as if she wanted to hold something, and I had to give her my hand to quiet her. Then she went off into a stupor, and I thought the end was coming. I didn t believe it was the fever that was killing her as much as having nothing she could take except water, and at last I made up my mind that I'd try to get her some milk from the ship. I d noticed the tide set that way when it was going cut. So, about an hour before the turn, I took alank, end floated with it, swimming and guiding it as well as I could, though I wasn't much of a swimmer. It was slack water by the reef, and I managed to steer into a little cove and climb up the rock, from which I could jump on the side of the old ship, as it lay over, and crawl in through a porthole. Then I slid and clambered about the inside, until I reached the galley, and the bunks and lockers in the forecastle. Here I found a lot of things. I tied up several bundles of clothes, blankets and other articles, lashing them to spars and boxes, and threw them over, thinking some of them might chance to float ashore. The milk I put in boxes, with some tools, and then fixed up a grating with planks. To this I fastened the boxes, and some more blankets, and let the whole thing like a raft tnto the water with, a rope. I then slid down the rope, and cut it with my knife, and floated off. It seemed as if I was going to miss the island altogether ; but for row locks I stuck two marlin spikes through the grating and sculled with an oar I'd taken; and, after going back-X ward and forward with the contrary currents about two hours, I drifted into a useful one; and at last 1 reached the island, just at the corner, and ran ashore. Then 1 walked nee-deep in the water, towing the raft, till I was opposite the cave, and hauled tt up on toe beacH ' "'opened a tin of milk, mixing it with water, and gave her a spoonful (I'd taken a spoon). Then I gave her some brandy that I'd found aboard; and afterward covered her up with blankets, so that she would get hot and sweat out the fever. She breathed harder, and 1 hoped she'd be all right; but I fell asleep unawares, being dog-tired- and when I woke she was lying wit her eyes open, looking at me. , . . She said. "I'm going to get better, and I said, "Thank God!" And she said. "Yes!" and smiled and WeWhen "she1 awoke I gave her more milk-and-water, and when she'd finished it she looked insed and asked me where it came from, so I told her about my trip to the wreck. She lay staring at me with her eyes inoureacSe island again-!" she said, Wo,'X:; no worse off than if I hadnt g"Oh!" sChePS'"I wasn't thinking of W thinkina that you risked your life for me. bhe new St herghdy.nd I shook it. "I wish were-Ae same side of the line." she said, and I felt as if Id been doused with cold water. -Ahl" I said. "The line-I know I'm a rough sort of chap, and not fit company for the bkes of you; but IftUStiW me. -I think yeu are good"nd bravl and honorable.,, I .( I wish there wasn't any line. , "You can rub it out witH your foot," I said wtth a bu? . i. - -ljI. A , little shake of "Ne--saibwwn-j'tws - . -her head. "I can't. It is you who must remOvtthe tin " But I shook my head. , , mtsie? I VgSS: and you must take it away. If you don U I stay my own Vide, once you're well and strong; but till jro are. I'm. going to k afr you. - . r She put ocr nnu , ; - eim. tt& we .he declare 1 --- . - z-..a , . . . liked beincr wottea alter, wu si""1 , - ,-. ' . On.eIin7b said ah. "moSt,IL iVkt wed have another walk after tea. It was bright Wf ; as we walked along the beach; and when we came to the line, stopped looking down at it. . -; ; ' , "'Tr hne that separates me from a good mac, she said with catch bt her Yoke.,- "If easy to rub out, missie," I told her, put it 4kltM.l SheUhed itm bitBut not-not tMHM be-- wrTrves? The line that M beJfw are rescied - -"Why. trf course, miss P I agreed. . - "You'r a lady. bom and bred, end I'm common aaDor. su tant . rub out that line." " 2. Lua " PiOt ii , you might rise. Yoa could try anyhow-I "No, she said. . 1 cant; om y JT"J"j:- -I Wsri whi M miss,- I told her- "Tm T" broujht CP to be. what I am. Th-e's the lire.be- coprtfrtrr. tvt tween us, and there it will have to j V "It hasn't," she cried, stamping her foot almost in a passion. "If you wanted to be friends with me wanted it badly you d cross it You'd try 'anyway." . "As to that, miss,'' I said very quietly, "if you wanted to be friends with me there wouldn't be any line. At least you woudn't think about it" "That's nonsense,'' she said sharply, .There it a Hne, and I do think about it. Won't ou let me teach you spelling and grammar?" " . . .. And then f thought about the plank that I'd set up over little Mrs. Williams not yet knowing the real facts about it and felt as if I boiled up; and I just drew my toe along the line and made it deeper. - "There's the line of spelling and grammar," I said, "and I'll never step over it on this island or off jt un less you ask me leastways not without good cause, as I had We! now, you'd better go to sleep and keep those roses in your cheeks, missie ; and itll be sufficient, cause to step over it when I can do things for you." I didn't want to upset her for I had a liking for her, when all was said and done. But she stamped her foot and looked at me with her eyes blaring. "You have made the line now," she cried, "and I'll never put my foot over it" And she turned and ran. For three days neither of us crossed the line, though we spent most of out time talking, one on each side. We were friendly enough, but both wished we hadn't said what we had. Then a ship came and took us off; . and when we were finally on board the line was plain enough! , She wanted me to go to heiriends when we landed, but I wouldn't, and I stayed at the port to look for a ship. I was shortly given a position by my old firm, who were very good to me, and then her lawyer came , to see me. He was a pleasant old gentleman, and . wanted to lend me money to start in a business. "A man with your abilities," he said, "my dear Mr. Thompson, ought not to be content to pursue the call ing of an ordinary seaman, respectable and r r honorable as that calling may be" ' " . - 1 tVX COUK OVEB TKB trNB," SHE SOBBED - ' ' -"jECAtrss X tov vooM ' . -. . . . ' "That's all Tm fit for, sir," I said, "althongh I thank you. I know who sent you, and you may tell your client, as you call her, that I'm much obliged 4t's just what I'd expect; but what I did for her was what it was a man's duty to do, and his right; and I don't want to lpai44y7femnJL.ive iet-my- belt wishes, -it -; isn't as though I wouldn't like to. see her, but I don't care to go and feel that things are different from when ' we were good friends on the island. ' I know she was right when she spoke about the line which was between J us; and so I'm off on Saturday." . . - "Aht" said the old gentleman. "Umph! your feeling , of pride does yon credit, JMr. Thompson ; great credit ... Eat er you are too chivalrous a man toer-H ish to hurt the feelings of a a woman. You see women ' have their duties and thds rights, top, and er my I h i! i ' ; "ZZ'm-L.'J rSvh ' ... i v., -T .t,,H l,a Ihi. Hn. client naturally desire! to show her gratitude to jro I think you ought to consider her a little in the matter.. Really now, my dear Mr. Thompson, you wouldn't think, as well of her, if she didn't desire to be of friendly as sistance to you. Now would you?" ... . "No, sir I said, "that's so. She's quite, right M; making the offer, but I'm right, according to my ideas,. , in refusing. . Please give her my very grateful thanks, ' , and say that I shall think kindly of ber for it" . . "Umph!" said he. "Umpht Lthink you would show , your appreciation better by" sinking a. little f your , pride, and going to thank her yourself. She'll be ?ery much hurt if you go abroad without" seeing hex" -i , "111 call-on her to-morrow,' I -aid very promptly, for I wanted to see her badly enough, and. was glad f . an excuse, although I told; myself thatj I was a foot to think so much of any one who was on the. other side of: a line over which there was no crossing. IXras a bit nervpurwnen i.saw ner ocaouiui own, stammering when the servant opened the door and, stared at me; but Miss Horton raa out and caught hold of my hands. She pulled me 'into the drawing-room, which was full of ornaments and pretty things, as I managed to remember afterwards. But I'didnt think of them then, for she, looked so lovely, that she took my breath away. ' 1 1nade 1 line in the pattern of tho , carpet for a warning, to myself, . and felt as though there were sea-spray la my eyes.;; y , : . "Dear friend,", she said, won't yos let tne-ofTer yo the least thing? when you offered your life for tner 1 took my cap and staggered to my feet and turned; to go, feeling that I couldn't stand it any. longer. : "I'd dd it any time," I said. "A dozen if I had them; Don't think it's because I don't want to come that I ) won't see you any more. It's just just the line, pussiest ,-r-the line God bless you," ' A .,''.' I turned ancwas gping. ' I couldn't see her for th mist in my eyesand then I found her clinginsr tome. - "I've come over the; line," she sobbed, 'because I love you; and you love me!" . . '. I kissed her and held her at arm's length. Jberj ... - . v I - .!f..t 1 n. : tossed jter.aganv . ' ' . . ; "Dear heart," I said, very solemn, "before God I 36, Now listen to me, deaf. Love isn't a matter of lines j and Fra not going to let my pride come between as. I've taken you. for my own; and mine you're going to be." - "... . - - V. ' ,r: , "Yes," she said. "Yes!" , '"But firsL" I told her. "I shall hate to cross the hneJ I'm going to educate myself, and make myself more fit for you. I'm going to do it by. myself, without your help. ; When I've done it, I'm coming to yoa Well, ) I'm not going to wait till then,, either. I'm corning to see yen' ef cry time -fnr home r-and year ehatt tell-mc how I'm getting or and when I'm over the line." J She agreed that that was right, and so we settled it. ' I went to the head of my old firm, that my father served , too,, the next morning and told him the whole story. He wouldn't allow' me to go to sea yet, but gave me at ahore position, so that I could go to night-schooL The younger partner sometimes bad me at his house, and -taught me to speak properly. "s I learned faster thaa-I -expected; arid when I'd mastered arithmetic and reached algebra and geometry I found that I had a gift for mathematics, They sent me to their office at Havre for awhile, and there I learned French in a way . that 'surprised everybody. I then passed some examt-" . nations and went for a voyage as a sort of super-cargo; . on this I did some very good business for the firm, and when I came back I went straight to Violet. (That is her name.) - ... ... !X.dA't-spcakvoLilieJirieTio laugh, after we were over the first excitement. : "I call h the equatorl" ' : " ' ,' ' ' "Couldn't you cross the the equator now?" ah ; whispered. ' "And stay with me?" . "No, dearest," I said. "It isn't a Jhan's place taliv on his wife ; but suppose you come and stay with mel They've offered me a berth in the city, and t&cre's t house, and-- I looked at her. . " "It will be very nice." she said. ; .'And then she kissed me. ' ft 7 r t h
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 24, 1909, edition 1
20
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