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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1923)
m i. ■ — ■ i i . — ■ ■■ ■ - - ■ ■■ ■ ' ■ " ■ ----—- ■ - ■■■■■■ — .. - ’ A Sailor9s Wife By Frank H. Shaw Should the Men on the Sinking Ship Be Rescued and the Sick H ife Be -Allowed to Die? Should She hive and the Others Perish? It was altogether against the company's regulations, as the ma rine superintendent took pains to state, but on account of Oapt. Brentwood's good service the re quest should he granted. "Only. It mustn't establish a pre cedent,'’ lie was informed. "Iton't intend it should.'' Brent wood tna le answer. “Hut I hud to ask. Being married yourself you'll understand iny feelings, •sir. I'm nil against carrying women at sva at the I lest of limes—it's no place for 'em. 1 served my time with a skipper whose wife accompanied him every Itist, blessed trip he made —he couldn't call his soul his own. old Squeaker Wllmot couldn't. SI 1C found fault with everything; ran the ship. Didn't like the color of the mate's hair, and got him tired at Frisco. ,0. yes. there Isn't room for wtoim n aboard an ordinary ship. With liners it's different, because they make arrangements; hut in a freighter-” “If you'd told me your views be fore," the superintendent said, smothering a grin, VI might have refused permission. We li en have to slick by one another whatever comes, in these days, else where'd we tie'.’ But ii isn't too late—” “It is too late, sir. Permission's lieen granted. You know my wife, sir; hut yon don’t knowr her as well as I do. 1 eiiu'd no more go to her now anil say she wasn't to make this coming voyage with me than 1 could commit barratry.. I'm a Idt addicted to blushing, for one thing; she'd smell a rat at "ace. No; she win have to go. I suppose in a way I'm jrted." "There's such a thing as an of fieiai letter from the company, you know, Brentwood. i’anceling ear lii r promises, eh so forth? It could bo worked. Mrs. Brentwood would tint be able to find fault with that.” Couldn't she? That shows liow little you know her. There are re murkably few ,things Mrs. Brent wood cannot find fault with when she is in the mood. let me say. Not tiiat she does it nastily." He cough ed, as though aware that ho had conveyed a wrong impression of a woman with w hom, in spite of many years’ married life, he was still much in love. But he was, like many men. somewhat prone to s 1 s‘uk with affected cynicism of his real deeper feelings. "Mind you, we're making an un usual exception in your favor. Mrentwo<id " The superintendent be lieved strongly in keeping the line's employes constantly aware of the debt of obligation they owed the firm. “And your having your wife aboard mustn't interfere in the least with the -hip’s work. There’ll be trouble if anything of the sort hap pens." There Ji ?»•• nothing or the Ron happen. I’ve never allowed anything to Bland in the way of Buntllnc <1 Spinnaker's interewtR. an you knew.” "It's reinenil**! ing that that .. ctused us to give the permission. But. speaking as a friend, if you’d really rather not well, I'll l>e hap py to do all f cun." But {'apt. Brentwood sternly refuB^d the prof* fered mediation, and by the way of clinching the matter proceeded to remove «*erta in wall do**oraliuns from the bulkheads of liis cabin. There was nothing whatever wrong with the pictures he took down, hut his wife had her own ideas concerning adornments, find he wished to please her. Then he went home and an nounced the news. Hoeing the grow iug l.giit of happiness in Mrs. Brent wood’s eyes, be felt extraordinar ily glad that he had not availed himself of tlu* superintendent’* of fered assistance. Although, on prin ciple. a/ul hy reason of youthful experience— the experience that clings to the male mind through many years—l»e was opposed gen erally to the idea of women aboard ship, with his wife it was entirely dlffuent Maisie Brentwood wa« different from the few other women with whom he had come in contact during his almost monastic life at sea. She was clinging, soft souled. anu It was her raltn in mm tnat made Brentwood refuse to treat her aa nine men out of 10 of hi* ac quaintance would have done. Malstft had etstbaUahed for her abiding com fort an ideal man, worthy of all the confidence and worahip of her trusting soul; and that man was the Brentwood of her fancy. Rlnce ordinary male humanity endeavor* to live up to the ideal* of tho*e with whom he is thrown In con tact, UrCftt wood invariably thought of what might meet with Mutate'* approval before committing him self to definite action. Morally and professionally he suffered nothing at/'-ill from this course of conduct; V and the pair of them remained sweethearts. “I'm mighty glad 1 managed to bring it off," he said. They were sitting in one ehair before the fire an he H|mke, although they had been man and wife for a goodly number of years. "It must be pretty lonely for you when I'm away at sea. 1 expert it's the loneliness that's made you look ho pole ard peaked." 8he' smiled bravely at him, determined to speak no word of the curious lit tle gnawing pain that occasionally troubled her. "8ix months' running about the seas wall bring the color back and do you all the good in the world,” he went on. "We'll make a sort of honeymoon of it, eh? Come to think of It, we never had a real honeymoon." "A honeymoon with a middle eyed wife!" she scoffed. “Am I looking so sick as you say?” He kissed fleeting roses Into her cheeks. Their conversation fell to whispers- Malsic laughed once or twh-e. 8he spoke of the joy of be ing hi constant companionship with th's man. whose wife she had been for fifteen years, and who was yet, in many reap ets, a stranger to her; for the seaman's mate must perforce lie widow fur 11 months out of every dozen. listening. Brentwood felt a touch of Indigna tion against the marine superintend > nt trouble him. \Vbat right had Mass* y to make suggestions in tht way he had done? Tl didn’t follow that because his own wife was a Nt of a brimstone, other men’s wives were tarred with the same brush? Yts, Capt. Brent wool was glad he had held out—Insisted on carrying his vrtfe. Maisie wasn't the sort to interfere with the customary discipline of the Wanamn. She would adapt herself to sea condi tions and prove a real help. He was consrious of warm and sooth ing glows running through him as he pictured dark, black nights of fog and rain and driving spindrift, when he could steal an hour from the bridge to sl'p below to his cabin, where Maisie would await him, with bright eyes and under standing smiles. He spent more money than he could well Afford in the days that intervened before the * Wanamn sailed, in buying such cabin adorn ments as lie fancied might please Ids wife. He laid in extra table delicacies with a lavish hand, and bought the cook an entirely new ar.d up to-date cookery book. He look the cabin steward to task, and Habl that the old custom of waiting at tabic in unclean shirt sleeves must cease forthwith. He set the carpenter to work to paint out sa loon and cabin, and hinted that extra luxurious deck chairs might be considered. His officers noticed that a new humanity was growing in their skipper; he took a p-'rsonal interest in their affairs, and was generous In the way of leave ashore. Hut Brentwood Wllevcd that tile Wanama was not nearly well enough equipped when that stout steamer passed through I lie pier heads and entered the open rood stead. I trunk Kites perfect, Mai tic Brentwood said. bite had recently “tuwe«l away certain glaring atro cities of cushion* nnd curtaina that offended her tnHtc. but it may lie that there were spots of moisture on the discarded adornments, too; because die realised the genuine affection that had dictated their pur chase. •■Pnt going to be happier than ever I've been in all tny life." She laid a hand to her side, where the pain was fretting, and smiled bravely. Hite made no mention of the roughness of the fare that was served to her for her that meal aboard; but when Brentwood went track to the bridge, she engaged her self in lengthly conversation with the “toward, and. under his sym pathetic guidance, ventured into thi holiest of all holes on shipboard— the cook's galley. Here she found the brightly bound cookery I rook chocking off a soup kettle that was too small for the stove and the "doc tor" himself wiping lather from his rasor blade on one of its leave*— the leaf that dealt exhaustively with »t|i>ei-zed duck. When the next meal was served, not only Captain Brent wood. but the mate arid second inkles opened their eyes widely pi lor to winking their satisfaction. "The cook seems to have been get ling lessons," the mate remarked. "Ah, that's the new cookery book I got him—these hash spoilets only need a bit of teaching," said Breni wood, nnd M s Brentwood said noth iug concern! g the blisters on her slim fingers Now. a It ge and not uninterest Ing book c r tld ire written dealing with Mai Brentwood's sojourn aboard the Waiiatna; bul it would treat chiefly of minor, uninterest ing episodes. Xo one wishes to be told of the new feet that were knit te<l into the se-ond mate's shocking socks, nor of Mr. Meekins, ttie mate, writing a letter of apology and coil trltion to the girl he had quarreled with. It was not until a month hud passed that the boatswain showed the conventional photograph of his wife and family to Maifile; but be fore a fortnight had elapsed the chief engineer was her devoted slave an<l expressed the opinion, down there in the engineers' raws room —yes, slamming his work stained flat on the oilcloth covered table, that Mrs. Brentwood immt certain ly have g<*Ml Scots blood in her veins, because of her worthiness. The fourth engineer, u cockney Irishman, named her for one of Bel fast breeding, and was promptly sent down to perform an entirely unnecessary bit of work, for bis pains. She did not seek favor; Indeed, it was almost impossible to realize that she* was actually aboard the ship. But. as day followed satisfac tory day, Brentwood found himself wondering how it was he had con tlived to endure previous loneliness without liming his reason. T.lfe was indeed worth the living now: for gotten youthfulness pleasured his soul. At Santos he look advantage or s yellow fever scare to carry Malsle away Into the bracing hills, end found her a comjmnion rnbelievable. She was untiring; always ready to fall in with his wishes in the mat ter of strenuous Iran i>s about tin coffee plantations, a it bough on in frequent'occasions she admitted tliflt the rough roads and the excessive heat tried her somewhat. Bui. see lag what she named for a shallow of d'seonfent on Brcnfwtsal's face, she bravely made light of her tron bl*T. "I didn't know It was possible to l*e as happy as all this." I he captain of tlie Waitama said. ' Tell you wliat. old girl: I'm falling in love with you all over again You are getting prettier, too. You al ways were that.Q but what I mean to say ts. that you're sort of—-sort of getting even prettier." There is nothing a woman past her prime so much delights in as a sincere compliment from the mail who means all the world to her, and Mrs Brentwood managed to laugh quite naturalljj^nnd musically before her lips writhed with the pain that was troubling her. ''These are the days that a man's never going to forget,” Brentwood opined, staring away at the violet and saffron wonderment of the sur rounding hills, and consequently fall lug to notli-e her sudden pallor. “O, f hope you'll remen liei- them —always!" she said with an energy somewhat unusual to her. "I'll tiave to slip down to Hunt os tomorrow.” Brentwood said after a wlille. what time their fingers had been interlocked "Whip's business you know—urgent. But there's no call for you to come—-you're heller up here; though if you'd like—" Maleic bail no dewire that way and after seeing her husband off on the wide oj>en. cuitaim-d <ais, she did not immediately return to the inconspicuous hotel they pat ronised. Instead she walked along a palm Isirdired, pleasant street, where mu'e bells tinkled invitingly, and where almost nude children piayu-il and ehuekled unashamed After much waiting she was admit ted to the sallow presence of the Braxillan doctor. I'm »ot a tram-not nitog>incr afraid tq hear ttie truth," aho said, after the examination was over, and the doctor commenced to rtunmtr. "la It bad?” "Yes, eet oes bad. senhora. Not. I>erbaf*a. very bud. Ah; It is of a thousand pities that I have not the good Kngllsh. An operation, eh’ Yoti nnneratan’? Py a ahlllful man, no? In all Itrazll there la not ope of sufficient skill; but In Kngland or New York- you savvy? Kntteat your good husband to lose no ttm* In taking you away. Pleaae tinner stnn"—It is not exactly of the ut most urgency, but every day that is gained gives you an increase 1 chance of |ierfeo( recovery. On the contrary, every day lost is to our disadvantage—is that tlia word?" "I can't Interfere with the ship's business," said Muisie Hroniwool stoutly. "It was a favor to the captain that I was allowed to make this voyage, doctor.” "It might have been Is-tler ha I you remained at home in your own land, senhora. Here we have all the will, but pei-ha|is not the cxpctienoe. and the climate la against us Whereas your so wonderful sur geons fear nothing and they work the miracles. I have the great ad miration for the skilled surgeons of America and Kngland Mean time, w« shall do what we can." lie write a prescription; und, that pie scriptlon crinkled against her bosom when she met Brentwood as lie alighted from the cars. "Were being tied up," he in formed her. "Ship can't get away ’ for days and days yet—there's some trouble up country, and they can't get the stuff down.” She linked her hand—it was grow iog dally thinner and more trans parent—in his arm, and smileH hap pily upon him. "Never mind; we're very happy here,” she said. “And we must make the best of the good times we're I laving." The pain was more frequent and of a greater poignancy when the YVannma ultimately cast off her shore lines, and moved slowly out into the river, with a full cargo aboard. Maine made no mention of it. Slip iiad laid in a good stock of I lie medicine prescribed by the doctor, and prayed for the beat as she gulped down the nauseating" doses. Several timesphe had tried to tell Brentwood all about the doctor’s diagnosis, but something within her invariably prompted her to silence. Brentwood was stal wart monument of health with scatd tolerance for ordinary human weaknesses: he had enormous faith in the o|ien sea as a liealer. and as he dally congra! Hinted—quite iricorely—his wife on her Improved %'ood looks, and rejoiced in her ei.mpanioriahip, it waa not for Mdisie to dash the cup of happlnesa from his lips. Women are oon stltnted that way; swallowing die comforts and actual agonies with out a quiver of lip or' eyelid to b ap ak tlieir suffering, so that the man they love shall continue to admire and believe. True, In open water, away from the sweltering Brazilian heat, she did taste an improvement in her health. The pain, iliough acute at times, was more Intermittent; and there were long spells with no actual pain at all. Indeed, during which Interval* she fondly hoped against her own belief, that the trouble was finished and done with. She- had her reward "in Brentwood's maintained happiness and satis faction. The Wanama's captain found time to study Intricate tomes dealing with the higher navigation: his ambition was rekindled; In- Ue termined to seek ihe greatest hon or* attainable In his arduous pro Cession. 'Til go In for liners." he told Malar Isdsterously. “This sort of being together grows on a man. makes lifm feel a fool for wasting the earlier years In this tramping jolt. Have you realised 'bow thoroughly you and I have got to know each other during these months'" Mftisie patted his arm and stared nul ls gird at the shimmering sea. in order that he should not see the convulsive working of lor throat "It has lieen good,” she admitted after a lengthy pause. t*tm«' times it seems it seems a* though if was too good to last. I've never been so happy in my life She laughed on the word, snil Brent wks’ heard no false note. •■It's going to last.” he said. "It's tml to. You wait a bit—111 Bet a fat Job on the Atlantic ferry--home every three weeks for a clear week at a time, and you'll hardly have realiged (hat I'm away before I'm Isick.” He planned with the Im pulsive eagerness of a boy about to depart on holiday: anil Malsls aided and aliened him Detail by detail they furnished the new house that would receive them: once. In a curi ously husky voice, Brentwood men tioned a possible nursery. Vntll now—ao little had they known each other in the yeara of separation— he had never dared to give utter line* to hla main ambition: to father a strong, blue-eyed son. who ahould In Ida lime fare forth upon the riot oua wateia na hla forebears before him. Knowlni, what she knew and fearing what ahe feared, Mrs Brcnlwtssl played the gay game of self deception through the golden tropical days, what time the Wan uma hissed and splasl\e«l and throbbed her way towards the north. Vatne then a morning when ltrent wood, returning for hla early visit to the bridge, found her white, gasping and tortured. “What la It?” he demanded, with a quiver In ills voles that none of bis subordinates had ever heard there. When It WSa p.*aaible, Malsls told him; full confession wrung from her unwilling lips by reason of her agony. ‘'Hot that ehap was only 11 I >ag<>'" Hrent wood protested All the Anglo Saxon's scorn of the Istln vibrate*! In bis words "It's Imrdly likely he would know. You tell n-.a your symptoms, old girl— then 's a book In the medlelne < heel that tells yon all about anything.” "No. Its was right.” Malsle said In her womanly wisdom, whlrlt la Inevitably greater than blundering man s. She detailed symptoms, and later, thumbing the pages of ths wise lotn* Brentwood realised the truth of her diagnosis. After 111 St staggering shod; he rcfusetflHSj lose heart. An operation was necc^H sary, was It? Very well; that oper^ HI ion should be preformed. AH that was necessary was that the Wan ama should reach port at the earli est possible moment—and he was the man to see to that, lie ha<M never had an opportunity to prov^J what the ship could really do at wM pinch, hut now that the chance ha<« come he was prepared to mak<H records for the line. He took the 1 surly chief engineer into his con fidence. "They’!! raise Cain about the coal wo II use, Mac,’’ he stated; "but w**'re going to do it." "Aye. I’ve a few oddments o' cash put by in a pairfeotly sound bank. Oapt. Brentwood." stated the presiding deity of the pulsating en- I gine room. "Gin Buntline A Spin naker raise the hell they’re capable i -o’ raisin,' ye can draw on me for the lindt o’ ma resources. Ye’ll get speed.” There was really no need to urge the xhip's people to their ( utmost endeavors. As soon as the word was ’wifwed a new spirit seem- | ed to animate them from chief mate downwards. In their own un ostentatious way these hard bitten n»en had learned a great affection and reverence for Maine Brent wood. They compared notes, and found that all had in same greeter nr lesser degree profited by her presence aboard. In consequence tlie Wanama p1ck'-<i up hfT heels and fled gallantly towards the northern latitudes where hope oned. K<»mewhere beyond the^^ clean cut rim of ihe bortsefi science and almost superhuman skill were waiting—if only they could Ijc se cured in time. That was what it amounted to. when nil tlw trim mings were discarded: the Wanama was cmUtrked on a headlong race igainat time. The pity of ii was ih*i*- was so little that the majority . of them could do. They were pal- \ pitafing with eagerness to serve, ^ but beyond performing the ordinary routine tasks, nothing of a sacrifi c al nature cam* their way. They had all the disposition to martyr themselves for the «*sus* of Malsir's life but none of the mntyr’s oppor tunity came to them With the stokehold and engine room staff It was different; they toiled like furies in their aw* it< ring workrooms; and with a wide open throttle th* Wanama raced where before she I had lugg* d The stew ard and cool: put their heads together, recovered th* despised cookery b*»ok from its limbo in t)»e gallery coal locker, and devised fiurful and wonderful KloktfKirn dainties. Breniw«>od lilm**lf read every volume ihe ship carried- yes. even down to the weird works on necro mancy proffered him by the don keyman. who w:ts daikly retried to l*» writing a bn/k on black magic; he applied remedy after rt*medy. and rtw^mlemj forgotten prayers wh ch In* hurled vigorously in tlie direction of a * *eV>uw lY-*n tor who bud apparently rtmatii* listed some forgotten sin *d early youth and visited hu)gno nt on hi* head after much patient waiting ^^1 Maisie conscientiously did her best to recover, and there was not a soul aboard w!k» kn',,r nt t»cr u**n riddbed. sleepless nights, when sin* lay staring through burning eyes :tt the Is-nrns «o'efh«-ad »r>d rVn< hed her hands until the nails scored her palms to restrain th** cries that drove to her parched lips. Eh-cry morning she averred sl»e was a lit tle better: and Brentwood, posses* ing a pain quickened sight, under stood that she Ucd. "Hut we II make It- yes, w«* ii make It in time,'* ho fold the chief "We will- if engines can do it #’ive u.*% this smooth water cltiu along an’ ye’ll 1*» surprised mliat we will *io. Win yon o* the dock will only watch ymr stet rtn* o' her— look at tlmt wake astern there—as crooked as a guldy corkscrew' we'll howk her henna ixi time. For the mervy o* (tod, roptMhi Brent wood, put the kar o’ death Into they h. »-<n. h* quartermaster.** And ttrenlwund did— so tliat the hasten log steamer's wnk* lay like a mlal line a crow* the mu flmir*. If the weather continued fine— But the barometer liad eoine (king to# say about that. It was tailing steady: too steadily f«>r the time of year. One morning the glassy sea floors were trim bled by a purposeful swell that ran with weight from the west of north, w indication of the trouble* brewing beyond the skyline "Right in our teeth when It does « um» mild Brentwood bitterly ^ But, we must make ibe best of the fine weather whilst It lasts, Mac.’* f Miring the ne*| 21 hours the Witnuiim escecdod her prt»vious ls*st day** rtm by ti miles; Iwit the Ac* was already crisping, white cap* were running in a threatening pro cession toward* Die sturdily trudg ing how. amt the northern hotisoit il'enttsurd «w !***•• *e^rs»
