European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse Captain Helburn s fancy continued from Page 7 Jabez Helburn you Horny old rep Robate she screamed. I know Why you did t come Home last week Northe week before. You were out cavort ing with that fishy girl Friend of t stand there and look innocent. You be always been queer but god Damn it i won t stand for Man can two time me and get away with mrs. Helburn i said we Haven t seen hide nor hair of that Mer maid these three weeks. And when we did see her now Don t Start giving me that Mer maid stuff she shouted. I know you Litake his part cause he treats you soft. But i can see through you like can see what s in your dirty minds All of you was in that crazy kind of female rage where everything you say makes the woman angrier. And if you say nothing she gets still wait til i get my hands on that Little sea Bitch she stormed. If she got feet or a Tail it Don t make no Dif Ference. I la show her who s mrs. Hel Burn. I m coming out with you Mon Day and we re going to find that slut wherever you left her. I m going to Tell her a thing or two. You re not wort two cents Jabez Helburn but i m a Christian woman i am and i m going to haul you out of the sink of your now look Here Henrietta protested Jabez you can t come out with know you get not half As sick As that Trollop going to be when she sees me declared Henrietta. Just take me where she is if it s the Bottom of the Ocean there was no help for it we All knew we were in for a Nasty cruise and. Ned and i talked about jumping ship. But finally we decided we d Hel Jabez see it through. So we showed up Early monday morning gritting our Teeth and resolving to stay out of any arguments. Henrietta was there in Herbest Black go to meeting dress with a fancy lace Collar. She had on a Sill Little red hat with an Orange Feather. It was clouding up and the win was freshening from the East. Jabez tried to Call the trip off but Henrietta was Stone set. No sir she bellowed. You can get out of it that Way. Let s get and go we did though the wind was rising every minute. There was a Nasty chop in Vineyard sound and when we. Passed Tarpaulin Cove Light the storm signals were set for a southeasterly Gale. About noon we passed Gay head and came to the open Ocean and by then the wind had reached 40 Miles an hour. Henrietta turned Pale then Green ish but she kept her breakfast Down. I won t try to Tell you this was the worst storm i be been in. I be been through three hurricanes and this was Only a whole Gale which the weather Bureau says is one step less. But whole Gale in open Ocean can be plenty rough particularly in a 50-footer, which is a Little too Long to slide Down neatly Between the Waves and a Little to Short to straddle two Waves at once. We beat slowly into the southeasterly Gale 22 under a Small Staysail and a storm try sail Bent on the main Boom leaving no Man s land Well to , mrs. Helburn says Jabez finally Here s where we d find the lad you want to meet if lady huh snorted Henrietta fireplace for a lady to hang out just the same said Jabez smiling a Little round the Stem of his pipe thesis it. Reckon she Ain t receiving callers today probably Down below toasting her flippers at old Man Neptune s fire Side. What say we Call it a Day Jabez Helburn i la bet my Legato her Tail you re kidding me but i m going to Call your Bluff said Henrietta arms akimbo. We re going to cruise around Here till i find out if you re truth. If you Are god help her. If you re not god help you that Wasa funny thing for her to say As it turned out. About two in the afternoon the sky suddenly lightened and the wind slackened. " must be getting near the storm Center said Jabez. Henrietta suddenly stood up. Therese is she screamed. We looked and there was Miranda about a Hundred Yards off the port Bow. She was lying idly on her Side letting the ground swell Bounce her up and. looked As if someone were playing a monstrous practical joke other. She rushed Forward to the sword fish pulpit and began bellowing in the general direction of Miranda. Even we could t get All of Henrietta s Harangue but i could catch a few words like Strumpet and finally Jabe clapped his hands to his ears and i took the binoculars. I could see that Miranda was laughing. I thought i could even hear her at moments though he voice was so like the movement of water you could t really Tell. The storm Center must have Bee quite Small. In a minute or two the wind came up with a bang on the Star Board Side harder than before. As it was now crossway to the swell furious chop arose and the Henrietta began to Roll violently. Miranda Dis appeared but mrs Helburn went on shrieking from the pulpit. Suddenly the Staysail burst Ope with a loud report and the wind began to shred the Loose Canvas into sent Vic below for another sail while he pressed the starter Button forthe auxiliary engine. But water must have got into the ignition for nothing happened. The Henrietta lost Steerage Way and began to Wallow swinging Roadside to the swell and rolling like a destroyer. We took solid water Over the gunwales and into the cockpit. Be tween Waves Vic popped out fro below with the new Staysail under his Arm slamming the Hatch tight behind him. Meantime Jabez had somehow managed to Pul Henrietta Back fro the pulpit and she sat shivering in a Corner of the cockpit. Vic inched his Way Forward. We knew it would take him a few minutes to get the Staysail Bent on and two of us a minute More to get it hoisted. Vic had just snapped the last Hook of the Staysail to the inner forestay when a Gray greenish Mountain of water lurched up on our starboard Quarter one of those Small tidal Waves that happen now and then in any big storm. The wave before it was a Short Choppy one and we rolled toward it just As it hit us. It was like being under a Gondola car full of Coal when someone opens the Hopper. We were completely underwater for about five seconds and there was nothing you could do but hold slowly the Henrietta staggered out from under the weight shivering like a drenched cat. We sat stunned for another five seconds. Then Ned suddenly yelled my god where s mrs. Helburn Henrietta had been washed Over Board. Jabez stood up shed his Slicker and without a second s hesitation dive to Leeward after her. Here Ned i yelled take the Wheeland starboard your Helm hard. I la help Vic hoist the Staysail then Well warship and pick up Jabez soon As we get Steerage Way. Don t let him out of luckily we managed to hoist the Staysail without trouble. The Hen Rietta s Bow turned Down wind As we picked up Speed. We jibe the Staysail and then the try sail and came around in a Circle to where Jabez was swim Ming aimlessly. None of us saw Hen Rietta. I picked up Jabez with a boat Hook and Laid him in the cockpit. Head swallowed too much Salt water to be coherent for quite a while. Finally he sat up. Run half a Mileto Leeward he said then Well beat Back up. I Don t want to miss any Hance of picking her there was t a sign of Henrietta Alli afternoon. When it was dark Jabez said look boys i m played m going below and try to sleep. Well put into Cuttyhunk soon As it s Light tomorrow morning and ask the coast guard there to watch for the Little before Dawn Jabez came up with some Coffee followed by Ned. How do you feel asked Ned. I. Don t rightly know answered Jabez. I Don t feel All busted up the Way i expected with you Jabez i said is you re mixed up on what you thin you ought to feel and what you really do feel might As Well be honest. Don you go taking the blame for what happened. She asked for the sky in the East was turning lighter Blue and then Gray. We made fast to the Public wharf and Jabez asked me to come with him. As we went ashore i thought i saw a figure sitting on a Box against a shed on the we started to pass the shed a woman s voice called out softly Jabez Helburn As we turned the figure Rose an stepped toward us. She had on a rumpled Black dress that looked As fit had been soaked through and then wrung out and her lace Collar was dirty and torn i looked Down and there was a pair of slim legs with Small Well shaped Bare feet. Miranda stammered Jabez Howin Thund ration did you get whereas you May have gathered Miranda did t have it in her to be Coy. But she could give a very mysterious smile which said everything and nothing. You know How .1. Got Here Don t you Jabez Helburn she asked. Jabez gulped twice. Yes let rethink of yes i do know but it s a Way of knowing things i m not yet used Jabez relaxed and grinned. Go jump on Board he said and ask Ned to give you some dry clothes and some breakfast. Be sure to stick around Well be right " the coast guard station had see nothing of Henrietta so we went on Down the Shore toward the , Over the top of a Large Rock i saw a woman s head and shoulders. My god i shouted. Henrietta cried Jabez. We ran Over to the Rock but Noone was there. But out eastward t
