A PUT UP JOB.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8020, 6 August 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A PUT UP JOB.

We left Memphis by steamer at about eight o'clock in the evening, and among the deck passengers I notice.! a couple, man and wife, who gazed around a3 if they had never seen a steamboat before. They had an old coffee sack with soma clothing in it, but no other baggage. They moved about in a timid way, and both seemed much afraid of the water. Tho boat had not gone five miles down the river, and the large number of passengers had not yet settled down, when there was an unearthly shriek, followed by the cry of "Man overboard!" The boat was stopped and her wheels backed, and after two or three minutes it was learned that one of the couple I have mentioned—the husband had fallen overboard. The woman " took on" in ttie wildest manner, crying and moaning and wringing her hands, and when asked how it happened, she replied : "He just dun fell over — fell over— fell over !" By that time it was useless to think of lowering a boat. Thero was a swift current running, and aa the man had not cried out there could ba co doubt of his being drowned. Everyoao pitied the woman, of course, and whon somebody took off bis hat and dropped a live dollar bill into it, it was a "go" all around. _ A hundred dollars was raised for her in fifteen minutes, and she went ashore at the first landing made by the boat, lugging tha bag of clothes with her. I went down as far as Hernando, Mississippi, and stopped off there for two days, taking a second steamer down on the third night from the above occurrence. When I went down to the levea I saw a couple with an old sack between 'em who reminded me of the pair on the boat, and I also saw them come aboard. The resemblance astonished me, but it had to go for a coincidence. The steamer pulled oat about ten o'clock, and had not been underway half an hour when there was a loud shriek, followed by the cry of " Man overboard !" It was a repetition of what I have related before, except that soma of the paasengors had gone to bed, and tho shake-purse dida't count; np over 40 dollars. The hat was passed to me, but I declined to chip. The " recent and grief - stricken widow" left the boat at the first landing, and I went to bed with the feeling that ourioas coincidences were mighty thick on the Mississippi River. I left the boat at Helena, made a three days' stay, and was ready to take another boat on the down trip when I ran across tho self-same couple at the levee, waiting for the same boat. After some minutes spent in solemn reflection I walked up to them and said to the man : _ "Come, now, this is a square deal, and I give nothing away. I've seen you drowned twice, and I've seen this * widow' go ashore with a breaking heart the same number of times. Tell me how you play it, and I'll give you a •V. , " " Let's see the money." I handed it over, and ho stowed it away in his pocket and then replied : '* I've got on a rubber life-preserver under my clothes, aa you see, and I generally make shore within a couple of miles. Stranger, don't give it away. We are poor bat honeet people." I solemnly agreed that I wouldn't, but I think they rather mistrusted me, for they waited over to catch a boat next night. M» Quad, w tiwi Detroit Free Freae. 1