Heartfelt Appeal

With Edmund dead, pulled from the wreck,

the broken Hawk lost to the sea —

no one thought to leave a buoy

to show where Marjorie might be.

And everyone who could have found her,

Council, Police, the deadnought's crew

with teams of expert divers, all,

it seems, had something else to do.

The local rag set up a fund,

appealed for residents to comb

their wallets, purses, pay a diver,

find the wreck, bring Marjie home.

And contributions soon came in:

a florin, sixpence — all some had —

Gazette gave two pounds, and a tenner

came from Edmund Betts's dad.

Two weeks. At last enough to fund

a diver for a day to feel

his way around the wreck — but then

a floating girl is found off Deal.