Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-12-24
THE STOWAWAY
[Original.1

ceived call from a stylishly dressed
lady.
You are Mr.. Trevor?"
Il am"
II am Miss Bancroft You are build
Ing yacht for my father"
'Tracy Bancroft? You are right"
Here is note from my father re-
questing you to make change in the
yacht" and she produced instructions
to put in safe capable of holding a
cubic foot of valuables. Miss Bancroft
then proceeded to instruct me what
stateroom to put it in, after which she
left the office. Two months later the
yacht was ready for trial trip, and I
SO notified Mr.. Bancroft He appointed
a day for the trip, but when it arrived
sent his daughter writing that he was
Ill and unable to go himself. Miss Ban
croft brought man to represent her
father in determining if the yacht came
up to contract but could not see that
he knew anything about shipbuilding.
However the vessel was accepted and
ordered made ready for continued use
during the season that was about to
open. concluded to go on her for awhile
to make sure there was no weak spot,
or if one became apparent to correct it
if possible before it had done any dam
age.
The party consisted Of Mr.. Bancroft,
who was carried aboard the yacht;
Miss Bancroft and Martin Hurbut,
the owners representative on the trial
trip. Mr.. Bancroft went directly to his
stateroom and stayed there, Miss Ban
croft gave all instructions and Mr..
Hurlbut said he had come aboard to
watch the vessels action. We started
from New York on the morning of the
10th of June, bound for Portland, Me.
We hadn't been an hour out on old
oceans heaving bosom before some of
the crew came aft dragging "a boy
dressed in rags whom they had found
slowed away under one Of the forecas-
tie hunks. He was taken before the
captain, who asked him why he had
slowed away OH a vessel intending to
cruise along the coast and from which
he could be readily put ashore. The
boy replied that he had made every ef
fort to get work and had failed. He
hoped if he was found on a yacht that
had started on trip he would have a
chance of being retained There was
something very unusual in this youth
FIJI stOwaway, something that excited
both my curiosity and sympathy. l
told the captain that l would take the
lad into my service, and he was turned
over to me. When we passed New
London we put into the harbor, and
took Billy Brown-the name the boy
gave-ashore and got him a sailor suit.
including pea jacket, in which he
looked as rosy and as pretty as fancy
picture Of sailor boy.
Well, we reached Portland, where,
since l had found everything all right,
proposed to take train back to New
York. The night before we went into
port | was alone on deck, sitting in
wicker chair under the moonlight. when
Billy came to me.
Il have heard you're going ashore to-
morrow, sir" he said.
eyes, Billy. Do you want to go back
to New York with me? If you do I'll
keep you in my service"
mo, sir. want you to stay aboard
the yacht"
,.Iy hi 70
palled me.
"Why so, Billy?"
'Will you keep my secret"
''Your secret? What secret"
''You won't betray me"
Speak out. boy. What do you
mean?"
He came up close to me and whisper
ed in my ear: 'I'm not boy; Pm
girl I'm Mr.. Bancroft's daughter.
This woman isn't his daughter at all.
She's his housekeeper. Her names
Farnsworth, and that's Hurlbuts
name This is plan to get father off
somewhere make away with him and
get his property. At least that is
what think it is. I'm supposed to be
at school in Massachusetts. | went
there before this Mrs. Farnsworth
came to my father and she has never
seen NE before One of our old serv-
ants who took care of me when was
a baby wrote me that something was
wrong. but that Mrs. Farnsworth was
a desperate woman, and I'd better be
careful what | did | went to New
York, where | met the servant who
posted me and learned that the yacht
was about to sail Then | concluded to
play stOwaway. l couldn't think Of
anything else to do
| was thunderstruck. If it hadn't
been for the remembrance of the order
fol the safe. which it now occurred to
me was in the supposed Miss Ban
croft's stateroom, might not have be-
lieved the story. l ran it all over in
my brain and felt sure the stowaway
was telling me the truth. Why not?
How could he substantiate such a
falsehood?
you're a brave girl l said, rising
e ~ 4