The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-11-17
THE STOWAWAY

was sitting III the Office Of the An
ehor Slip1.-.G.ng company. where
an enc CT the managers. when l re-
ceived call from stylishly dressed
lady.
You are Mr. Trevor?"
II am"
Il am Miss Bancroft You are build
ing Il yacht fer my father
Tracy Bancroft? You are right !
Here is note from my father re-
qucsting you to make Il change in the
yacht and she produced instructions
to put in u safe capable of holding a
cubic foot Of yaluables. Miss Bancroft
then proceeded to instruct me what
state9oom to put it in. after which she
left tie Office Two months later the
yacht was ready for trial trip, and
SO notified Mr.. Bancroft. He appointed
q day for the trip, but when it arrived
scnt his daughter, writing that he was
i'll and unable to so himself. Miss Ban
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 so 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 Hurlbut.
the owners representative on the trial
trip. Mr.. Bancroft went directly to his
stateroon and stayed there, Miss Ban.
croft gave all instructions and Mr..
HutIhut 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, Ne.
We hadn't been an hour out on old
oceans heaving bosom before some OF
the crew came aft dragging boy
dressed in rags whom they had found
slowed away under one of the forecas-
tie bunks. He was taken before the
captain. who asked him why he had
slowed away on a vessel intending to
cruise along the coast ana 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 Oh tr. p lie would have 4
chance Of being retained. There was
something very unusual in this youth
full stCwaway. something that excited
both my curiosity and sympathy. l
tod the captain that 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 I
took Billy Brown-tEe name the boy
gave-ashore and got him a sailor suit,
including a pea jacket. in which he
looked rs rosy and as pretty as a fancy
picture of a S .lor boy.
: Well, we reached Portland. where,
since had found everything all right,
proposed to take Il train back to New
York The night before we went into
port | was alone on deck, sitting in i
wicker chair under the moonlight. when
Billy came to me.
II have heard you're going ashore to-
morrow. sir" he said.
: Yes Billy. Do you want to go bacl;
to New York with ne? If you do I'll
keep you in my service
NO. sir. want you to stay aboard
tie yacht"
This remarkable suggestion quite ap
palled nae.
why So Billy?"
"Will you keep my sccret?'
4 "your secret? What sccretY
you won't betrdy me-"
Speak out. boy. What do yor
inean:''
He came up close to me and whisper
ed in my ear: I'm not boy: I'm {
girl. I'm Mr. Bancroft's daughter
: This woman isn't his daughter at all
Shes his housekeeper. Her names
;. FarnswMtl,. and that's Hurlbufs
name. This is plan to get father OF
:. somewhere. make away with him ant
! get his property. AT least that Is
what think it is. I'm supposed to bt
4 at school in Massachusetts. | wen
u there before this Mrs. E'arnswortl
$ came to my father, ana she has neve
s seen ne before One of our old serv
Il ants who took care of me when | wa
8 baby wrote me that something wa
! wrong. but that Mrs. Farnsworth wa
a desperate woman. and I'd better b
careful what l did. went to New
} York. where | met the servant VIII
posted me and learned that the yach
was about to sail. Then | concluded t
play stowaway. | couldn't think o
T. anything else to do"
le / was thLnderstruck. If it hadn'
been for the remembrance of the orde
l. for the safe. which it now occurred t
"a me was in the supposed Miss Bar
croft's stateroom. might not have bt
5 lieved the story. l ran it all over i
IL my brain and felt sure the stowawa
lp was telling me the truth. Why not
os How could lie substantiate such
~ falsehood?
re you're brave girl ] said. risin
lie ami taking off nv cap respectfully, IAN