Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-08-10
A SATISFACTORY
YACHT RACE

bored by bis presidency. She was full
Of mischief and occasionally would
give him bit of hope just to see how
crestfallen he would be when she gave
him the cold shoulder Both were
rich. Lelshton's taste was for horses;
Miss Asehe's for boats. One day when
Leighton had proposed for the tenth
time the lady said to him:
"Tll tell you what I'll do. I'll match
my yacht Ariadne against your Oneida.
Ii your boat beats mine I'll marry you
IL mine beats yours be it understood
that you're not to bother me with
your propositions ever after"
But my Oneida is tub" said
Leighton. Il know nothing about
yachts. You know lot about them,
and your Ariadne is the fastest boat
Of her class afioat In American
| waters"
It's that or nothing" Blanche re-
| piled. If you accept, I'll send my
\ sailing master to you to arrange the
details; il not, shall consider any
future attentions from you as the
| world would consider an insult from
one who has refused to fight"
There was nothing for Leighton but
to seize upon this one chance. He
! agreed TO the terms, the best two in
| three races, sailed under the standard
| yachting rules. Both yachts were in
! spectcd and measured. but this was
| mere form, for neither was to give the
other any time.
! On the day of the first race few knew
| anything about it, and those who did
| failed to see much pleasure in prospect
| for race between the fleet Ariadne
| and the commonplace Oneida.
| There was fine breeze to the stake
| boat, and the Ariadne sailed away
from the Oneida. turning the stake
! half mile in the lea6, but coming
| back there was much surprise on tie
| part of the spectators to see that tie
| Oneida under slackening wind gain
cd on her rival, but she did not make
| up more Il. in Ealf her loss, and the
first race was won by Miss Asche.
| At the second-a triangular race
! there was scarcely any wind at all.
The spectators specialized as to how
the Oneida could get over the water,
while the Arladne was almost be-
Gained, but it was generally supposed
| that the sailor of the former took adj
| vantage of tide current. The Oneida
| drew away from her rival on the
second leg of the triangle and kept
most of what she had gained on the
| third leg, coming in a full minute
| ahead
Miss Asche's heart stood still.
| Before the third race was sailed the
/ captain of the Ariadne asked permits
| sion TO make personal inspection IF
the Oneida. 1t was granted, but If the
inspector was looking for some pro-
| Polling machinery he found none. In
| deed there was no need of such an in
| spection, for representative of each
owner sailed on the opposing yacht
The captain went away apparently sat
is6ed, but puzzled.
/ There were a few persons on the
dock early In the day before the third
race who saw members of the Oneldas
crew go aboard and noticed that when
they walked it was with a stiff gait,
while one of them had a stomach on
him disproportionate TO his limbs. But
these witnesses had nothing to do with
| the yachts or the races.
The third race was to and from a
| stake boat with the wind on the quar-
| ter. The winning of the second race
by the Oneida had excited an interest
In tho taSf trio hn
covered by yachts and pleasure boats.
OF course no one knew OF the stake or
there would have been no room on the
water for the contestants. If the sec
ond race was surprise, the third was
a marvel. The Oneida, without carry
ing either the sail or having the excel
lent lines of her rival. had no sooner
got away under an eight knot breeze
than she began to draw ahead, turn
| ing the stake a quarter Of mile in ad-
vance. On the way back the breeze
lulled, and with the lull the relative
speed of the Oneida increased. She
crossed the line three-eighths Of a mile
ahead of the Ariadne amid shouts of
the spectators and barking of yachts
cannon.
There was suspicion that, after ALL
there had been fraud perpetrated in the
race, but Miss Asche's representative
said that he had been on deck every
minute of every race and could have
detected it If practlced Mr.. Leighton
dined with the loser on the evening of
the last race. and after dinner they re-
tired to the library, where he claimed
his reward. Miss Asche confessed with
her head on his bosom that she had
dreaded lest she should win. Never
theless she was chagrined that her
yacht should have been so ignominious-
ly beaten.
Don't distress yourself about that,
sweetheart" said her lover. "Tomor-
row / will give you sail in her and
show why she was beaten"
When they were aboard the Oneida
Leighton gave the crew orders to line
49,. -, 1naf- ErnFa fha fat mans SfOFo-