Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-29

abouts unknown'-wen 10 bed but
never afterward remembered undress.
ing. so thoroughly tired was he, and
so absurdly happy. Notwithstanding
the awkward situation dlvulged at ths
dinner.
Pyne. left with his uncle, set him.
self to divert the other mans thoughts
from the embarrassing topic of Mrs.
Nunsittart.
lie knew that Brand was not likely
10 leave them in any dubiety as TO tho
past. Discussion now was useless.
mere idle guessing at probabilities, 50
he boldly plunged into the mystery az
yet surrounding Ends first year o.
cxi stence.
Mr.. Trail. glad enough to discuss a
more congenial subject, marshaled the |
aScertained facts. 1t was easy to see
that here Mt least he stood on firm
ground.
Your father, MS you know, was a
noted yachtsman, Charlie he said. |
Indeed, he was one of the first men
to cross the Atlantic in his own boat
under steam and sail. Twenty years
ago in this very month he took my
wife and me, with your mother, you
and our little Edith. then six months
old, on delightful trip along the Flor.
ida coast and the gulf Of Mexico. II
was then arranged that we should pass
the summer among the Norwegian
fords, but the two ladies' were nervous
about the ocean voyage east in April, |
SO your father brought the Esmeralda
across. and we followed by mail
steamer. During the last week of May
and the whole of June we cruised from
Christiania almost to the North carN
The fine. keen air restored my wifcs
somewhat delicate health, and you and
Edith UrOve amazingly. Do you r.
member the voyage!'
1T i, dim memory, helped a good
deal, l imagine, by what l have heard
since"
well. on the Fourth of July, nuttinl |
into Iardanger to celebrate the day
with some fellow countrymen, l H.
ceived a cable which rendered my
presence in New York absolutely i'm
ment scheme just being engineered in|
connection with our property. In fact.
the event which had such a tragic Sc
Quel practically quadrupled your fOr-|
tune and mine. BY that time the la-|
dies were so enthusiastic about theI
seagoing qualities OF the yacht that
they would have sailed round the world
in her. and poor Pyne had no difficulty
in persuadlng them to take the leisure
" way home, while l raced of vial
Newcastle and Liverpool to the other|
side. | received my last cable from|
them dated southampton, July 20, andI
they were due in New York somewhere
| about Aug. 5 or g. allowing for ordi-|
nary winds and weather.
During the night of July 81 when|
midway between the Sicily isles andl
the Fastnet they ran into Il dense foe.I
Within five minutes. without the leastI
warning, the Esmeralda was struci;|
| amidships by big Nova Scotian bark.
/ The little vessel sank almost Ike al
stone. Nevertheless your father back
ed by his skipper and a splendid crew,
lowered two boats, and all hands were|
! saved for the moment. 1t was Pyne II
boast that his boats were always stored
! with food and water against any kind
of emergency: but, of course. theyI
made every effort to reach the shipI
which had sunk them rather than ca
deavor to sail back to this coast. ASI
the Esmeralda was under steam at theI
time, her boilers exploded as she WENT
/ down. ana this undoubtedly caused the|
second catastrophe. The captain mol
/ ticed that the strange ship went OF
close hauled to the wind. which llev|
steadily from the west so he, IN theI
! leading boat, with your father and mo-
Their. you and my wife and child, fol
lowed in mat direction. He shouted to|
four men in the second boat TO keep|
close as the fog was terrific. Ths|
/ bark, the John S. hearing the noise Of
the bursting boilers, promptly swun !:
/ around, and in the effort to render a5-|
sistance caused the second and farI
more serious catastrophe. Tie cap1
/ tain's boat encountered her just as the|
two crafts were getting way on them
Some one in the boat shouted, they|
/ heard an answering hail and Instantly
/ crashed into the bark's bows. The sail
| became entanged in the martlngale of
| the bowsprit, the boat was driven I'M
| der and filed. and the second boat
/ crashed into her. All the occupants of
the captains boat We're thrown into the|
sea. You Were grasped by negro, al
powerful swimmer. He, with YOURSELF
] IT,, t,I ~,
was all Your father was n strong|
man. and he could swim well He|
must have been stunned or injured in|
some way. The two sailors jumped
from the second boat and chung to the|
bark's bobstays The whole thing wasl
over in a few seconds"
Mr. Trail rose and paced slowly to-
the window. Pyne stared into the fire.
There was no need for either OF them|
to conjure up the heartrending scens|
as the sharp PROV Of the sailing ship|
cleft through the seas and spurned the|
despalring hands clutchng at her black
walls
Too often had the older man pictured
/ that horrifc vision. 1t had GarkencdI
many hours, blurred many forgetfuG|
moment of pleasure with quick rush.
Of pain.
Even now "a he looked ont into thai