The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1907-06-12
1 Mystery Of tie Sea

Capp Town. and the days observation
had shown that we were about half
szA between Capo Town and Australia,
when a man aloft sang ont that he
could deseTy ships boat about two
miles away on the lee bow. For eight
cen days we had not sighted sail
We had been as much alone on that
ocean as-if ahips and men did not ex-
list
1t was driving with wind and
sea, and until we fell OF our course
and passed 1t within biscuit toss we
supposed 1t to be empty. AS we pass
ed It we saw girl crouching in the
bottom, and when we raised shout
Hhe stood up and supplicated US with
hands and arms to save her.
Ths bark was brought to the wind
and boat lowered. and after little
we had the girl aboard. say girl. for
Bhe was not a day over sixteen and
was Of German birth, though che
cU1st speak EHgllsh telerably well. It
waS only when she was safe aboard
that we found she had lost her miRd
and was like q child. OF course the
first thing was to overhaul the beat.
She had no name. There were few
biscuits left. but the water keg had
been empty for at least three days.
There were no oars, ne spare clothing
mot the slightest thing to give US a
clew to the identity of the girl or the
name of the craft from which she must
have cast on. She had not suffered
greatly in a physical way, but was
mentally upset and looked about her
SO strangely that we wondered IL she
had ever seen ship before. She was
given spare stateroom and fell asleep
almost at once and did not open her
eyes for sixteen hourS. Meanwhile
her clothing had been inspected for
marks or initials. There were none
While the garments were servIceable,
they belonged rather to a wealthy girl
than poor one.
1t was hoped that when the stranger
awoke her mind would be clear and
that we should hear her story, but in
that we were disappointed. She met
us with a smile and asked how she
came aboana. She did not even recol-
iect being taken from the boat. said
she had lost her mind. Perhaps 1t
would be nearer the mark TO say men,
ory, though at the same time 1t could
be seen that the hardshlps she had
passed through had more or less af.
fected her mind as we'll We saw how
1t was almost at once and did not
crowd her. From the first she seemed
to feel at home. calling each of US by
name she had selected herself, and
she had not been with US Eve days
before the captain sat down to draw
her out There was nothing 10 draw.
In other words, abe remembered moth
ing previous to waking up in the state
room after her long sleep. She was
told that she must have been on q
Bhip and that there must have been
cause for her leaving 1t. She had no
recollection Of such a hing. She must
have been going from somewhere to
somewhere She admitted 1t, but could
not name the points. If she had ia.
ther and mother, sisters and brothers.
she did not know.
We were rough lot of men. but
that girl had the pity and sympathy Of
every man aboard. The many tricks
we resorted to to call her memory
back would make book The sailors
before the mast were allowed to make
suggestions, and every day some new
scheme was suge ted. She knew the
uses of the cor brush and glass, and
she could sew. Her table manners
showed that she had been well reared.
She would take 4 book and read for
hours, but It was disputed point
with us how much she understood. We
mentioned the name Of almost every
town In Germany, but all seemed
strange to her. Then we tried South
Africa, and our earnestness made her
laugh merrily. Nothing was surer than
that her father and mother were Ger
mans, but when German sailor
aboard sought to converse with her In
that language she simply stared at
him. Wherever our charts showed
that the Germans had colony In the
Pacific we mentioned the name, but IL
did no good.
The girl spoke to US only In broken
German and was child In her ways
She regalned her health and spirits aft
er a few days and then wandered
about the decks asking the name and
use of everything she saw. She would
exclalm in her native language and
Iing songs In German, but she would
not speak 1t. She called the captain
father and me Carl and was content
not to even ask our destination. By
and by we saw that II was useless and
gave up trying. She had hor own
Stateroom, was always ready At neal
time, and ona not knowing Of her af.
Fiction would not have suspected Il
from anything in her actions. II was
Vnly when she began to talk that you
Uaw her mind was blank. She was
treated as respectfully as II she had
been the captains own daughter, and
It was hard task parting with her at
Sydney. She was taken to the German
consul there, and he at once bestirred
himself to gather particulars. 1 am
telling Of what took place over twenty
years ago, and yet have letter from
Australia lying before me as write
that says the mystery surrounding the
girl, who IL now a middle aged wom-
IN, has never been cleared up. She
las never recovered her mind and will
continue to be an inmate Of homo to
ne day OF her death. Inquiries have
seen pushed everywhere and in every
Erection, but without success. Old
'cean has secrets that cannot be wrest-
d from her, and this is one of them.
n. QUAD.
4