The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-12-03
Tile je|salleless
Yacht !.
Az CASE Of Mystery
ofithe Sea I.

& of(the Sea )
8 BY r. a. mitchell 3
Z Copyright 1910. by American Press 4
& Association.
ts4saazaaaSss4o
There have been two cases OF ships
discovered In good condition. but de.
,serted by, their crews. One was found
on the open sea under sail. The other
at anchor on coast These two are
alf that thus far have been recorded
1t remains for me to record third
am gentleman of leisure given TO
yachting. :. ] am fond Of cruising gu
my yacht either with a party Uf
friends or a single male companion.
During, the last season | started from
the New York Yacht clubs. dock ut
New York for a cruise eastward along
the coast. ! put in at several places
on the route-Newf London. Marble.
head. Portland and other ports-for
fresh table supplies. then steamed on.
intending TO enter the 81. Lawrence
river and visit the Thousand islands.
We met number of yachts. for Il
was In the season. and yachtsmen are
prone In hot weather TO occupy the
cooler regions Of the northeastern
coast. One evening while steaming
across one OF those beautiful bays that
indent the rocky coast of Maine we
saw near the shore steam yacht rid.
ing at anchor within cables length
of the shore.
Alec Wingate was with me on this
cruise. Alec was the son OF a British
baronet and had domestic troubles.
BE had married the daughter OF a
colonel in the English army. "a very
beautiful girl. who. after couple Of
years Of married life during which she
and her husband had lived very hap:
PLY together. suddenly disappeared.
Whether she had been kidnapped or
had gone on with lover no one could
tell. There was no evidence. at least
none that any one had ever got hold
Of. to point In either of these direc.
lions. The only other theory was that
she had been murdered. wingate had
hunted for her all over the world and
had come to America for the purpose.
l had met him, and. having taken a
liking 10 him. begged him to divert
his mind from his loss by going on a
cruise with me.
Our course lay near enough to the
anchored yacht to enable US TO see
with glasses what she was: that Is. we
could have seen any flags, people or.
other distinguishing marks; Bur there
were neither people.nor Gags. She
was steamer yacht. but no smoke
was being emitted from her stack.
Her stern was at one time toward us.
and what was my establishment to see
no, name on her.
|. We slowed up. expecting every min
ute to see some one appear. on the
deck. but after waiting half. an hour
without any one appearing 1t began
to look as II either a party had gone
ashore from her for some purpose or
she bad been deserted. The first Of
these theories was not very likely cor.
rect. In the first place at least one
member of the crew would have been
left In charge. and In the second this
was perfectly wild coast. and there
could be no object for any party to
go ashore unless for water.
I gave orders to steam up along.
side the nameless yacht. The hour
was about ! in the evening. md a fine
dinner was set In the cabin. A fire
was burning in the galley. Every
boat belonging to the yacht was 10 It's
place. III the lockers In the after part
OF the vessel were articles Of male and
female wearing apparel. the latter In
dicatinG TINT Indies hud been aboard.
And here the mystery changes from
those sea secrets ] have mentioned, or.
rather. another mystery is added.
Alec Wlngatc recognized a dress con-
tanned IN rosewood locker as one
that had belonged to bis wife. He Mt
once became wild with varying emo.
tons. There was pleasure at this evil
dence that his wife at least had been
recently alive. There. was bitterness
lest she might have been living Oh this
yacht With paramour. There was
fear lest though she had so recently
lived. she had met with some mis-
fortune. ~.
To alay this excitement ! told Win
gate TINT be might easily be mistaken
In the. dress. But he said that It was
the one In which he had most liked to
see his wife arrayed and the only onc
of her wardrobe that he would surely
recognize.
We went through the yacht from
stem to stern looking for some ex.
PLANTATION Of the mystery. Every state.
room. every receptacle. was rausack-
ed. The frebox door stood partly
open, and ~ looked In to see II ma.
terials had been put in to light new