Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-05-02

CAS-
b SUSAN YOUNG PORTER 6

BOAT on the starboard quarter!''ss
cried the lookout. 81
u I was first officer Of the Helen Drew
and on duty. With my glass swept
the waters as indicated and brought
within the field Of view q ships boat,
now raised high on the crest OF q wave
and now sinking low In the trough
Whenever It was inclined sidewise to-
ward me I could see lying motionless
on the bottom the body Of woman.
gave an order to put the ships bow
toward It and when within q reas0na-
BILE distance sent a boat out for 1t and
It's contents.
On its return ordered the boat rails
ed to the main deck. and the body was
Immediately lifted out. 1t was that Of
young girl not more than seventeen
years old. The ships doctor at once
made an examinat ton to determine If
she were dead and reported signs Of
life. She was removed to q. cabin and
by the united efforts Of the doctor and
the stewardess was restored to con
seriousness.
When she seemed sufficiently recov-
cred to be questioned she was asked
how she came to be in an open boat at
sea. but could remember nothing about
her lonely voyage or any Of her past
life.
] made personal examination OF
the boat in which she had come to US
in order to identify the ship to which
it had belonged 1t was an old one
and had either not been painted for
some time or had been so weather beat
IN that the paint was very much worn
The stern had been jammed against
something. and but few Of the letters
Of the name were ieSible. This was
many years ago, before it became the
universal custom to paint the ships
name on both sides Of the stem Of the
boat l could make out the first.
fourth and eighth letters The other
Eve were either Partially or entirely
obliterated Those could read were
N T s. | think that If had been
familiar with the names of marine ami
| mails might have hit upon the name
We had started from Boston on a
cruise around the world. taking in the
Cape of Good Hope, Japan, the Fla
waiian Islands. San Francisco and 9th
er American ports We picked up the
girl after having left the cape and
since we were approaching countries
| which We're then barbarous there was
nothing to do but keep her with us. In
| couple Of weeks she had recovered
her health. but not her memory.
Being nearer her age than any other
Of the Ulcers. became more compan
ionable with her There were only two
clews by which her identity might be
tablished-the three letters on the
stern of the boat in which she had
been picked up and two letters on her
underclothing The boat had been
abundantly provisioned. and the girl
had been well supplied with wraps.
From these facts ! argued that after
an accident. collision. fire or other dis.
aster she had been put in the boat
with a number of others. She was not
! likely to have been turned adrift alone.
and the supply Of provisions had origi-
nally been sufficient for a number Of
persons. This feature Of the problem
has never been solved My theory is
that some person or persons who had
the girl in charge in order that she
might have all the provisions. after Il
certain date committed suicide by
jumping overheard Possibly such an,
act might have been the result of de,
lirium.
1t Is to he supposed that a youn:
man Of twenty three making a voyage
around the world with girl of seven
teen would fall in love with her Such.
was the case with me. and the poor girl.
was glad to have some one to lean ul,on.
In her lonely condition. told her that
she need not fear for anything since
she belonged to me. Al the end Of onr
voyage We would do all IN our power.
to find out her identity and I've guided
by the result.
We spent hours together working
over the letters on the stern OF the boat
In which she had driftetl The captain
had a dictionary among hts books. and
We undertook to make4n check against
every noun beginning with N. Having,
the relative position OF all the letters:
was great advantage. and ha wing the
FIRST letter was even greater help.