The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-09-11
A Summer
Cruise
1t LnUolUed an Ad-
venture
By JAMES BRAINARD
By JAMES BRAINARD

Tnere 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 a coast These two are
all that thus far have been recorded.
1t remains for me to record a third.
am a gentleman Of leisure given to
yachting. am fond of cruising on my
yacht either with party of friends or
a single male companion. During the
last season l started from the New
York Yacht clubs dock at New York
for a cruise eastward along the coast.
put In at several places on the route
New London, Marblehead, Portland
and other ports-for fresh table sup
plies. then steamed on, intending to en-
ter the st. Lawrence river and visit
the Thousand islands.
We met number of yachts, for it
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 q cables length
Of the shore.
Alec Wingate was with me on this
cruise. Alec was the son Of British
baEonet and had domestic troubles.
He had married the daughter OF colo
mel In the English army, a very beau
tiful girl, who. after a couple OF years
OF married life, during which she and
her husband had lived very happily to-
gether, suddenly disappeared. Wheth-
or she had been kidnapped or had gone
Off with lover no one could tell
There was DO evidence, at least none
that any one had ever got hold of, to
point IN either of these directions. 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. had met
begged him to divert his mind from his
loss by going on cruise with me.
Our course lay near enough to the an
chored yacht to enable US to see with
glasses what she was-that is, we could
have seen any flags, people or other
distinguishing marks. But there were
neither people nor flags 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
If either party had gone ashore from
her for some purpose or she had been
deserted. The first Of these theories
was not very likely correct. 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 OBJ
ject for any party to go ashore unless
for water.
l gave orders to steam up alongside
the nameless yacht The hour was
about In the evening, and fine din
ner was set In the cabin A fire was
burning in the galley Every boat be-
longing to the yacht was In its place.
In the lockers In the after part Of the
vessel were articles of male and female
! wearing apparel, the latter indicating
that ladies' had been aboard.
And here the mystery changes from
those sea secrets l have mentioned
or, rather, another mystery is added.
Alec Wingate recognized dress con-
tanned In a rosewood locker as one
that had belonged to his wife. He at
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 on this
yacht with a paramour. There was
fear lest, though she had so recently
lived, she had met with some misfor-
tune
To allay this excitement told Win
gate that he might easily be mistaken
In the Dress But he said that 1t was
the one In. which he had most liked to
see his wife arrayed and the only one
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 ransacked
The flrebox door stood partly open, and
looked in to see If materials had
been put In to light a new fire. The
old fire was still smoldering. The only
thing we discovered was that the yacht
had undoubtedly been made In Eng
land. And the makers marks on the
finishing and furniture were English.
The upholstery had been purchased Of
a well known upholsterer in London.
Having satisfied ourselves that there
was No one aboard. we left "the name
less" and returned to our own vessel
induced Wingate to sit down to din
ner-he would eat nothing-and discuss
the matter. He wanted to go ashore
the next day and search the coast.
This seemed to me useless expepdi-
ture of time. IL had come out for a
cruise and did not like the prospect of
waiting while search party beat the
beach in a desolate country where there
! was nothing but Wild moose or caribou.
But Wingate suggested that the party
on "the nameless" might have gone
ashore for hunting purposes, and at
last consented that the next day he
might take three Of the crew, go ashore
and spend twelve hours in looking for
the deserters Of the yacht
Drrk >fr.kk
render this inadvisable We set light
on ''the nameless' and left one man
to watch on our own vessel, which was
all that was necessary since we were
! at anchor In a small bay In good
weather. One man watched till eight
bells, midnight, when another man took
his place. Wingate wished me to put
a man on the nameless." and did
At two bells In the morning Win
gate, who had slept little during the
night, looked out of the portfolio In his
staterocm for the yacht. Not seeing
her and supposing that he was not on
the right side to see her, he got up and
went on deck. THE nameless" was
nowhere to be seen. He came to my
room to announce the fact asked
him what the watch reported about the
disappearance, and he said that he had
found the man sound asleep.
Putting on bath robe, went on
deck. The first watch said that 1.-THE
nameless" was In position when he
was relieved, SO she must have pulled
out during the second watch. I asked
If anything was known OF the man
who had been stationed ON her, but
was told that he had neither been
heard Of nor seen since he had been
put aboard He had disappeared with