Adventure Magazine Cover — page 181: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Fenceless Meadows The skipper took the port doctor to look at Lowrie. “Get him to hospital—he’s rotten with pleurisy. He'll be all right with a little care. What have you been doing for him?”’ When he heard, he shook his head, smiling. ‘““You deep-water sailors are stouter than oxen—any one else would have gone under,” he said. Going ashore he took Lowrie with him, and to St. Mary’s hospital; where, between cool sheets, he breathed more easily and slept in comfort—muttering in his sleep from time to time a woman’s name, and saying— “1’m coming back, sir.” The news that the May Flint had picked up a derelict boat spreading along the water- front, the papers next day carried large head-lines; and printed rumors gleaned from sailors paid off from the Flint, and invented by imaginative reporters. The name began with D, but had been erased, probably in painting the boat. The captain refuses to let any one see the woman who was rescued, in which he is upheld by the doctor. She is said to have gray hair, and is presumed to be of middle age. Reporters, going aboard and looking at the boat, did not see that there had been more than one name on her. On the following day there appeared in the overdue list the name of a London full- rigger, the Ditton; and again the papers carried large head-lines. The Ditton’s skipper had his wife aboard; and the skipper of the May Flint, knowing the Ditton to be a slow old hooker that could barely have been where he had picked up the derelict boat, was puzzled. Beneath the article on the supposed loss of the Ditton were these words— A sailor from the May Flint has the peculiar superstition that the boat was from a ship whose name had been changed, and was therefore unlucky. On the day the May Flint came in, Dowser, on the River Bottom farm, read the head-lines. There was, as yet, no men- tion of a woman having been picked up. The skipper of the May Flint, sorry for Nance, and anxious to protect her from the curious, had thus far kept it quiet. On the following day, reading the news again, Dowser muttered: “Shoofly was right—a woman’s out of 173 place aboard ship. Another ship gone, and skipper and wife with her—better than for one of them to have been left, though.” Nance, sitting in the cabin of the May Flint, silent and frightened, was seen by several doctors brought to see her by the skipper. “Time—it’ll take time. out after awhile,” they said. A week later, a full-rigger came in from sea with her fore-topgallantmast carried away, and anchored off the ferries close to the May Flint—the ship Ditton, of London. Going aboard her, the skipper of the Flint brought back her skipper, and his wife, to his own ship with him. While the woman talked to Nance, getting no reply, the two skippers searched in the lockers of the boat. The skipper of the Ditton, drawing some- thing from the locker, held it up; showing it to the skipper of the May Flint, saying— “What in ’s name is this?” “A doll!’ replied the other, “there must have been a child aboard.” A young reporter, anxious for news, prowling below them, hearing what they said, hurried ashore. Next morning, when the paper came to the River Bottom farm, Dowser cried: “My good God! Could it have been the Fancy Nan?” That evening he boarded the May Flint, looking a moment at the boat, then striding through the cabin door. ‘““My girl—where is she?” he cried. The skipper of the May Flint left them together. (@ divided and sold, has ceased to be. The Upland farm is still there, though larger than it was; for old De Witt bought up some of his old neighbor’s acres, stretching his own fences out toward the river-bluffs. Old De Witt is very old now; but may still be seen, at haying time, bringing a team from the hay-fields. His farm is the wonder of the countryside. He has a fore- man, who works under the manager—for the old man has long since turned the man- agement over to his son, Clyde. Neighbors, bringing their wives and chil- dren, often come to visit. Ora, Clyde’s wife, is very gracious to them all, and very proud of her husband. They look at him She may come THE River Bottom farm, sub Coin DOOK S (© iin