Produced by Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net MRS. CLIFF'S YACHT [Illustration: BURKE DETERMINED TO GET NEAR ENOUGH TO HAIL THE DUNKERY BEACON] MRS. CLIFF'S YACHT BY FRANK R. STOCKTON _ILLUSTRATED BY A. FORESTIER_ NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1896 COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NORWOOD PRESS J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. ALONE WITH HER WEALTH 1 II. WILLY CROUP DOESN'T KNOW 7 III. MISS NANCY SHOTT 16 IV. A LAUNCH INTO A NEW LIFE 25 V. A FUR-TRIMMED OVERCOAT AND A SILK HAT 36 VI. A TEMPERANCE LARK 45 VII. MR. BURKE ACCEPTS A RESPONSIBILITY 59 VIII. MR. BURKE BEGINS TO MAKE THINGS MOVE IN PLAINTON 68 IX. A MEETING OF HEIRS 80 X. THE INTELLECT OF MISS INCHMAN 92 XI. THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW DINING-ROOM 99 XII. THE THORPEDYKE SISTERS 109 XIII. MONEY HUNGER 114 XIV. WILLY CROUP AS A PHILANTHROPIC DIPLOMATIST 121 XV. MISS NANCY MAKES A CALL 128 XVI. MR. BURKE MAKES A CALL 135 XVII. MRS. CLIFF'S YACHT 147 XVIII. THE DAWN OF THE GROVE OF THE INCAS 156 XIX. THE "SUMMER SHELTER" 162 XX. THE SYNOD 169 XXI. A TELEGRAM FROM CAPTAIN HORN 173 XXII. THE "SUMMER SHELTER" GOES TO SEA 182 XXIII. WILLY CROUP COMES TO THE FRONT 192 XXIV. CHANGES ON THE "SUMMER SHELTER" 203 XXV. A NOTE FOR CAPTAIN BURKE 218 XXVI. "WE'LL STICK TO SHIRLEY!" 228 XXVII. ON BOARD THE "DUNKERY BEACON" 235 XXVIII. THE PEOPLE ON THE "MONTEREY" 247 XXIX. THE "VITTORIO" FROM GENOA 254 XXX. THE BATTLE OF THE MERCHANT SHIPS 264 XXXI. "SHE BACKED!" 273 XXXII. A HEAD ON THE WATER 279