It's interesting to look at both covers. The wooden lady is supposed to be missing, but there's a figurehead on both versions of the boat.
Inside illustration, 1950 edition.
Text Differences
1. In the 1950 text, the mizzenmast breaks on the ship. It doesn't in the revised text.
2. In the 1950 text, they run aground, and fly flags to notify the Coast Guard. Their ship is hauled off a sand bar by the Coast Guard.
3. There's a figurehead of Neptune that Nancy asks if she can have. There's also a short history of the Constitution-class ship in the original text that's not in the revised text. Sometimes the original texts were basically more educational than the revised ones.
Synopsis. SPOILERS!
Chapter 1
1950: The same things happen.
1967: A friend of Mr. Drew lives on a clipper ship and says there's a person that's been prowling around on the ship. There's also a question of who really owns the ship since the guy wants to buy it legally. Bess calls from home and there's a scream. Nancy runs over there and is grabbed and the guy uses pressure points or something on her to incapacitate her briefly.
Chapter 2
1950: The same things happen.
1967: Bess is okay. The guy that attacked Nancy stole some jewelry, but he lost his ring in the process. Nancy things she knows who the guy is, a thug named Flip Fay. Nancy later goes to a college dance and meets Ned. There's a phone call warning Mr. Drew to stay away from the ship.
Chapter 3
1950: The same things happen.
1967: Bess has been given a necklace with a fake ruby. Mr. Drew goes to Boston along with Nancy and they tour the boat. The figurehead of the boat is gone.
Chapter 4
1950: The chapter ends with her seeing Fay and following him in a cab.
1967: Nancy sees an intruder on the ship. The man roaws a boat away. Bess and George are joining her. She sees Flip Fay. She tries to find out information on figureheads and gets jumped again.
Chapter 5
1950: George and Bess arrive. The group shops and finds out about ships. Nancy gets jumped again.
1967: This time Nancy gets stuck in a closet. She is able to see the guy, though. Nancy, George and Bess go to a part of the ship to find the guy. The Captain's room has been gone through and is a mess. The Captain, Easterly, is missing. Nancy tells the police about Fay's ring. He's a dangerous criminal called The Crow.
Chapter 6
1950: This time Nancy gets stuck in a closet. She is able to see the guy, though. Nancy, George and Bess go to a part of the ship to find the guy. The Captain's room has been gone through and is a mess. The Captain, Easterly, is missing.
1967: He's a jewel-thief. Nancy talks to an owner of the ship who says he got a call demanding he sell the ship to a Fred Lane. Ned, Dale and Burt arrive. Fay hits Ned.
Chapter 7
1950: The captain is missing. His bunk is a mess. Police arrive. She finds out Fay is a man known as The Crow.
1967: Fay and another guy escape. Nancy tells the police. Easterly is still missing. A guy Nancy is suspicious of is Red Quint whom she calls Grizzle Face. She checks out where he lives.
Chapter 8
1950: Nancy talks to an owner of the ship who says he got a call demanding he sell the ship to a Fred Lane. Ned, Dale and Burt arrive. Fay hits Ned.
1967: They find Easterly who had been kidnapped and drugged. He's taken to a hospital. Nancy wants to move the ship to try and get it away from the thugs. Just as the ship gets under way there's a fire.
Chapter 9
1950: Easterly is still missing. A guy Nancy is suspicious of is Red Quint whom she calls Grizzle Face. She checks out where he lives.
1967: The fire is put out. Nancy saw the guy who set it. Food is missing form the galley.
Chapter 10
1950: They find Easterly who had been kidnapped and drugged. He's taken to a hospital. Nancy wants to move the ship to try and get it away from the thugs. Just as the ship gets under way there's a fire.
1967: They have a stowaway. Nancy finds a snuff box from 1850. The ship runs into a storm and they end up anchoring in a cove. Ned and the other two boys leave. Nancy talks to a guy who makes figureheads. Grizzle Face steals the snuff box from her.
Chapter 11
1950: They explore the ship some more and find a new entrance has been made.
1967: She talks to him and he runs away. She talks to the police. Mr. Drew arrives.
Chapter 12
1950: Nancy finds a snuff box. The ship encounters a storm.
1967: Mr. Drew leaves. They talk to Mr. Frisbie, the guy who makes figureheads. Nancy gets a lead on the ship's actual name-Dream of Melissa.
Chapter 13
1950: The mizzenmast breaks The ship makes for a cover and runs aground They run up flags to signal the Coast Guard when shows up and hauls they off the sand bar. (None of this happens in the revised text.) Ned and the other two boys leave. Nancy talks to a guy who makes figureheads. Grizzle Face steals the snuff box from her.
1967: Flip Fay sneaks on board again.
Chapter 14
1950: They talk to Mr. Frisbie again and return to the ship.
1967: George finds the real name of the ship carved on the underside of a bench. Nancy talks to Mr. Drew and the police. A poisonous lizard is sent to Nancy.
Chapter 15
1950: They find a figurehead of a man with a trident in the water near the boat. It's smaller than normal and Nancy asks if she can keep it. There's a short history of the Constitution ship and how it had five different figureheads. (None of this is in the revised text.) Mr. Drew arrives. .
1967: Nancy goes to another town to get information on the ship. Lane is the person who sent the lizard. Nancy finds gold coins but Flip Fay shows up.
Chapter 16
1950: Nancy talks to the sculptor again. She finds that the figurehead of Neptune is from the ship Pride of Neptune that sank. She goes to see the widow of the captain of the ship. (Some minor differences from the revised text.) She finds out the ship's real name was Dream of Melissa. Fay is on board again.
1967: He takes the coins and Bess' ruby necklace. Nancy finds at least one of his hiding places.
Chapter 17
1950: Fay's gone. George finds something.
1967: George and Bess find a chart showing the return of the ship from the Orient. They also find a letter from the original captain who had a red ruby hidden in the figurehead. Then a guy who claims to own the ship shows up and demands everyone leave. (Why didn't they demand proof he was or he claimed to be?)
Chapter 18
1950: George finds the real name of the ship carved on the underside of a bench. Nancy talks to Mr. Drew. A poisonous lizard is sent to Nancy.
1967: Nancy goes to the other town and finds Grizzle Face there. He admits to causing problems. He knows the story of the pirates that took the ship, killed the captain and the crew, and then had a fight amongst themselves.
Chapter 19
1950: Nancy goes to another town to get information on the ship. Lane is the person who sent the lizard.
1967: He tells Nancy where the figurehead is. She finds it and buys it. They return to the boat and find the rub. Flip Fay shows up again. The guy who claimed to be the owner was Lane.
Chapter 20
1950: Nancy finds gold coins, but Fay shows up and takes them from her.
1967: The two thugs have left the girls on the ship and it's drifting out to sea. They finds the captain has been tied up and they release him and they get the ship turned around. Nancy and George swim to shore, call the police, and the police catch Fay and Lane. The ruby from the figurehead goes to a woman who had loved the captain but was unable to marry him (his being killed by the pirates and all that). Easterly finally gets to actually buy the ship and he gives the ship its original name back. Nancy will be the one to christen the ship.
Chapter 21
They find a secret entrance in the ship.
Chapter 22
George and Bess find the return voyage chart. Nancy finds a letter from the ship's original captain. The fake Ogden shows up and orders everyone off.
Chapter 23
They all leave the ship. Nancy goes to the other town and finds Grizzle Face there. He admits to causing problems. He knows the story of the pirates that took the ship, killed the captain and the crew, and then had a fight amongst themselves.
Chapter 24
He tells Nancy where the figurehead is. She finds it and buys it. They return to the boat and find the rub. Flip Fay shows up again. The guy who claimed to be the owner was Lane.
Chapter 25
The two thugs have left the girls on the ship and it's drifting out to sea. They finds the captain has been tied up and they release him and they get the ship turned around. Nancy and George swim to shore, call the police, and the police catch Fay and Lane. The ruby from the figurehead goes to a woman who had loved the captain but was unable to marry him (his being killed by the pirates and all that). Easterly finally gets to actually buy the ship and he gives the ship its original name back. Nancy will be the one to christen the ship.
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