New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-19
A STRANGE PASSENGER.

nassanger n certain Mary lonngson WV, Nv
nursing her sick hnso S him to death laid hold
nei 9G the money and valuables she could geo.
and then had made off: IL was uougn' v,y Sre
ailu ~ ~, fn leave England on some 0ut"aIu-
woui1 ~ most likely for America, where she
had friends-and therefore Sharply scrulllliIeeu
the messengers eight in number VINO were gaS
oTS poo nv vessel in u tender. As they stepped
oi oord I was relieved TO perceive that none OF
then, tailed with the description l had o1talnea
Miss Youngson Th4 Was years of TS age about
! - foot a inches in height, and very slender Wl.n
brown hair, dark eyes. and clear eonp COMP hut
She had been born and edHcaJed aoroa and an an
! nma+eur actor from whom she had lnherlted =
remarkable capacity for deceiving people as u hi
oii1 Two Of the female passengers who now came
aboard were married ladies' and Of dark comPeA,.
/ ion there were also two young women u tov
| the other Miss Merwin, slender and tau, apPa1l pa
emily not less chan s feet inches, witn Vle
most childish, inpocent-looking face, for one ~
her age, that ever saw. She had D[Tw s,o nt'
and eyes, small baby like features, and smooItli
glowing cheeks, which were constantly ulnPie PIE.
with smiles. As she slightly lifted her iohg shIu
| ornamentcd busSns of some kind Oh sou Natner'
which made noise when she wa,Keu' al,er.
ward we learned that she wore them because use
| she had lately sprained her feet, anu couiu HUI
| vet bear harder leather. r..
From the first / could see that my son Tom,
young man OF twenty-five. and cmer omcer' was
!
He had always liked tall women, and ANYTHING
babyish" in their looks or manners paruculaIIy
pleased him. Still ] was surprised az tle emu
Of one short week after we sailed TO learn .Lat
he had actually proposed to her and been accepted
"She is so artless, 50 ingenious, so free from
guile of any kind" said he, that you can read
6T BACK * to LIVERPOOL at the house of her
aunt, who is expecting her. With her usual child
| sh frankness she informed me that. although hav-
| ing a small fortune in Three per cents left TO her
| nv n IL
present short Of cash. which would hinder her from
purchasing on landing, certain little articles she
| desired toward a wedding outfit was 60 touched
| by her shy infantile way, blended with timid
distress at having to tell me this, that at once
went TO my room and procured the $4,000 United
| States bond, which you know | lately bought
with my savings. and gave it to her, telling her
where she could get it cashcd, and babe her then
take out Of 1t whatever she needed.
| Why, Tom, you don't say SOP 1 cried rather
%Of course he answered. why notP' We
money matters as if we were married"
lie went below, and sat long in the moonlight,
thinking it over as hasty foolish piece OF bust
| ness, when suddenly / was startled by the cry
| of the lookout forward
sail, no! right ahead !"
! The stranger-a large ship-put her helm a-port,
so had no doubt she would pass us safely enough,
| but as she was going by her helmsman raising
his wheel too soon, her bow swung off, and her
| jbboom caught under my spanker sheet, lifting
| the spar and swapping it off with a crash.
There was noise and confusion as we worked
brislIly to keep the two vessels apart and prevent
| further damage, in the midst OF which several
| of the passengers came running up, somewhat
| frightened to find out what the matter
| 1t is nothing: we are all right nOw," cried,
to reassure them, as the other ship swung clear OF
! Miss Merwin he'd emerged from the companion
| way after the others and as l looked toward her
| form, distinctly revealed by the moonlight and
one o. the lanterns / stood stock-still in the ut
| most establishment for as true as / am living
man, her stature now seemed at least three inches
shorter than had hitherto seen 1t
was the only one who noticed her at that time,
| and on meeting my gaze she drew back as quick
as q flash, and vanished in the cabin.
| The strange phenomenon l had witnessed for a
moment almost took away my breath. My whole
| mind was fixed upon this one thing and when my
son came up, few hours later, to take the deck,
| described the singular change L had noticed in
| lie stared at me at first as if he thought me
mad; then broke out into an incredul0us laugh,
| saying that my eyes or the imperfect light must
| have deceived me.
| l knew better, however; but, finding could
| not convince him, / told him TO wait until the
young lady. should appear at breakfast in the
| morning, when he might see for himself.
Two hours later the second mate came up to re-
leve Tom, who then went below. The officer,
seeing me seated in reverie on the quarterback,
| walked amidships, where he stood looking care
| essly forward.
All at once judge of my surprise, when, on
raising my head, beheld, leaning against the rail
/ near me- a person had never seen before-a slen-
| der, mddle-aged man, of rather low stature, with
! hair covering nearly every part of the face eX-
ceping the eyes, which glittered like iire-bas in
| the moonlight
Why, Ialioa Who are you? Where did you
| come from ?" | cried.
PRAY don't excite yourself" he coolly an
swered II am a detective, and got aboard in
! the harbor through the connvance of one of your
crew. am not going to tell you which one-who
also supplies me with food have been all along
| in the stateroom next to Miss Merwins, with my
carpet-bag. Had you looked in the room you
would have seen me, but you probably missed the
key or thought it was lost"
| THAT is true but"
Here is my warrant he interrupted, handing
| me paper which, on reading 1t by the lanterns
| light | perceived was signed document, appor-
emily from the proper authorities, instructing John
| Clews the bearer, detective, to conceal himself
| aboard the liermione, and act as he might see mt
in his endeavor to detect the murderess, Mrs.
| Youngson, who, it was suspected was passenger
| in disguise aboard that vessel
| "She is here" was his confident reply, when |
remarked that there must be some mistake. l
have not watched through the hole bored in the
why mani" | cried, aghast, she cannot be
the guilty one. She is innocence itSef-ss artless
| as q child Besides, she is very tall and young;
whereas have been told that the murderess
much shorter and nearly twice as old"
He laughed in way which to me was indie
scribably disagreeahle.
1T is not Miss Merwn I aude to-" he said.
" You will remember that the stateroom of Miss
Lorton is also next to mine"
| What" l exclaimed, almost as much surprised
| as before, you suspect that stout young lady
| Who"
II don't suspect" he interrupted; 81 know her
| to be the criminal"
But she is young, plain, and stout; the accused
woman was slender"
"Bahl' he again interrupted. Disguise
That will explain all 1t is easy for woman Of
that kind to make herself look younger and stOuter
than she really is Should we fall in with good
Liverpool-bound ship, / shall arrest this woman
and take her on board of it with me- / will go
| back TO my room now You may or may not see
me again before we sight q home-bound craft"
With that he glided like shadow into the
cabin.
| Now, then, had something to keep me awake
to drive all thoughts Of turning-in from my
mind. So, after all, that womon-that terrible
murderess-was aboard my ship
| / hecon N walk the deck i'm no pleasant frame