The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-07
A Disappearance
" at Sea. "


"They say" said the purser, that for
every day In large city like New
York there is a disappearance of per-
son who IL never heard of afterward.
We have proportlonately as many such
cases at sea. Six such dlsappearances
have occurred during my term of sea
service, only one of which was ever
explained, and that good while after
1t happened"
| was with the Cunard line, and we
were starting on the eastbound trip.
Just before leaving carriage drove up
to the dock, and young lady came up
the gangway. She was we'll dressed
aud as pretty as n picture. An elderly
gentleman accompanied her, whom
supposed to be her father. He bade
her goodby affectlonately, seeming
loath TO let her go, and, returning to his
carriage, drove away.
We had hardly got out of sight OF
land before one of the passengers, a
young man not much older than her
self, began to show her great deal of
attention. Whether this was their first
meeting or not no one knew III he
was an old acquaintance and they had
happened to meet on the voyage, no
one knew. Some ladies' questioned her
about It, but got no satisfaction. She
told one lady that she was going abroad
to marry an Englishman. He was n
wealthy cotton spinner thrice her age.
The wedding day was set to take place
in New York, but the groom eXpectant
had cablcd that matters had arisen In
his business to delay his coming. II
was therefore arranged between him
and the girls father that she should go
to him Her father was her only llv-
ing relative and could not go with her;
therefore she must 20 alone.
IL looked TO the passengers who took
notice of the attentions OF the young
man who was supposed to have made
her acquaintance that he was becom-
ing dangerous to the man who was
awaiting his intended In England. But
none of them except the officers who
were more on deck at night knew that
the couple sat late In cozy corners
every night during the voyage long
after every one not connected with the
ship had turned In. ! spent my even
ings below and usually at work on my
accounts, but one night went up,
stumbled on the couple unawares and
saw the young man with his arm
| about the girls waist. / made up my
mind that for bride going TO meet the
bridegroom she was tramplng on dan
gerous ground.
| Two days before our arrival In Eng
land the girl disappeared. She was
seen last about 10 o'clock at night by a
/ stewartless In the saloon. The young
man who had been devoted to her was
In the smoking room that night from
half past till H. Several persons said
they were there with him. At II he
went to his room and turned in. There
was a roommate with him, who said
| that the young man woke him up at
II to ask him the time, saying that his
watch had run down. Then he un-
! dressed and turned in. The roommate
declared that he was a light sleeper
and any one leaving the room would
have awakened him. Therefore the
young man was In his berth all night
| Furthermore, his roommhte heard him
snoTe often during the night.
The girl was not missed TIL the next
day at noon. She did not appear al
breakfast, and, being absent at lunch
she was inquired for. Her room was
visited She was not there. A search
was made She could not be found
aboard the ship.
OF course every one suspected the
young man OF having something to dC
with her disappearance TIL he cleared
himself Of that suspicion. ! confess
was puzzled. He showed distress. bu
not the distress of mourner. Stlll, ai
he was supposed to have first met thu
girl on the ship, he could not be ex
pected to grleve inordnatcly. Had hC
thrown her overheard? II so, wher
could he have done It? The genera
opinion was that she had either gon,
overheard I'm her sleep or had commit
ted suicide.
Her flance was at the dock TO NEE
her and showed genuine distress at he
loss. The young man who had beci
attentive to her contrlved Ia get ashor
without meeting him. Indeed. when h
went ashore no one saw him so far n
could be discovered.
The sequel 10 the story was told m
by a man who had crossed with MS OF
that trip He had gone few year
later to Rio de Janelro In connection
with the coffee business In the owne
Of coffee plantation he recognized tn
young man | have been telling yo
about
He made himself known as fol-
mer companion de voyage, and tn
coffee planter took him to his hous
and introduced him TO his wife Sh
was the young girl who had disaT
peared
They had been married some year
and had several children. Her hui
band had been her lover when It VIZ
decided she should marry the cotto
spinner. He had gene aboard the shl
without her knowledge or that OF an
one who knew her They had col
trIyed her disappearance. He had 81
cured for her the garb OF a girl in tn