The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-15
A sToWAwAY.

men when n schm0h. stepped UP to mo
and, sdluiing, said. cAfr. warren, one
Of the men on the lower deck heard
cough among Che freight and after
search for stowaways pulled Oft
girl" ~
"a giripI exclaimed. surprised.
i"Ycs. sir; a girl" fc
~ directed the stowaway to ~ he
brought up on deck In order TO look
her over with a view to determining
how much work she could stand and
what Kind of work to give her, FOR our
orders were to work stowaways 30
hard las TO render that method OF gain
ing free transportation undesirable.
The girl came Up frightened. but after
n glance at the ocean, seeing that We
were well away from land. look OF
triumph crossed her features. Know
ing by my tniforrh that I was an Off
GER she stood demurely before me,
with her eyes on the deck. She was
very fair-indeed, so fair that I knew
she came from my native north.
what have you done this for?"
asked her. Don't you know that we
work stowaways harder than those
who hire themselves to us honestly?"
She did not reply. Only a faint flush
passed over her face. The longer I
looked at her the more her delicate
beauty grew upon me. Her features,
especially her mouth, could not lave
been more exquisite II they had been
chlseled by an artist, and, though her
clothes were solled and torn. she had
not been long enough I'm the hold to
show the effects usual TO stowaways.
There was something pitoous about the
slender. shrinking figure that deferred
me from visiting the usual hardships
due to such offenders.
whats your name?" | asked.
"Gretchen."
"Well, Gretchen, you have been a
very foolish girl You'll be worked
hard, and IL you can't show that you
can support yourself when You get 70
New York you will be sent back" ~
AZ that moment the captain came
along and, taking in the situation, re-
lieved me of all. responsibility. He
was terror to stowaways and sent
the girl away to be worked day and
night. shuddered, for ] knew the
delicate frame before me could
scarcely stand the ordeal Any word
Of protest from tpe would only result
in heavier strain for the girl.
We had stormy weather all the way
over Gretchen% though sessick. was
N tt.akt 80 hna l,,tt
cry moment OF tho day and much OF
the night she was either at work IN the
galley under the head cook or in the
cabins under the stewardess, and both
were ordered TO make her. life mIsera-
BILE. The weather. kept us all busy,
and I saw nothing OF her Till we
reached New York. Then on the day
Of our arrival ! saw wen. It was what
remained OF the poor girl. In fve
days her beauty had departed. Her
checks were sunken and had taken on
blush white tint. Her eyes wore
a hunted look, her arms were bones
covered only with bloodless skin.
She was tOtterlng TO the gangway to
90 ashore with the immigrants. she
carried no bags or bundles, like the
rest-indeed. she would not have been
able to carry them If she had pos
sessed them.
] was of duty and. going up to her,
took her arm and steadied her down
| the gangway went with her into
| the room where The Jiselnbarked Inn
migrants assembled for examination.
Suddenly she gave a cry and, break
ing away from me, ran toward young
man standing with his hands in his
pockets watching the crowd come into
| the room.
| N"Hans," she called. II am here"
The young man drew back from this
skeleton Of a girl in filthy rags and
with unkempt hair.
81 ain Gretchen. oh, Hans, don't
| you know meT' si'hsH tF
! Hans stared at her curiously. Grad.
nally he showed signs of recognizing
her She was his bctrothcd and had
come as stowaway 10 marry him. He
knew OF her coming and was there ia
meet her But the sight OF hcr after
her torture was too much for him
Without q word he turned and left the
place. ll
Gretchen fell fanting into my arms.
She was deported In the same shiI
In which she had come over. but she
did not work her passage. The gov
erBment attended TO that.
Ono night while was on duty saw
a woman's figure come up compan
ionway and make a dash for the gun
walc. She was half over when
caught her and dragged her back
She was Gretchen.
| I placed her in deck chair and
questioned her. learned that she hat
lived in the German province from
which ! had come secured prom
Use that she would make no furthel
attempt on her Ife also got some
better clothes for her and berth II
the second cabin On the day W.
reached Hamburg was leaning ovel
the ran OF the bridge. looking down a
some second class passengers on thcil
deck watching for land Suddenly m.
eyes met those Of Gretchen. Decent,
dressed, much Of the color back in he
| CheckH the look Of suffering fnde(