The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-10-16
A STEAMER SMOKING
ROOM STORY.
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l0r,ginail
In the smoking room of am ocean
liner they were telling stories of dis
anpearances nj sea. This is one of
them by an elderly American gentle
man.
Il was crossing from southampton
10 New York We had among the pas
ecnrers "a Jolly devil may care young
Englshman named Trevor. who was
the life OF the ship lie was especially
fayorite with the ladies though Dc
seemed 20 prefer the society of men,
spending q lot Of time in tho smoking
room.
There was q middle aged passenger
aboard. with O wife twenty years his
Junior We hadn't been ont three days
before the young wife was dart about
Trevor aud the husband ereen with
jealousy Then there was an old maid
who would sit mopine ON deck til
Trevor appeared, when she would lame
cui~h tiu De Joined her and look incX-
prcsslby happy 10 De did so for even
d few minutes. Aud $50 ] could go ON
mentioning various women. ail of
whom were more or less affected
Trevor singled me out for IBIS principal
companion. aud we used 20 sit in his
stateroom by the hour chatting and
sm1kinc ON one occasion ! rallied
him ON the preference shown him 10y
the young married woman.
cone morning after the breakfast
hour we missed Trevor I'M the smok-
ing room. At noon O steward came TO
me AS Trevor's most intimate Assoc
ciate and told me that my friends
room was locked and mo amount of
knocking could elicit reply. The
ships carpenter was called I went
with him. and he forced the door
The room was empty
There could have been 100 means of
cgress for the occupant except the port
holes. It seemed TO me that he would
have had difficulty I'm getting through
one of them. but there is no knowing
what one may accomplish in crawling
through small space. especially if given
abnormal strength by insanity, though
some thought Trevor had crawled out
in his sleep.
We We're a dun company for the
10 Of the voyage Tho young wife
didn't attempt 10 conceal her emotion.
and her husband looked as II De would
have liked TO help Trevor make way
With himself. Some of the men even
hluted that the husband had something
10 do with Trevors disappearance. but
this supposition did NOT gain favor
with the rest Indeed It was absurd
on its face.
we reached New York without the
temperance Of the favorlte or a solu-
ton Of the problem The purser broke
open Trevor's trunk in the hope Of
learning more Of his identity than his
mere name. but the information was
not forthcoming. So the case was set
down as one Of those mysterious disap-
pearances that are never to be ex-
planned.
'Now comes one of the strangest
happenings Of an my llfe Talk of co
medicines. / never have heard or read
OF anything 10 beat what I'm going TO
tell You Three years later went from
my home I'm Connecticut 10 the Pacific
coast partly on business and partly to
attend the wedding of a niece of mine
reached her home several days before
the wedding and when introduced 20
the groom expectant stood paralyzed
with establishment
He was Trevor
"He turned red and white and was
evidently al first bent on denying his
identity Then he laughed and said:
Yes; we've met before. There's an
explanation-not much 10 my credit ! |
confess, but il might have been more |
20 my discredit If / hadn't done what |
/ did. though to tell the truth ! chose |
a method that was rather acceptable 20 |
a young scapegrace than an older man /
DO you remember the young married |
woman who
"'set her husband wild by going |
wild herself about you? Yes; 90 on
She was wild true enough-so
wild / couldn't control her She was /
bent on running three persons, her /
husband. herself and me. made q /
cOnfidant Of the captain and proposed /
to make a stowaway Of myself for the |
rest Of the voyage to get out Of her |
way. He offered 10 stow me In his I
cabin instead and I accepted the offer
Mighty good man. the captain, and /
first class at keeping a secret ] ar
ranged the disappearance and, 20 pre-
vent the news reaching home before !
could cable, removed anything that
would point 10 my address. But
heavens. how did / come 10 get en-
gagged 10 your nieceT
"Why didn't you confde in meT
asked
captain said conhde in no one or
ne would have nothing TO do with the
matter
ITO all this the bride expectant
listened with eyes and ears wide open.
We'll, ! declared she said at the finish.
II l had heard that story without the
name OF the principal, l would have
known It was you. Uncle, do you
think I'm safe In marrying such
manT Then to her fance. why
haven't you confessed this 10 me with
other thingsT
"How would It look for me TO tell
you that ] had TO disappear 10 get
away from a womanT
fright you are said l. no truly
modest man could have done It,
Il found nat my niece's father (my
sisters husband had been furnished
all the evidence required TO prove that
Trevor was a younger son Of British
nobleman. He had been a ranchman
since comirg 10 America and would
not go back 20 England on any &C
count"
"Nextr' cried one Of the listeners
''That was "a good one II Il was made
out Of who'll cloth"
EUGENE HOLMES BURT.