The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-12-30
a STEAMER SMOKING
ROOM STORY.

| [OriginaI.l
| In the smoking room of an oceaI
liner they were telling stories of dis
appearances at sea- This is one Of
them by an elderly American gentle
| man:
I was crossing from Southampton
to New York. We had among the pas
sengers a jolly devil may care young
Englishman named Trevor, who was
the life of the ship. He was especially
a favorite with the ladies, though he
seemed to prefer the society of men
spending lot of time in the smoking
room
There was a middle aged passenger
aboard, with wife twenty years his
Junior We hadn't been out three DAYS
before the young wife was daft about
Trevor and the husband green with
Jealousy. Then there was an old maid
who would sit moping on deck till
Trevor appeared, when she would Ian
guish till he Joined her and look mex
pressibly happy If he did so for even
a few minutes. And so / could go on
mentioning various women, all of
whom were more or less affected.
Trevor singled me out for his principal
companion, and we used to sit in his
stateroom by the hour chatting and
smoking. On one occasion 1 rallied
him on the preference shown him by
the young married woman.
Zone morning after the breakfast
hour we missed Trevor in the smok-
ing room. At noon a steward came to
me as Trevor's most intimate asso-
ciate and told me that my friends
room was locked and no amount of
knocking could elicit a reply. The
ships carpenter was called. 1 went
with him, and he forced the door.
The room was empty.
'sThere could have been no means of
egress for the occupant except the port
holes. It seemed to me that he would
have had difficulty in 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.
I'VE were dull company for the
rest of the voyage. The young wife
didn't attempt to conceal her emotion.
and her husband looked as If he would
have liked to help Trevor make way
with himself. Some of the men even
limited that the husband had something
to do with Trevor's 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 favorite 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 all my life. Talk of CO.
medicines, I never have heard or read
OF anything to beat what I'm going to
tell you. Three years later went from
my home in Connecticut to the Pacific
coast partly on business and partly to
attend the wedding of niece Of mine.
reached her home several days before
the wedding and when introduced to
the groom expectant stood paralyzed
with establishment.
He was Trevor.
He turned red and white and was
evidently at first bent on denying his
Identity. Then he laughed and said:
Yes; we've met before. There's an
explanation-not much to my credit I
confess, but it might have been more
to my discredit If hadn't done what
did, though to tell the truth l chose
a method that was rather acceptable to
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; go on
She was wild true enough-so
wild couldn't control her. She was
bent on running three persons, her
husband, herself and me. 1 made a
,onfidant Of the captain and proposed |
to make stowaway Of myself for the |
rest OF the voyage to get out of her |
way. He offered to stow me in his |
cabin instead, and 1 accepted the offer. |
Mighty good man, the captain, and |
1rst class at keeping secret. 1 ar
-anged the disappearance and, to pre-
vent the news reaching home before I |
Gould cable, removed anything that |
would point to my address. But. |
heavens, how did l come to get en-
gagged to your Nicer
why didn't you confide in me-? /
asked.
Captain said confide in no one or
he would have nothing to do with the
natter
TO all this the bride expectant
istened with eyes and ears wide open.
Well, | declarep she said at the finish.
If had heard that story without the
lame Of the principal, I would have
lnown 1t was you. Uncle, do you
link I'm safe In marrying such a
nanT Then to her fiance, WHY
haven't you confessed this to me with
'ther things?'
How would IL look for me 70 fell