Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-07-28
A STEAMER SMOKING ROOM STORY.
[Orisinal.-

q was crossing from Southampton to New York. We had among the pas sengers jolly devil may care young Euglishman named Trevor, who was the life of the ship. He was especially favorite with the ladies. though he seemed to prefer the society of men, spendlng a lot of time in the smoking room.
 ''There was 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 lan- guish till he joined her and look nex pressibly happy If he did so for even few minutes. And so I 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 I rallied him on the preference shown him by the young married woman.
 'One morning after the breakfast hour we missed Trevor ill the smo.1- ing room. At noon q steward came to me as Trevor's most intimate asso- ctate and told me that my friends room was locked and no amount of knocking could elicit q reply. The ships carpenter was called l went
 4l,o T
 The room was empty.
 "Therc could have been no mems of egress for the occupant except the port holes It seemed to me that he would have had difficulty ill 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 were q 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 hinted that the husband had something to do Win Trevors disappearance, but this suppositioa did not gain favor with tn rest. Indeed, it was absurd on its face.
 We reached New York without the reappearance Of the fayoritc or solu- tion of the problem. The purser broke open Trevor, 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- planel
 sNow comes one of the strang"St happenings of all my life. Talk Of co fncidenc"s. never have heard or read of anything to beat what I'm going to tell you. Three ycai.; Ia CT went rom my home in Connecticut to the I'ae;,iG coast partly on business and partly to attend the wedding of niece of mine. I reached her hone several tla..-s hetore the wedding and when introduced to the groom eXpectant stood paraly2el with astonishment,
 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 al explanation-no much to my credit confess, but it might have been laora a to my diScredt if l hadn't done what I did, though to tell the truth I 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 g5in- wild herself about you? Yes; 90 en-
 She Was wild true enough-so wild l couldn't control her. She was bent on raining three persons, her husband, herself and me. l made q coniidant of the captain and proposed to make q stowaway of myself for the rest of the voyage to get out Of her way. He offered to stow me ill his cabin instead and I accepted the offer. Mighty good man, the captain, and hrSt class at keeping a secret. 1 ar ranged the disappearance and, to pre- vent the news reaching home before l NSNiN ShOiC, lCLuONtO tI.iL would point to my address. But, heavens, how did I come to get en- gagged to your niece?'
 "Why didn't you centide in me?' asked.
 Captain said confide in no one or ne would have nothing to do with the natter
 ITO all thiS tha Eride expectant listened with eyes and ears wide open. Well, I declare. she said at the finish. IT l had heard that story without the name of the principal. would have known 1t was you. Uncle. do you think I'm safe in marrying such d man" Then to het fiance, Why haven't you confessed this to me with other things?
 How would it look for me to tell you that l had to disappear to get