Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-12-22

A Disappearance
-30 at Sea. -

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! Copyright, 1908, by American Press Asso-
ciation.1
"They say" said the purser, 'that for
every day in a large city like New
York there is a disappearance of a per.
son who is never heard Of afterward.
We have proportionately as many such
cases ut sea. Six such disappearances
have occurred during my term of sea
service, only one of which was ever
explained, and that good while after
it 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 well dressed
and as pretty as a picture. An elderly
gentleman accompanied her, whom
supposed to be her father. He babe
her goodby affectionately, 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,
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. II he
was an old acquaintance and they had
one knew. Some ladies questioned her
about 1t, but got no satisfaction. She
told one lady that she was going abroad
to marry an Englishman. He was
wealthy cotton spinner thrice her age.
The wedding day was set to take place
in New York, but the groom expectant
had cabled that matters had arisen in
his business to delay his coming. 1t
was therefore arranged between him
and the girls father that she should go
to him. Her father was her only liv-
ing relative and could not go with her;
therefore she must go alone.
1t 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 l made up my
mind that for bride going to meet the
bridegroom she was tramping 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
stewardess In the saloon. The young
man who had been devoted to her was
In the smoking room that night from
half past 8 till IL. Several persons said
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 light sleeper
and any one leaving the room would
have awakened him. Therefore the
young man was In his berth all night.
Furthermore, his roommate heard him
snore often during the night.
The girl was not missed till the next
day at noon. She did not appear at
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 do
with her disappearance till he cleared
himself Of that suspicion. confess
was puzzled. He showed distress, but
not the distress Of a mourner. Still, as
he was supposed to have first met the
girl on the ship, he could not be ex-
.pected to grieve Unfortunately. Had he
thrown her overheard? If so, when
could he have done 1t? The general
opinion was that she had either gone
overheard In her sleep or had commit
ted suicide.
Her fiance was at the dock to meet
her and showed genuine distress at her
loss. The young man who had been
attentive to her contrived to get ashore
without meeting him. Indeed, when he
went ashore no one saw him so far as
could be, discovered.
The sequel to the story was told me
by man who had crossed with US on
that trip. he had gone few years
later to Rio de Janeiro in connection
with the coffee business. In the owner
Of a coffee plantation he recognized the
young man I have been telling you
about.
He made himself known as q for
mer companion de voyage, and the
coffee planter took him to his house
and introduced him to his wife. She
was ,the young girl who had disap-
peared.
They had been married some years
and had several children. Her hus-
band had been her lover when 1t was
decided she should marry the cotton
spinner. He had gone aboard the ship
without her knowledge or that Of any
one who knew her. They had con-
trived her disappearance. He had Sc.