The herald., 1912-06-13
They Met on
The Ocean
By MRS. MARY c. ELWOOD


been more matrimonial matches made
on the ocean than on the land. i have
crossed Iaany times between America
and England and in most of my voy-
ages have seen one or more cases which
] believed to be courtships. | can ac-
count for 1t only on the ground that
. during the period of crossing certain
persons who are thrown together have
nothing to do but make love.
On one of my voyages |, an elderly
woman. roomed with young Swiss
girl who was coming to America to
make a new home. She was a young
thing without experience and spoke
only the German language. Since |
spoke it, too, Bertha Gerstein relied
upon me to tell her what she should
do In all those matters coming up in
travel and especially when she reach
ed America. 1 was glad to inform her,
and she appeared very grateful
One thing ! noticed about her that
excited my curiosity-her undercloth-
ing was profusely decorated with lace,
not worked in, but loosely tackled on.
Seeing me look at it wonderingly, she
told me that she had understood that
the customs officers in the United
States did not levy a duty on anything
worn on the person. II she could get
the lace through the custom house she
could sell it at good profit and thus
increase her little savings. / told her
that day had passed and passengers
were required to sign statements as to
the goods purchased abroad which
they brought over with them. This
the lace ashore as a part of her gar
ments and hoped she would have no
trouble.
The first day or two out from Lon
don 1 sat good deal on deck with my
roommate. A young man with lot
of tumbled blond hair sat near us one
morning and entered into conversation
with us. He was a Swede and going
to America on the same errand as Ber-
tha-to make a home for himself. He
seemed to be an excellent young man
and, seeing that he and Bertha appear.
ed to be favorably predisposed toward
each other, left them alone together
and went below.
seldom sat long with Bertha on
deck after this, for the young man,
Peter jacobson, almost always Joined
her, and i knew that to a young cou-
pie / would be superfluous. / could
see distinctly, however, that Bertha
had caught a seasickness that does not
pertain to the stomach She was fall
ing in love with Mr.. Jacobson. How
ever, she continued to rely on me for
what she should do after making port,
and I agreed to take her to a house
where had boarded for number Of
years till she could learn what her
more permanent plans would be.
Shortly before the termination Of the
voyage the little Swiss girl confided
to me that she and the Swede had
agreed to join their fortunes in Amer
dca. It seemed very quick work to
me, and I asked her If she thought she
could trust him on such short ac-
Quaintance, whereupon she declared
that she would as soon distrust the
Angel Gabriel.
The night before We reached the
dock Bertha told me that she had con-
ided to young Jacobson that she had
q lot Of lace sewed on to her clothes
that she proposed to smuggle through.
I gasped for breath, but, knowing it
would be useless to say anything, held
my peace. The next morning Bertha
went ashore with me, Jacobson going
before. While we were standing over
our baggage waiting for an examina-
ton noticed him talking with an in
spector and looking toward US. Then
the customs man came to us and told
Bertha to come with him. 1 went, too,
and she was taken to room where a
woman examined her clothing and ex-
posed the struggled lace.
OF course 1t was confscated. When
we were through with the matter and
drove uptown l told Bertha that her
lover had informed upon her. Contra
ry to what / expected, she believed me
and was heartbroken, but neither OF
us could understand why he had done
80. / strove to comfort the girl and
read her a lecture at the same time
telling her that the world was full OF
sharpers and their most prolific field
was women. For the future she must
trust no one except after a long &c
quaintance. and even then 1t was dan.
gerous.
We had arrived early in the morning
but owing to Bertha's trouble did not
reach my boarding house till late in the
afternoon, when Bertha went directly
to her room to weep. In the evening
Z was told that a young man wished
to see me in the parlor. and I went
there to find Jacobson.
II wish to make an explanation to
you" he said, "and will trust you not
:. to give me away. Before leaving Swe
len put all the money 1 had in dia.
nonds and smuggled them through the
custom house in my hair. Seeing an
inspector looking at the great growth
on my head suspiciously, to divert his
attention directed IL to your room.
mate. telling him that she was snug
gler and that ! would claim a reward
for my Information. knew the dia
Imonds on me were worth ten times the
lace on her. ] have come to make this