Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-18

TALKING WITH A WOMAN ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE CANVAS.
the other lady passengers and told her |
that she was taking her daughter |
abroad to break up a love affair be- !
tween her and young man at home. |
The confidant told some one else, and
it finally got around to me.
at didn't appear that the girl was
much panied at the separation from
her lover At any rate, she didn't look
so, but seemed very well satisfied with
the attentions of young fellow whose
acquaintance she made on the voyage.
They played Switchboard and the 9TH
er deck games together and before
we We're half across had got very
chummy. l confess, Notwithstanding
the girl had left a lover behind, she
would make match or at least start
one during the trip. I've seen so many
matches made on the ocean that when
see a man and a woman fitting about
together on a ship, no matter what
their antecedents, l expect a love af-
fair.
well, as l was saying. these two
We're together all the way over most
of the time, the girls mother sitting
on deck where she could usually keep
them in sight. One day she left them
/ alone together there. l was on the
bridge and saw her go down the COM
! panionway Some ten minutes later
l saw her daughter part with the
young man who was attentive to her
and go below also.
THAT was the last seen of the girl on
that ship.
"a bird flying from the top Of the
mast could not more completely vanish
| than the girl l am telling you about
Half an hour later the mother came
/ up and looked about for her chick. She
went from stem to stern on the upper
deck, then down TO the next one Later
I saw her talking excitedly to the
man the girl had been with, and he
seemed as excited as she. They called
up to me and asked me If had seen
anything Of the young lady. to which
l replied that / had seen her leave the
young man and go below. The fell
low seemed relieved at my statement.
telling me that the young lady could
not be found and 1t was feared some
thing might have happened to her. He
was glad that / had seen the parting
between them and could bear witness
to the fact The mother left him and
hurried below
when / came off watch found the
ship ia q state of excitement Every
one had theory as to what had be-
come of the girl. The sea was rough.
and the prevailing opinion was that
during a lurch she had been thrown
overheard Every part Of the ship was
searched. What 1 mean by that is not
that ali the staterooms were looked
into. There was no need to do that,
for they were all occupied. and no one
in them could have any motive for con-
cealing the girl. To satisfy the moth
er the captain took her all over the
ship, permitting her to look wherever
she pleased.
''If it hadn't been for my testimony
that had seen her part with the young
man she was with when her mother
left her he would have been held to I've
turned over to the authorities on land
ing de not only proved the parting by
me, but that when the girl left him be
had gone to the smoking room and was
talking with man there for some
time. Then he went down into the sa
loon for luncheon, where he was served
by the waiter who usually attended
him. Indeed he was able to prove tha
he had not been in the girls company
after had seen her leave him.
Within twenty four hours after he
disappearance every one aboard excep
her mother had arrived at the opinion
that she had fallen overheard. Wheth
er it was because a mother is NOR
hopeful than others concerning he
offspring, the lady did not share in thi
theory. True, she was very much wo-
ried, but either she could not or woul,
not believe that her daughter had bee
lost. But when asked for another ex