The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-08-26
That Saratoga
Trunk
By BARBARA PHIPPS

widows cap. drove up to a pier In
New York from which a ship was
about to sail for London. She arrived
in a taxicab on which there was room
for baggage as well as passengers.
and as soo as 1T stopped she alighted
and. calling for a couple OF porters.
she pointed to O large saratoga trunk
on the auto and said to them:
81 wish you to carry my trunk to
my stateroom. Here's a dollar for
each of you. ! don't like my trunks
banged about and broken. Take 1t of
the a carefully. carry 1t aboard in
the same way and when you set 1t
down don't do it with a thump."
The men pocketed the tip. took the
trunk and obeyed the lady's order to
the letter. the lady herself accompany
ing them.
Nine. Herman kept her room during
most of the voyage. She was usually
In her wrapper. and when a steward
answered her bell she would give her
orders through a narrow opening of
the door. receiving what was handed
in in the same way. She said that her
trunk which she preferred to have
with her took up so much room that
there was none left for any one ex-
cept herself. The trunk being a very
large one. this was quite true.
A lady occupying a room opposite
Nine. Herman's said that the widows
meals. all of which were eaten in her
room. were sumptuous. Three times
each day a tray was carried to her
door. Each dish was removed from
the tray through the narrow opening.
and a piece of silver was slipped into
the hand of the steward who brought
the meal.
Another thing vas noticeable in the
little passageway when Nine. Her
mans room was unlocked. This was
a strong odor of cigarettes that quite
frequently emanated from her room.
This caused some surprise. because the
lady appeared to be not the kind of
woman who would smoke. Fashiona-
BILE women of rather a sporty type are
the ones who smoke. at least in Ameri-
ca. but Nine. Herman was not in the
least loud" Indeed. she was quite
the reverse. being very refined and sub
dued.
Persons travelling have nothing to do
but observe their fellow travellers. and
these things tended to direct attention
to Nine. Herman Several ladies who
roomed near her met one day In the
cabin. and the widow became the topic
of conversation. One wondered why
she should take up so much space in
her room with a trunk that another
woman would have had put into the
hold. Another was surprised that SO
spiritual a woman could eat so much.
avowing hat she had seen the dishes
carried away and not a remnant of
food IA eve left on any of them. A
third could not understand how so re-
fined a woman could smoke Indeed.
Nine Herman was surrounded with in
cOnsistencies. and these Inconsistencies
very much troubled her fellow passen-
gers.
Nevertheless Nine. Herman kept her
room. except on very rare occasions.
when she wen on deck for fresh air.
and then she always locked her door.
1t was observed. toe that she never
went into the cabin or on deck except
after the StewardeSs had made mp the
berth and put the room to rights.
One night in II fog the ship came into
collision with another vessel All the
passengers turned out of their berths.
most of them with very few clothes on.
But the officers assured them that not
a break had been made in the vessels
side. and the engine. which had been
stopped, proceeded with monotonous
regularity. This satisfied the passen-
gers. and they returned to their rooms.
The lady occupying the room opposite
Nine. Herman's reported the next day.
when the incident was being talked
over. that when she left her and
when she returned to it Nine. Her
mans door was shut tight. On com
pairing notes none of the women could
remember having seer the widow on
deck.
When the ship was coming into port
Nine. Herman was forgotten in the
excitement of preparation for landing.
After the docking and the passengers
had nearly all gone ashore Nine. Her
man sent a steward for a couple of
porters and when they arrived they re-
ceived the same instructions with re-
gard to carrying out her trunk that
those had received who had brought ii
aboard. 1t was placed on an auto
with baggage room and taken with its
owner to her hotel. where it was de-
posted carefully by tipped porters in
her room. The ext day the lady. still
fleeing porters to carry her trunk care
fully. took a train for Dover and cross
ed the channel Il Calais From there
she went to IL small town in Holland.
where she took Il room in ii hOStelry on
the second floor. II window opening a
few feet from a shed
In the morning before daylight a
man stood az the window.
"Goodby. dear" he said. This has
Deer q long and "a hard pull and with