The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-16 00:00:00

Extraordinary Romance.

news

The London correspondent of the Belfast
Letter vouches for the truth of the following some-
what remarkable narrative :—" A short time since
an old lady, living in one of the small streets lead-
ing out of Albany-street, Regent's-park, close to
what was once the Colosseum, entered the shop of
Mr. —, a poulterer in the neighbourhood, and
purchased a chicken. The tradesman was attentive
to her, as such people ought to be, and the lady be-
came a customer, always coming to the shop and
giving her own orders. She appeared to be very
old, but to have all her faculties about her. On
Saturday evening she came when the poulterer hap-
pened to be very busy. She said she wished to speak
to him, and he asked her to walk into the little
parlour behind the shop, and he would come to her
the moment he was disengaged. In the parlour she
met the daughter of the poulterer, and, after some
conversation, in the course of which she remarked
that the young girl looked ill, and required change,
of air, she produced a parcel, tied up in paper, and
said, Give this to your father, as he is busy and
cannot come, and I cannot wait. I wish him to
take you away for a little change, and hereis some-
thing that will enable him to do so.' She
placed
the parcel in the girl's hand, and told her to leek it
up in a cupboard to which she pointed. The girl
did so, and thought no more of the matter ; but',
when, some hours subsequently, the shop was closed,
and her father came into the parlour to get his
supper, she produced the parcel, and gave the mes-
sage by which it was accompanied. The poulterer
laughed as he untied it ; but, to his amazement,
the parcel was found to consist of bank notes and
gold of the value of £l,OOO. There was also in it
an antique gold watch and chain. The next day
Mr. hurried round to his customer to thank
her, when she desired him to take his daughter out
of town for a few days, and on their return to
inform her of their arrival. This, of course, was
done. A day or two after their return she called
at the shop of Mr. —, and said she wished him
to come to her house to tea, accompanied hi
his daughter. As they were about to leave, after
partaking of her hospitality, she said to Mr.
I wish you particularly to call upon me to-mer"
row morning, and bring with you two respectahle
persons upon whom you can rely.' The next morn-
ing Mr. attended, accompanied by the curate
of the parish and a neighbour. The old lady theh,
said she was upwards of 90 years of age, and had
no relative living but a cousin, an attorney, who'
she alleged, had not treated her well, and by what/
she said she had lost £20,000. She added that she
had £25,000 in Consols still left, and that, as she,
felt she would not live long, and was resolved that
the attorney should not get anything belonging t°
her, she had asked Mr. —to attend, with two
witnesses, in order that she might transfer to him'
for his own absolute use, the £25,000 to which she
had referred. She added that she knew very well
what she was about, and by giving him the money
while she was alive, instead of bequeathing it of
him at her death, ho would be saved the payment
legacy duty to the extent of £2,0')0. This announce'
ment appeared to be of so singular a nature that the
clergyman very properly suggested that a solicitor
should be sent for. The man of law came accord-
ingly, and the transfer was duly effected. The old
lady's presentiment of approaching dissolution
proved to be coned, as she died a few weeks aftert
making this singular disposition of her property.
seems that before her death she had intended t°,,
give the money to a chemist with whom she used
to deal, but that he had offended her by some
inattention to her wishes. The moral of this
story (of the substantial accuracy of which there
can be no doubt whatever) is that civility eestg
nothing, and may sometimes yield a rich reward.''