St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-11-12
i STRANGE sroRf.

n 0AnoN N01 4Unx.
rFrom an article "The Phenomena of, Miss,
ing in Chamber.' Joprnal.] G.: IL
The saddest disappearance of which
remember ever to have read was that of q
Captain Routh of the Indian army, who
came home on leave from Calcutta, to be
married to Miss Ling in Hertfordshire.-
Captain Routh arrived at Southampton,
and was identified as having been pas
senger by the coach from that place 70
London. But after having. safely accom-.
plished 80 many hundred miles, he never
attained that place., such a, little way of,
where bis bride awaited him. He >neith-
er came nor wrote. She read his name in
the list Of passengers by the Europa, and
looked for him hour by hour, in VAIN
What excuses must not her love made for
him p! How she must have clung to one
trail chance after another, until her last
hope left her! How Infinitely more ter
rible must such vague rwretchedness have
been to bear, than if she had known HIM
to have been struck down by the fatal
sun-ray of Bengal, or drowned in Indian
seas. Where was he? What could have
become Of him7 I
This young; lady had a. co.sin of the
DaRfb efu R6fSS3hggt R6fSS3hgt dP in the same family
and, althoug Oh much attached to her, had
not been hitherto considered to entertain
towards her warmer feelings than those Of
kinship. But as month after month, and
year after year, went by without tidings Of
the missing bridegroom, he began 10 court
her as lover. She, for her part, refused
to listen to his addresses, but her mother
favored them and, plunged in melancholy
the girl did not take the pans to rcpulsc
him which probably she would otherwise
have done. She accepted, OF at least she
did not reject, ring of his, which she
even wore on her finger: but whenever
he spoke to her, or rendered her any SER
vice, she turned from him with something
like loathing. Whether this was remark
ed upon so much before the following cir
cumstances occurred, it would be inter-
esting to learn but all who knew them
now testify, that whereas in earlier days
she had taken pleasure in her cousin 10.
cietY, it seemed to become absolutely hate
full to her, subsequent to her calam nifty.
: About three years after Captain Routk g
disappearance, a brother-of6cer and friend
of his, one Major Brooks, having business
in England, was invited into Hertford-
shire by Mrs. Ling, at the urgent request
Of her daughter. So far, however, from
being overcome BY the association of the
Majors presence with her lost lover, Miss
Ling seemed to take pleasure in nothing
SO much as in hearing him talk Of his
missing friend. Mr.. Penrybn appears to
have taken this in some dudgeon; per-
haps be grew apprehensive that present
rival might be even more fatal to his hopes
than the memory Of an absent one; but,
at all events, the two gentlemen quarrel.
led. Mr.. Pen,hyn-who lived in the
neigbborhood-protcsted that he would
not enter the house during the Majors
stay, and remained at his own residence.
During this estrangemebt, the con versa.
t1on between Brooks and Miss Ling had
Captain Routh for it, topic more than ev.
er. In speaking of the absence Of all clue
% what had become Of him the Major OBJ.
served: "There is one thing that puzzles
me almost as much as the loss of lily friend
himself: '% You say that his, luggage. was
found at the inn where the coach stopped
10; London ?" :,E r. ...>:. $40
h., !"It>was;" said the lady. 1n'I am thank
ful to, say that l have numberless token,
Foof lis dear self" % :" ."'"'"' ~ :,
T. "rhere 50 IS one thing, though. which
wonder that ne parted With, - pursued th,
Major, "and did not always carry abou
with him, "a hos promised totodo.r I VA
With; him in the bazaar At Calcutta, whei
he bought for you. that twisted ring g''35 '--35
That rMing,'t Ing osried sd The th !, poor gill, "tha
Ering r and With 4 fnghtful shrek ;sh
instantly swooued away. &c.,
Her mother came running in to kno,
*hst-xascthe lnatser; -Bpooks made som
, eysasiye explanation, bpt, while she w.s al
plying resteratiyes, inquired, As careletsl
Is he could, Who hhaid given to her daugl
fttsf that beautiful ringaq '4d' 1852" ,-
I :"0h; Willy Psufhyn,' said she: 9Th.
Il the oily present, poor. fellow, he ooul