The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1863-11-14
A Strange Story.

ptf Sef 10 nave reau was tniC OF Captiilu 1.oulh
of the Indian Army, who came home on leave
from Calcutta, to be married to Miss Ling In
Herttord-shire. Captain Routh arrived at South
ampton, and was identified as having been pass
enger by the coach from that place ta London.
But after having safely accomplished so many
hundred miles, he never attained that place, such
Little way of, where his bride awaited him. lie
neither came nor wrote. She read his name Ill
the list OF passengers by the Europa, and looked
for him hour by hour, in vain. What excuses
must not her love have made for him.! How she
must have clung to one frail chance after another,
until her last hope left her! How infinitely more
terrible must such vague wretchedness 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 him?
This young lady had a cousin of the name of
Penrhyn, about her own age, who had been
brought up III the same family, and, although
much attached to her, had not been hitherto con-
sidered to entertain towards her warmer feelings
than those of kinship. But as month after month,
and year after year, went by without tidngs of the
missing bridegroom, he began to 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
pains to repulse him which probably she would
otherwise have done. She accepted, OF at least
she did not reject, a ring of his, which she even
wore on her finger; but whenever he spoke to her,
or rendered her i'll any service, she turned from
him, with something like loathing. Whether this
was remarked upon so much before the following
circumstances occurred, it would be interesting to
learn; but all who knew them now testify, that
whereas in earlier days she had taken pleasure In
her Cousins society," it seemed to become absolute
ly hateful to her, subsequently to her calamity.
About three years after Captain Routh's disap
pearance a brother-oficer and friend of his, one
Major Brooks, having business in England, wasin
vited into Hertfordshire by Mrs Ling, at the ur-
gent 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.. Pen
ryhn appears to have taken this in some dudgeon;
perhaps he grew apprehensive that present rival
might be even more fatal to has hopes than the
memory of an absent one; but at ell events, the
two gentlemen quarrelled. Mr.. Penryhn-who
lived in the neighborhood- od-protested that he
would not enter the house during the ma iors stay,
and remained at his own residence. During this
estrangement, the conversation between Brooks
and Miss Ling had Captain Routh for It's topic
more than ever In speaking of all clew to what
had become Of him, the major observed: "There
is one thing that puzzles me almost as much rs
the loss of my poor friend himself. You say that
his luggage was found at the inn where the coach
stopped in London?"
lit was," said the lady. 81 am thankful to
say that l have numberless tokens of his dear
self"
''There is one thing, though which I wonder
that he parted with" pursued the major, "and
did not always carry about with him, as he prom
ised to do. was with him in the bazaar at Cal
cutta when he bought for you that twisted ring. y
"That ring" cried the poor girl, shat ring?"
and with frightful shrek she instantly swooned
away
Her mother came running in to know what was
the matter; Brooks made some evasive explana-
nation, but, while she was applying restoratives,
inquired, as careless as he could who had given
to her daughter that beautiful ring?
'Oh, Wiley Penrhyn," said she, that is the
only present poor fellow, he could ever get Rachel
to accept"
Upon this Major Brooks went straight to Pen