The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-08
A STRANGE STORY.
From an article called "The Phenomena Of Miss
ing" in Chambers Journal

The saddest disappearance OF wnlcn L
remembered ever to have read was that OF
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 to
London. But after having safely accom-
plished SO many hundred miles, he never
attained the place, such little way off,
where his sweetheart awaited him. He
neither came nor wrote. She read bis
name in the list of passengers by the Eu-
ropa, and looked for him hour by hour in
vain. What excuses must not her love
made for him How she must have chung
to one frall 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 cousin of the
name OF Pecrhyn, about her own age, who
had been brought up in the same family,
and, although 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 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, or 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 service,
she turned from him, with something like
loathing. Whether this was remarked
upon so much before the following ciroum-
stance occurred, it would be interesting to
Learn, but all who knew them now tes5ity,
that whereas in earlier days she had taken
pleasure IN her cousins society, it seemed
to become absolutely hateful T. Eer, sub
seauent 10 her calamity.
About three years after CAPT RUuth's
| disappearance, q brother osl,.-r am. friend
OF hjs, one MGjoi Brooks. having business
IL Eua}and7 was invited into Hert -o-ttsh HE
BY Nrt. Lin" at TIE Urgent IeQn9S. ot Der
dausnteg so la, bcvever, rod, b5iG4
Jvesco re % the ass9cltion Of ~ .ne.,o,' g
essence viii her lost lover, y; Ting
seemed to take pleasure IN N,iu!ng So
inroh &s hearing him TAX O. iis nlis,in-
eiid. Nj. poclhyn appears t. have
taken this in some du1geon; PERHAPS he
grew appreh9nsi9e that s. present rival
might be even more fatal to his hopes 'ilsn
tae memory Of an absent one; but, at ali
ove1ts, the gentlemen quaIrelled. Nj.
feeih. n who lived in the neghholhoad
protested that he would not enter the
louise during the majors stay, and ,enain-
CT at bis own residence. During this
arrangement the conversation between
Brooks and Miss Ling Lad Captain Rorth
for its Fopic more than ever. In speaking
OF the absence of all clew TO what had be-
come OF him, the major observed: "There
IS one thing that puzzles me almost as
much as the loss of my poor friend myself.
You say that his luggage was found at the
inn where the coach stopped in London? ?"
" 1t was" said the lady Il am thank
full to say that have numberless tokens
of his dear self"
There is one thing, though, which l
wonder that he parted WITH" pursued the
major, eand did not always carry about
with him, as he promised to do. l was
with him in the baz ar at Calcutta when
he bought for you that twisted ringn-
THAT ring" cried the poor girl, "that
ring J" and with frightful shrek she in
stantly swOOned away.
Her mother came running in to know
What was the matter; Brooks made some
evaslve explanation, but, while she was
applying restoratives, inquired, as care
lessly as he could, who had given to her
daughter that beautiful ring A.?
"Oh, Willy Fecrhyn," said she. ssThat
Is the only present, poor fellow, he could
ever get Rachel to accept"
Upon this Ma or Brooks went straight TO
Pecryn's house, but was denied admit
| lance whereupon he wrote to him the
following letter:
SIR:-I have just seen a ring unon the hand
OF the betrethed wife of nv murdered friend
HerDert Routh; he bought it for that purnOse
nlnseI, out you have presented it, / know
that ne always wore it on his little finger. and
never parted with it by any chance 1 demand.
therefore to know by what means Won became
possessed of it. l shall require to see Won in
person at i've o'clock this afternoon and shall
''n ~, III ueniei JAMES BROOKS
The major arrived at Mr.. Pecrbvn's
house at the time specified, but fonnd him
dead man. He had taken poison upon
the receipt of the above letter: and so as
is supposed, departed, the only human be-
ing that could have unravelled the mystery
OF t,ie missing Captain Routh. Still, it is
barely possible that he may not have been
MS murderer, after all if he were, it was
surely the height of imprudence to have
gwen away thing so easily identified, and
ll,a' 70 the very person, of all others, from
whom he should have concealed it.
IMPORTANT ORDER RELATIVE TO FUR
LouGHs AND ENL1srMENTs.-An important
general order, respecting re-enlistments
anu furloughs to veterans, was issued from
the headquarters of the Army of the Poto-
mac ON the goth. 1t provides that when
three fourths Of regiment Cor company,
II not attached to regimenD who are pre-