The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-09


cut-throats who had ruled it, and there
she had been before that memorable
Fourth of July, "the gamblers para
disc. ~. II. Greene, IN the Philadelphia
Times.
The Strange Story Of Eccentric Mr..
Howe.
Mysterious disappearance are as
common now as they ever were, but
there has never been one more mysterl-
Gus or fantastic than that which Is
known as the Howe case.
About 1706 there lived in London one
Mr.. Hows, a sensible, well-natured
man, possessed of an estate of t100 or
$500 per annum. He married young
lady of good family in the west OF Eng
land; her maiden name was Mallet;
she was agreeable in her person and
manners, and proved very good wife.
Seven or eight years after they had
been married he rose one morning very
early and told his wife he was obliged
to 90 to the Tower to transact some par
ticular business; the same day at noon
which he informed her that he was under
the necessity of going to Holland, and
should probably be absent three weeks
or month.
He was absent seventeen years, dur
inc which time she never heard from
him or of him. The evening before he
returned, while she was at supper with
some of her friends and relations, par
ticularly one DR.. Rose, a physician, who
had married her sister, billet, without
any name subscribed, was delivered to
her, in which the writer requested the
favor of her to give him meeting the
next evening in the Birdcage Walk in
st. James's Park. When she had read
the billet she tossed it to DR.. Rose, and
laughing said: ....-.... -.....-
"Yoa see, brother, old as | lam, have
a gallant"
Rose, who perused the note with more
attention, declared it to be Mr.. Howe's
handwriting. This surprised all the
company, and SO much affected Mrs.
Howe that she tainted away. However,
she soon recovered, when it was agreed
that DR.. Rose and his wife, with the
other gentlemen and ladies who were
then at supper, should attend Mrs. Howe
the next evening to the Birdcage Walk.
They had not been there more than five
or six minutes when Mr.. Howe came to
them, and after saluting his friends and
embracing his wife walked home with
her, and they lived together in great
harmony from that day to the time of
his death. ....
But the most curious part of the tale
remains to be related.
When Howe left his wife they lived in
house in Jermyn Street, near st.
James Church; he went no further than
to little street in Westminster, where
he took a room, for which he paid five
or six shillings week.
Changing his name and Disgusting
himself by wearing black wig (for he
was a fair many, he remained in this
habitation during the whole time of his
absence. He had two children by his
wife when he departed from her, who
were both living at that time; but they
died young few years after. However,
during their lives, the second or third
year after their father disappeared, Mrs.
Howe was obliged to apply for an Act
of Parliament, to procure proper set
tlement of her husbands estate, and a
provision for herself out of it during his
absence, as it was uncertain whether he
was alive or dead The act he suffered
to be solicited and passed, and enjoyed
the pleasure of reading the progress of
it in the votes, in little coffee-house
near his lodgings, which he frequented.
| l. ic nd 70 i1xy
Mrs. Howe at first imagined that he had
contracted large debt unknown to her,
and by that means involved himself in
difficulties which he could not easily sur
mount, and for some days she lived in
continual apprehension of demands from
creditors, of seizures, executions, ETC.,
but her fears were entirely baseless.
Mrs. Howe, after the death of her chill
dren, removed from her housei in Jermyn
street to small house in Brewer street,
Golden square. Just over against her
lives one Salt, corn chandler. About
ten years after Howe's abdication, he
contrived to make an acquaintance with
Salt, and was at length in such degree
of intimacy with him that he usually
dined with him twice a week. From
the room in which they ate it was not
difficult to look into Mrs. Howe's dining
room, where she generally sat and re-
ceived her company and Salt, who be.
lieved Howe to be bachelor, frequently
recommended his own wife to him as a
suitable match, subject which they
frequently discussed with much gravity.
During the last seven years of this gen
tleman's absence, he went every Sunday
to St. james, Church, and used to sit
in Mr.. Salts seat, where he had q view
of his wife, but could not be seen by her.
After he returned home he would never
confess, even to his most intimate friends
what was the cause of such singula,
conduct-apparently there was none
but, whatever it was, he was certainly
ashamed to own it. N.}. -ai
Death in Lime.Ki