, 1889-08-18
HIS HAIR TURNED WHITE.
A MYSTERIOUS CALLER WITH A
BLACK eoRDERED ENVELOPE.

That was n strange story told by an
ex-congressman the other day, and the
circumstances under which IL was re-
lated were somewhat peculiar. The
story was told as the literal truth, and
there can be no reason for doubling its
authors veracity.
1t was a few evenings age that the ex-
congressman sat with a couple of news
paper correspondents and a government
official in the latter's room in u big hotel
In this city. They were discussing poll
tics, and the ex-congressman WAS talk
ing, when he was interrupted by q knock
at the door. In response to an invita-
ton the door was opened and a messen-
ger boy stood at the entrance. In his
hand was an envelope with a heavy
black border. 1t was such as those used
to inclose a death message or to indicate
deep mourning. The boy paused for a
moment, evidently specializing in his
mind as to the proper person to receive
the letter. Finally he rendered it to the
ex-congressman, who was nearest the
door. That individual turned pale and
trembled, but extended his hand as If to
take the message. He hesitated an in
a and his hand dropped ~nerveless. A
second time he essayed to take the mes
sage from the boy, and again he failed.
1t was only after the third effort that he
was apparently able to reach it, and by
that time the government official for
whom it was intended had come to the
door, read the address and took the mes
sage from the trembling hand that had
received it.
"Ah," said he, after opening and read
ing it, sit is only a note from an office
seeker. Why it should be in mourning
L don't knoY. AS the office seeker is a
woman, 1 presume it is merely a femi-
nine freak" (
THE MYSTERIOUS MESSENGER.
Everybody had noticed the strange
demeanor of the ex--congressnfan, and,
observing that an explanation was ex-
pected, he finally said:
81 think that the use of black bordered
envelopes ought to be prohibited by law.
The very sight of one unnerves me.
When l tell you why you may doubt the
truth of the tale, but it is true neverthe-
less. Ten years ago l vas making a
political canvass In my district. At the
close of n speech one afternoon 1 received
a telegram from home stating that my
boy, the idol of my life, was dying, and
that If l wished to see him alive / must
come at once. l went Immediately to
the hotel. took my satchel and started for
the depot.
There was no passenger train due for
some hours, but a freight was pulling
out and 1 jumped aboard. 1t was late
when l reached a little town on the river
where l could take n boat for home. 1
| ltVrrfa1 30 tla ,rlo-f - f...-1 81 IL.
steamer would not pass until after mid
night, and that l would thus be delayed
many hours. l was undecided whether
to wait for the steamer or to hire a boat
and leave at once. While 1 stood on the
wharf hesitating n messenger boy sud
denly appeared before me. Before 1
could say anything he thrust into my
hand q white envelope, with a heavy
black border. A strange feeling came
over me, and it was only by the greatest
effort that l was able to open the letter.
The apprehension l felt in q few mo-
ments was awful, for 1 knew that it
must contain dread news. When finally
l looked at the letter there appeared In q
strange hand the single sentence:
you must come quick.
"There was no signature, and nothing
to indicate the origin of the letter, and
when / turned to inquire of the messen-
ger he had disappeared as completely as
if swallowed by the earth. 1 knew that
the message referred to my boy, al
though l was entirely ignorant of the
source. / knew that 1 must hurry if I
would see him alive.
THE DYING BOY.
"Tho message decided me, and at once
l sought a boatman, and, securing his
services, started down the river. I
reached home some hours ahead Of the
steamboat upon which 1 had originally
intended to come. l rushed to the house
and was ushered into the presence of my
dying boy. As l approached the bedside
he recognized mo with a smile, and then
said:
Papa, I've been waiting for you
Those were his last words, and in a
moment he was dead. Ithen knew that
the message 1 had received had come
from him, and that he had been waiting
for me. None of my family or friends
had seen the message, o did they know
anything about 1t. Afterward 1 made
the most searching inquiries at the town
where l waited for the boat, but nobody
had seen the messenger or ever heard of
him. Not the slightest trace of him was
to be found, and / was led to the inevita-
BILE conclusion that the messenger had
never appeared to any one but me, and
that l alone had seen the message.
"You can understand now why a
black bordered envelope always fills me
with the greatest dread and apprehen-
sion, and why it was that l turned pale
and trembled when the messenger boy,
who just appeared in the door, rendered
me the ominous looking message intended
for you.
"You will observe that my hair is
white, although l { am yet a young man.
Before that ~eventful night my hair was
as black as n ravens wing. After / re-
ceived the black bordered letter from the
mysterious messenger, who came to me
at the boat landing that night, a feeling
came over me such as 1 never knew be-
fore nor have known since. The awful
agony of that trip down the river will
remain fresh in my memory until death