The herald., 1895-03-25
HE WENT
OUT WITH A MYSTERIOUS
MESSENGER

My unclo, Ruben Van Note, fell in lovo
with Priscilla Jan tho very first time and
as he was not the kind Of a man to waste
much timo in courting he chose this way
of proposing
Priscilla wore a gown of muslin, and
at the belt hung two scarlet pockets, as
was the custom in those olden times. Ru-
ben, having penned a declaration one aft
crnoon, took the opportunity (for he was a
timid MANI CT slipping tho note into one
Of these pockets when she was not look.
ing.
Then no took his leave and waited pa.
tiently for an answer. But none ever camo
Poor Ruben was not one to risk his
fate a second time, and he ceased his
visits to the home of the Jams. After
awhile he wept away to England, and
Newport knew him no more He be-
came rather celebrated as scientific man
The bashfulness of youth gone by, he
became grave, gallant gentleman of tho
old school, and he had his admirers even
among our sex, but he never fell in love.
and he never married
AT SO years of age he took it into his
head to see Newport before he died. In
those years 1t had become fashionable
watering place. There were one or two
great hotels and plenty of cottages. The
sea view was as fine, the sea air as bracing,
the girls as pretty as of yorc but they did
not wear painted muslins with poppios on
them nor outside pockets of embroidered
silk.
Ruben Van Note strolled along the
beach and looked at the old tower and
sighed over the past a little Then he
strolled up the street to the house of the
Jan family. 1t looked very much as for
merly, only the trees were large, and the
ivy vine quito covered the brick stable
with the pigeon houses on the roof. All it's
windows were open, and a woman was
dusting the shutters. When she came out
upon the porch to shake a cloth, he spoke
to her.
docs tho Jan family live here yet2'
he asked
The woman gave long, slow shake of
the head and said:
1.-THE last of the Jan family died three
days ago. Miss Priscilla Jan. was her
maid. She was getting en- in life-6O
years old-and delicate body always, but
l think she would have lived long while
yet if she hadn't had an accident. Her
carriage was upset by tipsy coachman,
and she was hurt and shaken. Tho shock
to her nerves killed her. the doctor said.
That's her miniature when she was a girl
over the mantel, If you'd step in and
look.'
Ruben stepped in and saw Priscilla, in
white and red, smiling at him from tho
chimneypiece. 1t was a good likeness.
Could she really be dead? He staggered
back and seated himself on the sofa.
And she never married." he said,
speaking aloud unconsciously.
"No, sir, said the maid, believing her
self addressed. "She never married. Such
pretty girl, you'd never believe it. She
had Offers but they did not suit her. Once
she told me, sitting just there, sir, where
you sit, the Christmas after her parents
died, why they did not She was fond of
young gentleman once but he came and
went and never said a word, and, as she
believed, never cared for her. She cried
and cried of nights but told no one, and
she lived single until she was 40. Then
one day, when she was up in the garrett,
she found pair of red silk pockets in an
old box. She had missed the pockets.
They used to wear 'em outside sir, which
seems funny now She had missed them
and never guessed where they'd gone, but
somehow they'd been dropped into the box
that was carried up garrett that very
night. She'd not seen them for 20 years,
and she took them out and turned them
over, and letter fell into her lap.
1T was sealed, and it had her name on
1t, and when she read it she found it was
an offer from this young gentleman, an
offer, sir. that she would have said yes to,
and thankful.
She knew then that, being bashful,
he had slipped it into her pocket, and it
had been lost with it, of course.
'''I cried at first, Martha she said,
but afterward was glad, for knew how
we had loved each other 1t was too late
to answer 1t, even if I had known where
he was, but hoped some time he might
come back and know the truth He will
never know now, Martha, she said 'un
less we meet in heaven And put the
little pockets, with the letter in them, un
der her head in the coffin, as she bade me.
Sort Of like story, isn't it, sir?"
lit Is very like story" said my great
uncle.
He sat looking at the picture for awhile
and the girl went on. The property was
left to a charity, all but legacy to her.
self, and there was to be an auction next
day, and she was cleaning up for it, and
then she begged him to rest himself as
long as he pleased and went about her
work.
When she had gone, Ruben Van Note
took the miniature Of poor Priscilla Jan
from the mantelpiece and put it into his
bosom and walked away
Doubtless the maid wondered long
whether that respectable old gentleman
could have been the thief or whether some
other had come in at the open door in her
absence
But Priscilla's pretty face lay against
Ruben's heart until it ceased to beat, and
have no doubt that If lovers renew their
vows in heaven these two hearts have met
there, these two whom the treacherous
buckle Of the scarlet pockets parted forever
Tho Telautograph.
Half century ago there might have
been some suggestion of witchcraft in tho
reproduction of the handwriting of an in
dividual 800 or 400 miles distant, but quite
recently autographs were sent and received
between London and Paris. In the tests
made the persons writing were known to
the receivers, and there could be no chance
for mistake. Every error, erasure, pecul-
iarity Of construction in the letters or the
evidences of hesitation were given in the
most perfect facsimile. How valuable this
discovery may be as a means of identified