New-York tribune., 1895-10-06
THE CONSUL'S STORY.

Mrs. Helen Burns was quite unknown 10 me-
but was not sorry to see her come H. S"e ""'
one of the radiant brunettes whose cheeNs se'
lovely red when the thermometer runs near ~e'V
end who can light the gas with her fingers when
frost &c about. She was in widows garb OF the
,,ost aggressive sort. and she looked as happy as
q nrisoner iusr ESCAPED from jailer. she tripped
ma O Gliding courtesy and swan into chair'
There was positively not an angle about her'
"1 ha, come on a sad business she said. Ihe
hardening OF the final "f' showed the freno"-
woman. but there was no other evidence OF IL.
howed and looked up with sympathy ana IN
quiry
my dear husbant. he is det'
mutely expressed my commisera'oh
"He has died very suddainly' ana l MAJ ue
c,ded that cannot leave MS pooy III III" Wv
EngIant where is noting sylnpauca' VIII ''"e
him back to New-Ycrk on the steamer
uar long lashes fell like velvet pail as she
soid this and then slowly came upward Be
meath them I could see pair Of dark brown eyes
shining through film oi tears II wac
rainbow in the mist.
.,, aoor busbant he was so goot 10 me. He
,,os In q leaden coffin at the cemetery house ana
we must take him away tomorrow II Will oe
for Won to do something for me. You shaH say
that he is inside. If not this. dey open MN a'
the Custom House.
"Fut cannot give you the usual certihca'e
without actually seeing him in the coffin
"Dey will not let me open de coffin no more
did not know yesterday or l would have sent ior
You. You must do this
She leaned over In pleading entreaty' ana ihui
INJURED: "My poor husbant he is not mere 10 pro-
tect me and help me like he used to DO II my
Consul does not help me, who can help me- ana
where shall go?'
felt as though 1t was positively criminal 10
torture this poor lady any longer with susses-
tions Of strict compliance with the law said
would do all I could to smooth the hard pain OF
widowhood and asked for the death certhica'e'
II was duly handed me. and was correct IN all
particulars A big splash Of ink covered the place
of demise. but that was obviously an accloeh''
Then int,mated that was quite satisfied the
husband was In the coffin, but that felt must
at least go and see the outside Of the receptacle
You shall come with me- she SAID ana To-
rether we drove over to the cemetery. 1t was
n,easant afternoon. and enjoyed the drive inn
mensely. Mrs Burns also seemed to find the air
exb,Iarating. and laughed several times in so
hearty a way that was moved TO express my
satisfaction al the way she bearing up under
her great bereavement
"Ah yes" she said. with a sigh, sometimes
do forget that 1 shall not see my husbant any
more"
WAS he long ill?
His healt' was what you call pre-pre-carious.
Is dat how you call it?'
That is right
He was a man who loved de mystery and de
romance. We haf had many romances'
"Ah tell me one. for instance"
"No: dose t'ings are sacred in his tomb. He
was a very large man, long but not what you call
fat His coffin seems very large
And have all your romances been with your
husband"
Il do not tell you dat. Mr. Consul and she
smiled as though she could whole volumes un
fold.
At the cemetery found in the mortuary chapel
an immense leaden coffin which looked large and
grewsome enough to contain the remains of two
husbands instead Of one and felt that the
widow had completely made out her case. Upon
nv return therefore gave her the following GER
tifcate. surmounted by large American eagle:
consulate of the L. S. A.. -. -, --.
a. the undersigned Consul of the United States
Of America for -, do hereby certify and
make known to all whom ii may concern that on
Monday the day os -. a. d. IS, at the
Consulate aforesaid, the leaden coffin containing
the mortal remains of Samuel Burns sOldered
down in my presence; said Samuel Burns having
been temporarily abroad and having died on the
- day Of - A. d. IS. aged forty-one years
The said leaden coffin contains inside polished
oaken casket; and the said coffin was securely
packed in a deal pack H~i-case marked This side
Upper steamer { rDria' (B). | further certify
that the said Samuel Burns died from no infec-
tious disease. and that said case so marked con-
tans nothing but said remains inclosed as above
,.o1t q
Custom House at New York. in the United States
OF America.
In testimony whereof have hereunto set my
hand and the Consular seal this - day of -,
in the year Of our Lord Is.
You see" | said 10 the widow, Il certify here
that | have actually the coffin soldered
down: but as IL done before, hardly think
II necessary 10 have ii broken open, and am
sure 1t is all right. You will now have no trouble
in getting the precious package unopened
through the Custom House at New-York.
The widow was grateful for this
"It would be an awful ting If dey was to
make me trouble dere." she murmured, plaintve-
ly "Oh, my dear. dear Samuel
I consOed her well as | could, and encour-
aged her TO talk about Samuel. He was the ten
derest the best of husbands. l learned He had
never given her cross word: ana mad sacrihced
everything 10 her wishes. He was not wat you
call q ands0me man. but he had his good points,
she confided And she got brighter as she re-
counted mis- virtues At last the widow left me.
profuse of thanks. The Consulate seemed
dreary after she left.
I thought Of her at times and made no doubt
the bones OF Samuel Burns We're duly mixing with
Mother Earth somewhere in the States.
Nearly a year passed. | had not forgotten the
widow precisely but il needed special effort to
bring back all the circumstances. One day dis
covered that the caretaker of the Consulate was
also night porter at of the hospitals He
called himself night porter. that is, but found
by tudicious questioning that he was in reality a
purveyOr OF bodies TO the dssecting-rOom at the
institution in question.
II gets 'em from the work us and every
where's he told when a confidential footing
had been established, but seldom gets as good
'un, for instance, as you would make"
This was his pleasant Joke. Such Jokes all men
must be prepared to receive VINO make friends