Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-02-24
j! On Secret Service.

luS Gay. Ildio "oih h"'S w
tramp over 90 miles, sunshine or rain,
every day but Sunday.
You see that house over yonder-
that pretty white cottage with the
lilac trees in front? Well, was wit
ness to romance which was enacted
there a couple of years ago--just as
romantic as any novel that ever heard
of.
A widow, Mrs. Wilson, lived there
"a refined, genteel old lady-and her
daughter, Miss Bessie. She taught
the scarborough Church school-a
hard, dreary life that must be.
Every morning when she came down
the gravel walk to the gate, on her
way to the school, she was almost GER
tain to see me, and she would wait
until L came and bid me good morning
so sweetly, and ask carelessly if there
were any letters for them. But they
seldom received any.
One evening l saw Miss Bessie
walking with gentleman. His name
was John Keen, and he occupied some
position in connection with the general
postoffice police inquiry department.
And I was glad when L found that
he often went down at nights from his
lodgings-which were a mile OF so on
the way to the London and Brighton
station to the cottage, for had some
how grown strangely interested i'll the
Wilson's.
One day I heard that John Keen
had been selected by the heads of the
service to go out to Ireland to fully
investigate some Irregularities which
had occurred in the postoffices in the
Ulster district. 1 was glad Of it, for
felt sure he would get to the bottom
OF the matter.
[ did not see Miss Bessie for whole
week after that; but one morning
there she was, standing at the gate,
waiting my approach, her face pale
and anxious.
"Any letters?" she cried eagerly, as
soon as she had said "GoAd morning"
L knew that there was, for l had
noticed large square envelope adj
dressed to her in bold, handsome
hand, with the postnark London
derry"
After that 1 used to bring her let
ter with that same postmark every
week; and she always looked so con-
tented and happy THAI when, at last,
one morning drew near the Wilson $
gate and saw the slim, neatly-dressed
figure awaiting me, L hesitated to ap-
proach, for 1 knew that had no letter
for her.
There was no letter the next day, or
the next, and so on for days and days.
Miss Bessie was always at her post,
but she grew SO thin and pale that /
hardly knew her, and I would just
shake my head and hurry by, and so
she realized that there was no hope.
One dsy, as was passing the cot
tage, saw a messenger boy from the
telegraph Office standing at the gate.
Then Miss Bessie ran quickly down
the walk, and just as L came up
she seized the brown envelope and
tore it open.
Then she tottered step forward
and fell to the ground like one dead.
I could not help seeing the telegram
it was like all such messages-brief
and to the point. They know how to
stab the poor heart through. This
was the message:
John Keen was drowned three
days ago in Lough Foyle."
rang the bell and her mother came
out. Miss Bessie was restored to con-
seriousness, and, pale as ghost, walked
into the house, leaning on her mothers
arm, but you could see that all the
light had gone out of her life.
Mrs. Wilson wrote at once to the
man who had sent the telegram, re-
questing particulars, and soon received
reply stating that Mr.. Keen had been
missing for some time, was last seen
in boat on the Tough, and finally a
body had been washed up near Cole
raine, so mutilated as not to admit Of
identification, but in the pocket card
had been found bearing name which
looked like 81. Keen," but was almost
Obliterated by the water.
One day found in my bag a large
Business looking letter addressed te
AIrs. Wilson, and soon they told m,
Che good news which it contained.
relative had died leaving them som,
$4,000, and 1 think that 1 was as gat
as they were, for they seemed like ole
friends to me.
Not long after Mrs. Wilson had de
eided to give up the cottage, and TAX
Miss Bessie to Brighton for e time
hoping to restore her health. which
was failing rapidly. An impuls
prompted me to ask for their seasid
address.
One day, a month after, as wa
passing the cottage-it was still un
occupied saw a man standing a
the gate, and as l drew nearer m
heart gave great bound, and the
stood still, for, dead or alive, it wa
3ohn Keen!