Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-02
The Mysterious
-. Me ssenger


When the war with the Modoc In
dams broke out in the early seventies
Captain Winterton left his bride at
frontier post and marched with his
command to the lava beds. There he
fought while the wife worried and
fretted till the close Of the struggle.
One day she was sitting in the living
room of her quarters endeavoring to
divert her mind by reading or sewing
from the dangers TO which he was ex-
posed, when there came a tap at the
door, and young soldier-a mere boy
of eighteen-entered and held out TO
her a letter, on which she saw at a
glance the superscription in her hus-
bands handwriting The young sol
der was very pale, and she noticed
that though the weather was fine his
clothes were soaked with water But
she was too eager to read the message
to dwell upon this, and, seizing it, she
carried it TO an open window for a
better light TO read it. 1t. too, was
soaked with water. and the lines were
badly blurred. She managed 10 make
out That AHt ar " rs ONNIs anu &altAt1lH
Winterton would soon return TO her,
though since he must accompany his
command it would yet be few days.
Then she turned TO the young soldier.
He was gone. The sudden yanishment
so startled her that she dropped the
letter on the window sill
Astonished that she had not heard
his step, she stepped into the hall,
which was not carpeted and would
surely resound under any tread, espe
cially that Of booted soldier. She raR
to the front door, expecting to see him
walking across the parade TO the sol
diers' quarters, but no one except the
sentries and few loungers appeared.
Starting back into the room. she went
to the window to reread the letter
when she noticed that il was not there
The apartments were not far above the
ground, and she looked out, expecting
that 1t had blown out of the window
and was lying below. She did not see
II and went outside to look for it, but
without success.
She was frightened. She dreaded
iGt this strange message from her hus-
band, coming in such uncanny fashion,
was a prelude to bad news. She sent
request for the officer in command
of the post 10 visit her, and when he
came she told him the story. He de
clared that to his knowledge no mes
senger had come from the lava beds.
but he would make sure by inquiry O.
the officer of the day. That officer re-
piled that no such messenger had been
seen at the post.
In the evening the post surgeon call
ed on Mrs. Winterton at the command.
ants suggestion. ostensibly to ask for
news from her husband, but really TO
see If she was not overweight by anx-
iety. He found her pale and nervous,
but could detect nothing further II
was the opinion of the officers and their
families that the mysterious courier
and the letter were the creation Of Mrs
Winterton's brain. No one except her
self had seen either courier or letter
The soldier could not have got into the
post without having been seen by the
sentry al the gate and the one pacing
before the officers quarters.
The police" squad. whose duty it
was to pick up every bit of paper that
Uttered the inclosure, was Instructed to
look out for the letter, but they never
produced it. Mrs. Winterton's nervous
ness increased to hysteria, and word
was sent TO her husband to return as
soon as possible. He obtained leave
TO do so and at once set out for the
fort. The commandant met him before
he saw his wife and told him of the
vision. or whatever it might be, that
had visited Mrs Winterton.
Winterton stood aghast. 1t was some
time before he could reply to inquiries
as to his establishment. but at last be
said
'They say the dead cannot visit us
l have just had evidence that they can
Young Harding. the messenger. was as
devoted TO me as ever was soldier to
his commander. He was tie son of
banker in the east. and. being arbi-
tious to be soldier lie enlisted and
would have now been promoted He
was a pet OF mine. and twice during
this war saFed his life. once by crawl
ing out TO him beyond our firing line
whore lie had been left gf,er a retreat
and could not raise his aaed without
getting a bullet through Il; again ~
forcing hiM to the ground a moment
before a storm of bullets was sent over
our works. AS soon as hostilities had
ceased chose him to take tie news TO
my wife. on my way here | learned
that he was pursued by Indians who
had not given up the struggle and was
drowned attempting 10 swim his horse
across a river"
1t was decided not to encourage Mrs.
Winterton in the belief that she had
been visited by the dead. By the sur
geon's advice. her husband feigned 10
be ignorant of the messenger and told
her that it had been reported to him
that she had been III and. about the
time Of young Harding's supposed ar
rival on tho borders of delirisfpn Mrs