Strange Incident of the Mails

1895

A lady in Boston wrote some letters and sealed them, as is her custom, with a Moorish coin having a tiny hook in its back. Her correspondents all know this peculiar seal and how highly it is prized from its antiquity and the stylish form it takes in the wax. Called suddenly from the room, these letters were soon after posted by a servant in the nearest box, and not till then did the owner of the rare coin miss it from the table. The room was searched, and finally the maid dispatched to await the letter collector on his next round. But he declared nothing had been seen of any such seal, and then the search began indoors again, but with no better luck. A few days after this lady received a letter from Canada scaled with the familiar Moorish hieroglyphics! The mystery was soon explained, for on opening the envelope it was learned that this heavy seal had stuck to the letter sent from Boston, and though passing through so many hands had arrived intact, to the great astonishment of the recipient. — Boston Herald.