A ROMANTIC STORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8989, 14 May 1890, Page 3

A ROMANTIC STORY.

Melbourne, April 30. A mysterious drowning case, in which there io supposed to be a tragedy wrapped up. has occurred. A boatman at St. Kiida found the body of a woman floating in tbo bay'on the morning of the instant. It was newly and respectably attired. In the pocket there was a purse with over £1 in money. On the finger there was a wedding ring, and the doctor who made the post-mortem said the woman was about twenty-five years of age, and but for the presence of the wedding ring on the finger he would have concluded that she was a single woman. There were no signs of violence on the body, and the cause of death was drowning. Strange to say until last night there was no clue to the identification of the body, though between fifty and sixty people visited the morgue with the avowed intention of desiring to identify the body. Assuming that they were all sincere in their intentions, the number of women with brown hair, about 25 years of age, sft 2in in height, dressed in dark stnff gown and imitation sealskin jacket, with money in their purses, gold wedding rings and brooches, silver bangles, etc., who are missing from their homes must be quite alarming. It is perhaps only necessary to add that the majority of the would-be identifiers were women. However, last evening something more definite was learned. Two men who had read the report of the inquest iu the papers called at the morgue. One was Louis Light man, and if his surmise io correct the question as to how the deceased met her death will bo more mysterious than ever. His missing friend is a young person named Pauline Levi, who, though only twenty years of age, has succeeded in making herself the principal _ figure in a history much more romantic than is usually found in real life. She is a native of Leeds, England, where her parents still reside. Lightman knew her there when she was quite a child, and after his immigration to the Colony about four years ago hia brother married Miss Levi’s sister. Lightman is a cabinetmaker by trade, and soon after his arrival here he obtained a situation in the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company's c image works, where he readily obtained a' good position and v/as soon in receipt of excellent wages. Ho communicated tidings of his success to hia brother at Leeds, and about twelve months ago his brother wrote out and suggested that he should marry Miss Pauline Levi, who was quite prepared to come to the colony and join him. He consented, and after sending home enough money to pay hej passage out he set about preparing a home for her. When she arrived iu the steamer Iberia, about six weeks ago, he had all his arrangements made for the immediate marriage. He had tnkon a house in Bell street, Eitzroy, and fitted it up in a comfortable and suitable mannfr. The wedding day was fixed for 3Lst March, aud for the fortnight which e’apsed between the day of her arrival and that date he placed her under the care of a Mrs Breslau, who resides in Drummond street, Carlton. Miss Levi displayed an unusual lack of interest in her approaching marriage, but still readily fell in with all the suggestions which svere made by her husband that was to be and his friends. On the day before the wedding day he gave her Ll 5 to purchase certain household necessaries, and on the afternoon of the same day she disappeared a rom Mrs Breslau’s taking all her luggage. Mrs Breslau had no suspicion of the girl, who told her that she was going to take her boxes down to her future home in 801 l street, Fitzroy. Lightman had noticed in the various conversations which he had with Miss Levi that she had a good deal to say about a certain gentleman who had come out in the ship with her, and had shown her great attention. This gentleman had met her on several occasions in the street/and when she disappeared Lightman concluded that this gentleman might know something of her whereabout, and he accordingly visited the Coffee Palace, where ho had been told he was lodging. In the message book there he found a message to this gentleman inMiss Levi’s handwriting, and ascertained that the gentleman had in the meantime changed bis lodgings. He made several attempts to trace the giri but without result and had just resolved to mu Ice no further efforts in the matter when lie read the account of the inquest on tbo woman’s body. Lightman is not very clear about the clothes, and as the woman had beenjburied before he reached the morgue he has not seen the body. He cannot account for the wedding ring, bu": a strong point is that he knew Miss Levi had, a brooch made from a Jubilee half crown, and in the deceased’s purse, amongst other coins, there was a half-crown which had evidently been used as a brooch, for the marks of the solder which had held the pin are still visible. The police, however, are now on the track, and will make inquiries. The woman’s clothes and jewellery will be shown to Mis Breslau, and efforts will be made to find the gentleman who arrived in the Iberia.