A MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 266, 7 June 1878, Page 19

A MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE.

An Englishman went into a church in Rome the other day, and as a service was going on he sat quietly down, placing his hat on the ground beside him. After waiting a little while, and as there seemed no immediate prospect of the ceremony coming to an end, he thought ho would go, and reached for Ms hat, but was stopped by an unseen arm which grasped him from behind. Thinking that probably some custodian of the church wished him to remain till the conclusion of the service he again waited. Presently he again thought of going, again reached for his bat, and again the unseen arm firmly prevented him. Convinced that the service was really some important one which his leaving would disturb, the Englishman again waited for about a quarter of an hour. At the expiration of that time he determined to depart, in spite of etiquette. So he again reached for his hat. Again the hand grasped him, but as he determinedly resisted his retaining efforts, a voice behind him exclaimed in English : " I beg your pardon, but that is my hat you are taking." And this was the fact. Our hero had been detained all this time, because each time he wished to go ho had reached in mistake for the hat of another stranger, placed in close proximity to his own. — London Examiner,