The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1876-05-19
~ as 49, !

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t~faa sl4n lnsst4 Masisn laa, nhe
The Nhfst n siaA@sh. II vsaait ~
aa~'A y itHfH8tsasA fAr fAA# rlrth.
aHi hls isH#utY 49, flas hsAv an srsns
nffssfsss NiHn ~ hAtl ~ ilM, "A
ihe siaf
III safH ! waA tttluf. aaA ,s,ssens.
W ihe hsa4 Hti .awvtesssr lsss waa in
shs rAshsIHe tsvsn il tsairas n 60.
After Is ts44lalfsn Mnfh silanissnsl The
itnsrtAn, sftrt ehatn Nv ~ Nh thA
tiseaf. anil, sss.sslina II Il little fuasn,
itssk W tamiln'fle booking srt~~.
ifisrF
Hut hr .lli mi attempt h ,lse she In.
stfsm~ns until he hal slwllesi and ~.
stwilra his hn.ne ,n the has. There
w~i~ ihr hssrfa that sj~llai Mark
Cninlssn. anil shr, ~rfe arranged M
proper ofrler Thr ~ II she box waa
wrll hrlh ,iawh Nv .rr~~.. and N lNAt
.hr little Ahinina htaIA received Tho
clerks attention. Having ,lnfTrd hls
rnas, shr sr.tng imam ssul~l down
and wufkati With Will and Iii silence,
The as'frss enlnr oiii without nnIa~
hut shc sweat ,irall~l frm the work.
rr's throw.
Mark Cnmpsnn's face VIVA white and
almost rspirasianlrs~ nnl he never
removed his rses frnm hia work.
Al lnst IN. laas aefrw wna drawn,
and tho lifting II the Ill revealed q
handsome metallic coffin,
Az tho slght III this The confidential
clerk os unfTry Il c.. started hack,
saying In Voice very husky now
"A corl3c II IA, by hea,cna''
H. placed The llsl I'm one corner of
thc room and returned 10 the colin In
tho oblonn box.
j hut over N hc hcsiinsc,l. whIlo hls
hnnda itrhcl tn linscrrw the lii TINT
his cyea might fnIl upon tho face Of
tho dcad Tho coffin wns extremely
large, II measured ~ least ak feet In
length. nn,l the clerk thought hc could
lIn down md roll over In II with cnse-
II wna 80 wko
Until Tho lifting ~ tho Ill ~ tho box
Compton hai pictured 10 himself tho
cold hut beautiful face ~ q young airl.
liliowcd In thc rasc but when tho d.
mcnrions of thu coffin greeted his cyA,
such thoughts vanished, and hn icit
inclined 10 pursue them with n laugh.
Int nj ltvi he agnin fell to tho work
~ revealing the irauI face ~ his con-
signmcnt, and he heard tho ticking of
hia wntoi white he worked on tho sil.
ycf.l,cn,lcd acfewy.
The niIniitur were aiieh Tint Mark
Compton would not live over aunin for
sieel etra. driver, hc drew niah os
relief.
SleNiy tlle heavy I'LL VIVA lifted and
whni I'LL III sen7
4 white fii,tie. seemingly very nnc.
md underneath the fnini contour of u
face heayen.nri turned
'"1'his l. II mystery III tho dendl /"
anil lie confidential clerk. drawing
back from the concealed farn. i've
mInl IN ali,it the thing ~ again and
get John t. .art II bnrk 10 the Condor.
II Ian't MIN, ! know II Isn't. and tho
sight VI ths fnn, under tho sheet mny
haunt mo through iiicl"
Hut talk and argue ~ he might,
Mark Compton could not overcome
his curiosity. and i ,ahin to rrstrain
himself. hn lent ~ !. tho coffin and
his tlngers gently touched tho shrold.
Slowly he lifted Il. and saw . facc
that rrrned 10 grin IA him With nil tho
facial humor of II clrel. clowns.
Instantly tha sheet wns dropped.
and the clerk started buck with gasp
OF horror.
Thrre wnA no inIsinking tho fact
that tho mystery III thu grlnnlnx dead
face hn.i frightened Mark Compton.
After long while he crcpt toward
tho eofI,n nRnin.
The shrond In falling from hls hands
had lcft the face PARTLY uncovered,
and while stopping ~ remove II nlto.
Rether, m exclamation Toll from, his
lips.
Corpse, the dickensl" he cried,
"It's no'ne u colby's dolngs. I'd Tor.
gotten himi"
The next moment Mark Compton's
hands seized the laughing face. and
hasl flung Il across thu room.
Where II hAd lAln WAS letter, lifting
which the clerk caught slight oi the
illuminated ends VI several cigar
boxes.
Tho coffin was filled with tho best
brands VI Havana cigars.
Luke Colby, III pay you for this II
y takes century ~ schcmlng," ejAc.
ulAtsd Compton, calling 10 mind tho
jovlAl member u thu southern branch
cl tho house 81 0allry Il 20. Luke
Colby.
Undoubtedly ~ that very moment.
IN some rich parlor III New Orleans,
ho wAs laughing over hls hoax.
I'LL plan my r.scng. liz the smoke Of
bis cigars said linfr.y x 60. > cOnfi.
Dental clerk. III they XIII mo they
cannot torture mr more than they
have already. This IL the ghnstlicst
joke on record. ConfsnnL yon, Luke
Colby May your grandfather unrx.
i~ctedly Walt ,pn soiis day IN hls
wuHlcn inublrti"
faa +.