Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-12-19

her mind, and there is hope in it (but
more painful laughter, thatsome one has
made the same mistake as herself.
At last she commands herself enough
to take car hame, but every littl, while
she feels the dangerous giggle coming
upon her. BY the time she has reached
home she has concluded not to tell her
husband-he will tease her 80 unmerci.
fully-she will let him find it out fol-
himself; by the time he has found out
che will not mind being plagued.
Fortunately for her decision, they had
company for dinner that evening, and an
engagement later, and she only men,
toned having been to the funeral.
Her subsequent behavior was source
of establishment to Mr.. Hamilton. She
wss constantly smiling to herself He
was awakened once in the night by Ler
laughing. Several TINS when they
would be sitting alone, she would laugh
long and heartily, and when he quss-
| toned her che would make an evasive
reply. The comical Irish face. with the
nose pointing in the direction where she
wished be had gone bodily before he had
played her such trick. would haunt her
dreams; in church it would come before
Ler and the minister; during the sermon
the whole adventure would intrnde itself
upon her, and che would feel an insane
desire to smile, but the place and the
questioning look of her husband would
help her to control herself.
About two weeks after Mrs. Hamil-
toms singular experience, Mr.. Hamilton
was sitting in his Office, when two gen
tlemen entered. Helooked up and with
very forcible exclamation (which l
will leave to your imagination) he arose
to shake hands with one gentleman. and
with face en- which establishment and
incredulity were plainly visible, he turn
ed TO the other with muttered, where
in the devil did you come from?" and
Lesitating'y shook the hand of his old
friend, John Mcdonald or his other SELF
After few minutes conversation, which
Mr.. Hamilton employs in furtively ex-
aiming his friend who he has thought
was dead end buried, he bursts forth
with:
MAN alive, my wife went to your
funeral the other day +! Has materaliza.
ton reached this point of perfectionw
Explanation followed, in which Mr..
Mcdonald TOLD of bis gradual restoration
to health and of his unmitigated sur
prise few weeks ago, upon receiving
several floral designs and cnt flowers,
followed by letters of condolence from
friends out of the city TO his wife, sym.
pathIzirg with her upon his death.
The other gentleman, the same whose
face Mre. Hamilton had recognized when
Historically walking away from the quiet
house, the coffin with lis unfamiliar |
tenant and its three lonely watchers, re-
lated how be had read the death of Mr.. |
M"Donald in the newspapers and had
of course il was his friend, and |
with sorrow had fastened to the fun eral,
and had taken with him in loving tribute,
a pillow of flowers with Friend" on it
in purple immortelles. Having learned
his mistake, he found the address of his
John T. Mcdonald, showed him the
newspaper notice end presented the
flowers. He remembered seeing Mrs.
Hamilton that day, and had wondered
at the time what could make her laugh
20 heartily in the street all by herself,
out never imagined the reason.
This solved the mystery to Mr.. and
Mrs Mcdonald, which he could take as
/ lsughable coincidencn, but was too
,hestly a one for his wife 20 enjoy.
After parting with his friends and in
7iting Mr.. and Mrs. Mcdonald TO take
Inner with them at al early date, Mr..
iamit ton took himself home to his wife,
. little puzzled as to why she had not
old him Of her mistake, but his con-
cience somwbat accused him as he rea-
lied his love tantalizing. He inwardly
owed after this affair he would not tease
lis wife 80 much, but he could not let
his chance pass quietly! He greeted
frs. Hamilton with:
"My dear, whose funeral did you at ,,
end The ether day." ;
With an hysterical laugh, interrupted
" sigh of relief, she threw herself into
is arms.
"Oh, Frank, 1 an so glad you have I
oupd it out" and she graphically related {
er dreadful experience, and he no long 9
r wondered at her strange behavior, or ,
Thy the funeral did not take place IS adj |
ertised She sometimes thought that ,
e must have been a strange ledger in q
he home and had no friends, or, if any, i
hey bad failed t. appear-sti]l, there |
7ere the flowers! All was conjectured I
kept the memory of the time. when s
he WAS the sole mourner at the funeral f
f the unknown John T. Mcdonald. II
The relief of telling her husband and =
he unrestrained laugh she had with !
i'm, dispersed the haunting face framed I
O the black hair, side whiskeTs and tuft !
n the chin, never to return except to be I
nj Dyed with her husband and friends |
7ho had wondered why Mrs. Hamilton !
aughed. {