Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-04-01

STILL mere was mystery, ana 1ekC
must solve It. I managed to scrape
an acquaintance with the elderly
gentleman as he sat on bench, and
when he was joined by the other two
we sat for half an hour and had
pleasant chat together Much to my
surprise the young man and the youth
called the old man father. Imet them
two days in succession. and then sug-
gested that as the weather was beauti-
full we should take trip next day up
the Humber to Goole. suggesting that
a lady's company would be agreeable.
They gladly assented to the trip. but
said they knew no lady, and we had a
very pleasant time. and the old man
were together much of the time, and
as we were returning home in the
autumn evening he related to me a
strange story.
HE married. he said, in London,
when he was very young. and after
three months spent with his young
wife, went as second mate Of vessel
TO Rio Janeiro. After an absence OF
nearly year. he returned, and found
himself the father Of fine boy, who
was named John, after himself. His
next voyage was to Montevideo. where
he invested his savings, along with
four others, in small whaling schoon-
er, and started for the Southern Ocean.
They were wrecked off Terra del
Fuego. on their re urn voyage. with a
fine cargo, and lost everything. They
were captured by the savages, and re-
NAMED in bondage three years. with
out an opportunity of communicating
with their friends. One day large
three-masted schooner ran aground in
one of the narrow channels CT the
Straits, and Major and his friends
managed to elude their captors and
swim to the vessel They were hearth
ly welcomed on board, and, strong
breeze setting in. the vessel floated
off and continued her voyage. On
reaching the Falkland Isles they found
an English vessel and took passage in
her for Bristol.
''On reaching England, Major went
to London, but, in spite of the most
diligent search. failed to find any trace
Of his wife and child. He determined
to return to Montevideo, and, on
reaching there, began to speculate in
hides. He was successful and grew
rich, and believing that his wife must
be dead, married again. One child
the youth mentioned already-was the
issue of this marriage. After living
happily together for fifteen years, his
wife sickened and died, and he resolv-
ed to return to England
now said the old man at this
point, 1 am going to tell you just what
happened to me, and it proves, / think,
that truth is stranger than fiction.
"'When reached London with my
son took rooms in Lambeth, over
looking the river. One day my son
went to the grocery to order some
tribes, and directed them to be sent TO
Mr.. Major. at our address. The grocer
remarked that it was an uncommon
name, and said he only remembered
having met with it once before. My
son asked where that was, and the
grocer replied that widow named
Major and her little boy boarded for
some time with his mother, and that
she afterward married the curate of
the neighboring church and left the
neighborhood.
Naturally enough, when my son
returned home, said the old gentle
man, he told me what had happened.
Ny son knew nothing Of my former
marriage, and so, saying nothing to
him, l went to see the grocer. found
that the Mrs. Major he knew had lost
her husband at sea- and that her first
name was Antoinette Agnes. the name
Of my wife. inquired from several
clergymen. and finally ascertained that
the curate, whose name was Naylor,