Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-31
Macy JAMES LETTER.
She Tells of Nan Who Is Believed to BE
the Champion Liar.
specIaI JorfssTOnuence,I

WASHINGTON, Aug 3d. think
have discovered the champion prevari-
Gator and he isn't in congress either, but
he is, or was, a newspaper man. As O
rulo | do not love liar, but when one rises
on the horizon OF monotonous mcndacity, |
and, like another Napoleon, leaves his i'm |
peral impress upon his time, | hold him |
in high esteem. This one | have hap |
pened upon is that kind Of man. He |
has had an cventful life, and is now past |
80. and only in his lateryoars has he taken |
to tho pen to butter his bread. He held q |
position in an Office whereI was wont to
repair, and l came TO know him quite !
well, and sometimes l was made the con- |
fidant Of his sorrows, and | knew that he
was climbing up very steep hill. One
day last spring | was startled to learn
that my suffering friend had struck a ray
Of sunshine, and dollar in q lottery had
paid him 1900 fold. Congratulations
were of course in order, and everybody
hastened to extend them and to hear him
tell in the most Interestingly pathetic
way how the good news had come to him
and to his wife, and how they had
refused to believe the ticket had
drawn the prize. and how they tele-
gTaghed to headquarters for confirma-
ton, etc. to the minutest detail even to
rule to the extent of her giving him So to
go off and get good and drunk without
| fear Of reproof. Then he gave up the
! position, and we heard how they had
bought n nice little home in the suburbs.
! how he had secured general work which
1 paid modestly for modest service, and we
/ all reioiced that our friend was peaceful
and happy at last. One day Imet him
on the street and he told the story over
again and invited me to come and see
him and his wife and baby and look upon
domestic bliss of the most perfect typo.
But | did not so, putting it Off as we
always do, and saying Tomorrow will
do it." Time passed on as usual, and not
very long ago he came in one day to an
nOnnce his departure on q trip of health
and pleasure to the West Indies with his
wife. Later he came to say Ills wife
could not 20, but that he would 20 alone;
SO we babe him farewell and godspeed,
and he went away. In month he was
home again, and in few days he was
in the Office with tears in his eyes
and death notice in his hand His wife
had died and he wanted a notice and
brief mention made Of the sad event. He
was broken in spirit, his eyes were red
with weeping and my heart went out to
him in his sore trouble for had made a
| picture OF ms happiness ana frequently
showed it TO my friends He went away
after brief visit and | could not help
but think Of his desolate home and Of the
shadow that must fall again upon his life.
The death notice was duly published and
condolences were extended oditorially, as
: is the custom, and two days later o lady
came to the Office and inquired for our
friend. She was told he had been there
the day before and then she proceeded C
give the editor in chief some startling in
formation. She was the wife Of oul
friend she was not dead. nor had shS
been, lie had taken trip to the West
Indies with or without her, he was doing
nothing, nor had he been for q year h'
I had drawn no lottery ticket prize, he has
bought no house and they had no hom'
2 except the rooms she paid rent for.
I Talk about JelSyll and Hydei Wa
there ever such o case as thisl 4 who'll
4 newspaper colony--peoplo supposed Z
know everything and TO he utterly be
: You'd the pale Of being deceived for NOR
e than a day-going along for more than
! year, smiling in the Joy of friend am
= weeping in his sorrow, telling Of his sun
+ shine and shadows, and then by one tur
g Of a womans hand seeing the whole fab
ric Of this knowledge 60 tumbling to tn
!. ground. MARY JANE.