The sun., 1893-03-23
A@A
WIVES.

We had sweet little home. and
was supremely happy. Cora was a
devoted wife. and from the first hour
or our marriage we never had an angry
word
Sometimes in the silence of the night
l would wake up and think of the other
woman and the other life But | never
let the thought linger. / drove 1t away
and at last brought myself almost to
believe that the past was a dream
a nightmare-a something which was
only the creation of my own imagina-
tion.
The good luck which had set in after
my marriage with Cora continued and
at last big successful coup made me
the possessor OF what might without ex-
aggeration be called fortune. At
any rate | was placed beyond the ne
cesSlty OF work and had leisure TO ell
JOY lie and to devote myself to my
wires society and my own amusement.
Ihen there came upon me an in
tense longing to go over to England
Tor while-tO see the old country
once again. My wife was very anx-
lous to go. 1t had been the dream of
her life to see Europe.
Where was the danger. / was only
Mr.. William Smith. Mr.. and Mrs.
Smith could stay at any hotel without
attracting attention to their names,
and the other woman was hardly like
ly to meet us or even to know of Cora s
existence. We were separated. She
was Miss Ellis, a spinster, and if the
worst came to the worst she couldn't
betray me without the story of why
l left her coming out, and that might
be awkward for the 10000.
She would have to account for tax
ing her maiden name. She would have
to infiict such an injury upon me by
taking proceedings that she would be
sure that I should not spare her in re-
turn
She had told me at the time we sep
ardted that all she desired was to left
free. Was she likely, even if by q re-
mote chance she learned of my mar
riage, to sacrifice her freedom and pro-
claim herself my wife?
She had never loved me-there could
be no Jealousy. She had everything to
gain by holding her tongue, everything
to lose by making me her enemy. Again
my fatal habit of arranging matters to
suit my own views came into play. l
convinced myself that there was no
earthly chance of Marion crossing nv
path or assuming a hostile attitude
And so at last we sailed for England.
In London we went to the Langham
hotel. [ showed my wife all the sights
OF the great city, and she was delight
ed.
One day l thought l should like to
show her my mothers grave, so l took
her to Highgate, where we had buried
my mother beside my father in the
family grave he had purchased years
before the crash came
l had some difficulty in finding the
tomb, so l left my wife Oh the gravel
path while l went wandering about.
l found it at last.
A feeling Of sorrow came over he as
I gazed on the spot where my parents
had lain in the grave side by side so
long while l had been far away in a
strange land beyond the seas
The tears came into ny eyes. and
the mist before them prevented nv
seeing very clearly at first
] saw my fathers name, and i'm
mediately under 1t my mothers.
Also Of Jane,
Wife of the above
Who entered into her rest
August, 1S9-.
Toor mother! I made up my mind
to come again to the cemetery before
/ left, and lay a wreath of immOr-
telles upon her tomb. E
1t would be at least sign of my hav-
ing remembered her when 1 was far
away.
I was just turning away to go and
bring my wife to the grave when
saw that there was a further inscrip-
ton underneath my mothers. I looked
at it for moment, then 1 started back
with a wild cry of astonishment.
Did my eyes deceive, was / the vic
tim of some extraordinary Illusion. No,
there were the big black letters upon
the marble slab before me.
Also of
William Hengist Smith,
Son Of the above,
Who Died September the -, 188-,
Aged "a,
And Is here inferred.
Son of the above. l was their only
SON. My name was William Hengisr
Smith.
I was looking at my own tomb. l
was dead and buried, and my body lay
beneath that marble slab in Highgate
cemetery.
AS soon as had recovered from the
shock which the sight Of my own name
upon our family grave at Highgate
caused me, my first thought was for
Cora.
She was waiting for me on the gravel
path some little distance away. / de-
termined to go to her at once, and
make some excuse for not showing her
my mothers grave. ~~
My brain was in whirl. Even after
the first shock of horror and surprise
had passed away l could hardly realize
that was not dreaming.
But there before me was the inscrip-
ton. 1t could not meane any one else
but myself. / was the only child Of
William and Jane Smith, and my name
was William Hengist Smith.
At first / imagined that some story
Of my death had reached England,
and some one had placed my name
upon the tombstone as memorial.
But the words, land is here inferred"
made that theory untenable. / was
alive, alive and looking at the place
here my hfeless body was supposed TO
be resting.
Some one, therefore must have been
buried who was supposed to be me.
But who had supposed such a thing,
and who was the dead man who had
my name upon his coffin lid?
With my mind full of this strange
and awful mystery l mechanically
made my way through the tombs until
I came to the place where Cora, my
wife, was patiently waiting for me.
well, have you found it, dear?" she
said.
] had not been able to make up my
mind what should say to her. i was
too confused, too excited to invent a
plausible story, and I told deliberate
lie
NO, my dear" said. 81 must have
mistaken the part of the ground. Let's
go away now and come again on IL
brighter day The sight all these
tombs have upset and depressed me-"
l don't think III her heart of hearts
Cora had ever relished the idea of
visit to the cemetery. and she very
readily fell in with my views.
The drive back to the hotel was
long one, but l scarcely spoke word
I r1,tc, c,,I 4