Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-04-06
cross me since disappeared. have been

ACROSS me since i disappeared nave Dttu
schooling myself for years 10 play the part
that have been trying 10 play on YOU, and
you have seen my failure. o. Ia, you
used 10 be my friend. Now wnat viii
you do? Denounce mcY Have me ~
rested? Give me up 20 the law
"Mr. Ross, this Incorporating out OF
the grave, where you properly belong, is "A
mere matter of curiosity To me. I'm not
aware that you've committed any crime
unless it is punishable Tor IA dead man
to pretend to be alive.
"For heavens sake, John, don't Jest
with me now What will my--Mrs. Ross
say, If you betray meS"
looked at him curiously
81 should judge that you hadn't heard
lately from s."
81 have never heard from there. | did
not dare To name the place or make an in
CURRY"
"Then you will be interested To know
that she died three years ago
The man jumped TO his feet and paced
the room like n crazy person and actually
shed tears of JOY at the announcement.
"May she be happier in heaven than
she ever was with me ON earth!' he said,
when his excitement had somewhat calm
ed. "Three years ago, do you sayG 1t is
not two years since / met here the only
woman that | ever loved. The love and
disappointment of 90 years ago came back
too powerfully To be resisted. Rash rs IL
was, wrong as | believed il, | married her.
And now you tell me had perfect right
to do So"
$50 it appears. But you haven't told
me yet how you came TO life"
"I'll do it. First, though, how did
tb;,,,s ,,,xy ffoi ,.s sr, nm MT af
Alter
''You mean after your death? Very
properly indeed. Your funeral WAS a par
ticularly fine one, very well attended, and
your old pastor preached an excellent dis
course / think that on my return I'll
have TO look up some of the newspaper
obituaries and send them TO you. They
would be interesting reading. AS for your
business affairs, you probably don't need
to have me tell you that they were found
in excellent shape. Your estate was val
ued at $50, 900, if i remember rightly,with
but little debt. To tell the truth your
wife didn't seem TO take your loss very
much to heart, and''-
81 See" said Ross, with broad smile.
"She found consolation elsewhere.
"She married in barely year after your
funeral.
"Well-all right. But curiosity leads
me to ask who the happy man was"
"You couldn't guess"
"Of course not. "
at was Squire Braden.
"What That insignificant little whiffet
Well. what won "A woman doY'
The tension and stress under which Mil
ton Ross had suffered were now gone, and
he was able to join in the laugh that his
1, 1, 4
to give me n brief account of the cause
and manner of his disappearance from
s.. With the disguise that is here
given to the names of persons and places,
the whole episode is committed TO print
as illustrating phase of our social life
which, if unpleasant to contemplate, is
none the less an existing fate.
Milton Ross, as we knew him in s.,
was prosperous and popular man of bust
ness and fortunate in all the relations OF
life. Years of wedlock had brought him
no children, but it was never suspected
that the pair did not enjoy an average
share of marital felicity. The secret
truth, decorously yelled from the world in
the skillful American fashion, was that
these two, whom God was supposed &c
have joined together bore the yoke of mat
rimony as an insupportable burden. a
strange combination of circumstances pre-
scented TO the husband the opportunity OF
releasing himself from his hateful bonds,
at the price of the sacrifice of property,
name and lifelong associations. He
promptly seized it, Being in New York
on brief business visit, he had occasion
TO be absent from his hotel over night
The paper of the next morning brought tC
him in Brooklyn an account of the de
struction of this house by fire Several
guests had lost their lives. One Of the
bodies recovered had not been positively
identified and probably could not be, from
its condition, but it was thought TO be
that Of Mr.. Ross of s.. For "a hours
thereafter that individual secluded him
self and awaited events. The press of the
next morning stated that the body had
been sent 10 s., as unquestionably that
Of its unfortunate citizen. Confident that
he had left no clew in or about the me
tropolis by which the truth could be
known, Ross accepted the fate assigned
him and became practically dead and bur
led 10 all his past life.
Neither my interest in this drama OF
real life, nor its own unities would have
been satisfied without my introduction &c
the present Mrs. Robbins, and | did not
hesitate TO accept Millions invitation t
dine with him. He took me to a beauti
full home and introduced me TO a charm
ing woman ] am pointing no morals NOT
drawing any lessons; yet truth cOmpels
me TO say that here was positive welded
happiness. if the thing ever existed. But
| wonder what the lady thought when ]
inadvertently called her husband Mr.
Ross.-James Franklin Fits in Romance