The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-25
HE WAS INSURED.


Mr.. and Mrs. Roster. The husband ap
peared to be in delicate health and had
insured his life
About O'clock one morning my servant
awoke me.
Please, sir, DIR. Woodrey is below, and
he says can he see you very particularS'
Woodrey was very grave, and 1 saw at
a glance something was wrong. "What
is it?'' asked.
II want you to como and see Mrs. Kos
ter. She is a widow, Adamson. -
'fImpossiblel'' exclaimed
''I have just left the house, he said
''I was summoned about an hour ago. As
we went along the girl told me her story.
g Masters took like death itself. sir.
heard missus scream, and 1 jumped up,
thinking burglars had broken in. Then
missus screamed again, "Oh, Rudolphp'
and I ran down stairs and saw missus
standing over master, who looked like
death, and then came running for you,
sir
81 should say he had been dead quite %
minutes when got there. As could do
nothing came for you.''
''What is the cause of death?''
Heart disease, though I did not think
the other day that it was likely to prove
fatal. We must spare Mrs. Roster the
worry of an inquest
found her lying numb and helpless, pic
ture of desolation and despair, and moth
ing could say seemed to comfort her.
She had no relatives in England. Her
mother and sister lived in Germany. Hen
husband had always expressed a wish co
be buried in Stuttgart, his native town,
and she meant to carry out his wishes.
At her request I wrote to the insurance
Office for her, giving them all necessary
particulars, and the following day an Off
DIAL named Welland came down. The next
day he telegraphed to me privately that
the check would be sent from the Office
that night.
A few days later she wrote from Stuff
CART to tell me she had arrived safely and
thanking me for my kindness. Two let
tiers passed between US after that, and then
I heard no more of her, and three years
later 1 left Weymouth for living in one
of the poorer quarters of Manchester.
One November day was passing down
Oldham street, when I had a great shock.
There was thick yellow fog, and 1 could
only see a yard or so around me. Sudden
ly a man passed, and in the gloom had
but a moments glimpse of him.
I stopped dead, completely unnerved, fol
the long face, the blue eyes and STOPPING
shoulders were those of my dead parish
Toner, Mr. Roster
After some cogitation I resolved to visit
my clerical brethren in the city, taking
with me photos of Mr.. and Mrs. Roster,
to inquire if they had such a couple among
their parishioners. For four days all in
Quiries were fl'uitless, but on the fifth my
efforts were rewarded. I called on the
vicar of St. Mary's parish, the Rev. James
Lasher, whom had met several times.
~ have called to see,' 1 said, eff you
recognize this as the photo of one of your
parishioners handing him Koster's photo.
Certainly I do. Why, it is Mr.. Mel
1ory What
"There is a deep mystery, said. "Win
you tell me what you know of them?"
81 cannot tell you much. Mel1ory came
to the town last autumn with his wife and
settled in the parish. They are of indepen6s
emit means, and Mellory is rather deli
cate''
''And has Mr.. Mellory insured his life?''
''Yes,' said Mr.. Lasker, rather surprised
| at my question. 'Ho insured only fort
| night ago He was averse to the step, but
! Mrs. Mellory got me to use my influence
with him, and after some dernur he yield
| ed. But how do you know all this? Has
/ he been to you about it?''
81 will not answer for a moment"
said, ''but I will prophecy In a few
weeks time when you are visiting them
| Mrs Mellory will tell you that her bus-
! band is unwell, and she is worried because
he refuses to sec doctor, and she will ask
| you to reason with him. After the doctor
| has attended him for a week or two you
| will be sent for. Mr.. Mellory has died
| suddenly in the night, and the widow is
| Frustrated. AS Mr.. Mellory's friends live
| in Germany the widow will take the corpse
there and you will part from her with re-
gre.
| It was two months after my first visit to
! Lasher that heard that Mellory was ILL.,
! The same procedure had been gone through
| with as with me. Lasher had used his per-
suasive powers on the patient and had rec
| commended DIR. Symons.
DR.. Symons attended him three weeks,
and then Mellory died again. Lasher sent
a note begging me to call upon him at
| once.
HES dead this morning, he said when
| I had Joined him ''Deadi Not simulated
death, for saw him.
| That evening we went to the doctor and
| together told him what we knew.
81 think gentlemen, you are under a
delusion. saw tho corpse this morning,
and there is no doubt whatever"
''Pray hear me, - / said. Il made the
| same mistake A brother practitioner of
YOURS granted a death certificate, and here
is the nan dead again. If 1 may suggest,
DOCTOR should say go to the widow and
tell her that you must make post mortem
examination, and wait for developments. -
In an hour they returned with grave
and troubled faces "There has been 4
violent scene, said Lasher, "and she alb
solutely refuses to allow anything of the
kind What are we to dQ?''
You can withhold your certificate, "
said to the doctor, land then an inquest
will be necessary
They asked me to accompany them te
] fba hr11Sp TO sop if my nrnSpnco EvOUld Dre.
cipitate matters
81 consent ON one condition, - said
(which is that we'take a police inspector
with US.
Yes, it was Mrs Roster; I saw that al
a glance. 1 was in the background, anC
she did not see me at first.
81 have brought friend with me, ;" sale