Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-05

dresser. and which-which-"
She was trembling violently and her
words were fast becoming incoherent
Gained her and asked her TO relate her
story just as it happened, and after a few
minutes of silent struggle she succeeded in
collecting herself sufficiently to respond
with some degree of coherency and self
possession
Il have been married six months. Nv
name is Lucy Holmes. For the last few
weeks my husband and myself have been
living in an apartment house 18th street,
and as We had not a care in the world. We
We're very happy till Mr.. Holmes was call
ed away an business to Philadelphia. This
was two weeks ago. Five days later 1 re-
Celved ( n affectiorate letter from MIN, in
which he promised TO come back the next
day; and the news SO delighted me that
accepted an invitation to the theater from
some intimate friends of ours. The next
morning l naturally felt fatigued and rose
late: but | was very cheerful for / expect
ed my husband at noon. And now comes
the perplexing mystery. In the course of
dressing myself l stepped to my bureau.
and seeing small newspaper slip attached
to the cushion by pin. drew it off and
read it, 1t was death notice, and my
hair rose ard my limbs failed me as l took
in IT'S fatal and Incredible words:
" Died this day at-the Colonnade. James
Forsythe De Witt Holmes. New York pa
IrrS ,t.-s.:S.' copy.
James Forsythe De Witt Holmes was
my husband and his last letter, which was
a that very moment lying beside the cusn-
ion. had been dated from the Colonnade.
Was l dreaming or under the spell of some
frlghtful Authorization, which led me TO
Ta the name on the slip Of paper be
fore me? | could not determine. Ny head
throat and chest seemed bound about with
IRON. so that l could not cry out or breathe
freely and suffering thus, 1 stood staring,
DO not Know how long, at this demon
lacal piece Of paper which in an instant
had brought the shadow of death upon my
happy life Nor was | at all relieved when
little later l flew with the notice into a
ht!SHhoTs apartment, and praying her to
read II for me. found that my eyes had not
deceived me and that the name was In
deed my husbands and the notice one OF
death.
Not from my own mind. but from hers
came the first suggestion of comfort
II cannot be your husband who is
meant said she: but one of the same
name Your husband wrote to you yester-
DAY, and this person must have been dead
two days. at least. for the printed notice. of
mis- death TO have reached New York Some
one has remarked the strtkin, similarity
OF names. and wishing to startle you. cut
the slip out and pinned it on your cushion
i certainly knew of no one inconsiderate
enough to do this. but the explanation was
SO plausible. at once embraced il and sob
bed aloud in my relief. But in the midst
OF my rejoicing l heard the bell ring in
my apartment, and running thither i en-
countered a telegraph boy who held ont
to me the horrible yellow envelope which
SO often bespeaks death or disaster The
sight took my breath away Sumrnoninz
my maid whom / saw fastening toward
RE from an inner room. | begged her 10
open the telegram and tell me-but I had
no need to finish. 1 saw death in her face:
the obituary notice had told nothing but
the truth"
The young widow. choked with her emo
lions. paused. recovered herself for the
second time. and then went on.
4 had better show you the telepramr
w nm her Sl-1.l
II toward me. | read it at a glance 1t
was short simple and direct
Come at once. Your husband found
dead In his room this morning. Doctors
say heart disease. Please telegraph
-~'-You see 1t says this morning she ex
planned. placing her delicate finger on the
words she so eagerly quoted. That means
a week ago Wednesday. the same day on
which the printed slip recording his death
was found on my cushion. Do you not see
something very strange about this?"
did. and told her SO: but before I COM
menced the questions by which l hoped to
extract some explanation of this matter. I
desired her to tell me what she had learned
In Philadelphia, on her visit there.
Her answer was simple and straightfor-
ward.
But little more than you find In this
telegram He died in his room. He was
found lying on the floor near the bell but
tcn,whfch he had evidently raised to touch.
one hand was clenched on his chest bur
hrs face wore a peaceful look, as If death
mad come too suddenly to cause him much
suffering. His bed was unGisturbed. he
had died before retiring. possibly In the
act OF packing his trunk, for 1t was found
nearly ready for the expressrnan Indeed
there was every evidence of his intention
TO leave on an early morning train He
had even desired to be awakened at G
O'Clock: and It was his failure to respond
to the summon of the bell boy that had
led to so early discovery of his death He
had never complained of any distress in
breathing and had always considered
him a perfectly healthy man: but there
was no reason for assigning any other
cause than heart failure to his sudden
death, and the burial certificate was
made out to that effect, and was allowed
TO bring him home and bury him in our