The National tribune., 1897-10-28

alive, how could he hide amid the universal
hue and cry? If dead, how was it possible
| that none should know how he died! De-
| tectives were baffied. Rewards failed. 1t
| will ever remain an unsOlved mystery l
| had all the insane asylums searched. There
were many unknown but none In the least
resembling him. His wife kept up the
| search long after l abandoned it. | do net
think she has even yet given over the hope
| Of finding him."
"She is alive, then? ?" managed to ask
| My tongue was dry and my voice startled
me- | need have had no fear He was TOO
| sure of his friends death to note any re-
sembance, if any yet remained.
"Alive and prosperous" he replied briskly
rs if glad to turn away from the sorrcwiul
past. You see, things took turn, almost
! from the hour when Devens disappeared.
| Poor fellow. he had staked everything on
rise in the c. C. C. know it worried him
terribly, and l suppose that is really what
led to his disappearance. Fortunately, he
had borrowed little money of me that
very day, aud given me an assignment OF
his interests So I knew who were his
brokers and had authority to act for him.
The stock, which had been falling for
weeks, began to 20 up. let it climb until
i
sold out and had enough profit to enable his
widow, or his wife as she persists in think
ing herself still to be, to pay off all Philips
debts and leave little nest-egg over.
"Then the boom he had been waiting for
SO confidently came along. and struck some
real estate he had bought, which doubled
up in price as if really gloating over his dis
appearance. His wife managed things
handsomely, and in year or two had quite
a little competency"
I" / suppose she got some life-insurance!
l asked
well, that was another curious thing
Shows how much luck there is in life. The
policy, $4,000, was one of those tontlne
endowment affairs, having a dozen condl-
items but only 10 annual payments. lie
had Just about broken his back to pay nine
of them. Ii the company admitted his
death they must pay the whole: if they
did not she had right to pay the other
premium and choose I,hs form of liqulda-
lion she preferred. She would not believe
in Devens's DEATH so made the last payment
and then elected to take tho lump sum
offered, instead of leaving the policy or any
part of it in effect. OF course, the company
were glad to do that; SO she got nice little
plum without any hard feelings or any
proof Of death.
Indeed the company were SO struck with
hex business ability and character, that they
offered her a position in their ofhce-you
know she writes like copper-plate and has
presence worth a fortune In any business.
The offer suited her, down to the ground,
| for she likes business as well as man
could. As result, she has been earning a
| better salary ever since than Devens ever
eli nab
aud earned a good deal of money-mors
| than he could keep after he got IT."
| ut is strange she has not married, sug-
gssted with choking sensation at my throat.
Not bit You see, she loved Philip
Devens, rs we'll she might He wss a man
to get and hold woman's love-or 2 mans,
for that matter. There was, too the doubt
whether he was alive or dead and no shadow
of necessity for her to marry. She bad offers
| without number. / have reason to believe
she never told me or limited it-but l
happen 10 have learned the fact that the
| President Of the Insurance Company was
anxious to make her his wife.
! "No doubt she liked him, and it was a
chance that might we'll have made any
woman a little giddy. But it didn't phase
| her ii minute Vito or widow, she said she
| was Dey,ns's for time and for eternity. And
| that was all there WAS of il. A couple of
years ago when her daughter left school she
retired from the Company's service, and has
been living quietly in the home he built,
and which she has greatly improved.
Aud the daughter 2" asked huskily.
"She is like her father-full of ideas,
sensitive, IN artist fear a genius They
are devoted to each other. had letter from
her just the other day. By the way. she
writes like her father-I wish had the let
! ter here to show you, but took it home for
my wife to read. She wrote that thsy had
leased the house, and are to sail the last of
the month for long stay abroad. l hope
| they will have good time-nobody ever
| deserved it better"
That was all. / babe my friend adieu,
and made my way stunned and hopeless
back TO my hotel and up to the little room
under the roof. The roar of the city was a
thing of terror to me now. hated its light,
and the happy throngs upon its streets.
Closing the shutters threw myself upon the
bed. My dream was ended Even tho hope
Of sacrifice for her loved was gone. She
WAS happy, prosperous, content. / would
90 and look Epon her face once more and