The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-02-06
SHE DID NOT
MARRY AGAIN
IOriginal.l

One udy curing the naylng season OF
1899 an old man stopped at farm on
the outskirts of an Iowa town and
asked for work. Being short of hands,
John LuptOn, who managed the farm
for his mother, concluded to take on
the new hand even though he appeared
to be too old for such hard work How
ever, Andrew McCabe proved a very
good workman, and at the end of the
haying season the family had become
SO much attached to him and he SEEM
ed so loath to depart that they per-
mitted him to remain. He was pa
tient and willing and took upon him
self many duties that tended to relieve
them of much of the drudgery.
Mrs. LuptOn, the mother of John,
seemed especially interested in the old
man. There was something about him
that appealed to her, though she could
not tell what 1t was-a familiar tone
in the voice, an expression in the face,
his gait as he walked from the well to
the barn with bucket of water in
each hand. At any rate, there was a
soft spot in the woman's heart for him,
and she was always ministering to his
comfort. She gave him one of the best
rooms in the house, she would insist
on his receiving the daintieSt bits at
table, and If he came in overheated
she would gently force him into a
hammock on the porch and often sit
f0 nh,, 7
fearing that his mother might take 1t
into her head to marry the old man,
was beginning to think that he had
better be sent away. However, when
Lupton came to this decision the hay
ing had come round again, and, to tell
the truth, John was so fond of the old
man himself that he put the matter Off
One day McCabe was driving a load
Of hay from the field to the barn when
the wagon upset and he fell, striking
ried unconscious to the farmhouse, and
the village doctor was called. Tue case
was pronounced critical, as the skull
was injured, and surgeon came from
the city who performed the operation
called trepanning, or removing a por-
ton of the skull. The first words spo-
ken by McCabe after the effects of the
anasthetic had passed off were:
"Hi, hi, Johnny Reb! See 'em runw
Turning to John Lupton, the surgeon
asked him if he had ever heard the
patient speak of having been in the
army, to which John replied that he
had never heard him speak of his early
life at all. All listened for more words
from McCabe, but his mutterings were
| lncoherent. When he came to himself,
the surgeon ordered every one from
the room, and the patient was kept
quiet until 1t was safe to permit him
to sit up and receive visits from the,
family. Then the startling discovery
was made that he did not remember
any of them. He had had few words
with the surgeon, who told him that
the year was 1900 and not 1864, as he
supposed, and that he had doubtless
been living for thirty-SiX years with
out remembrance Of his own identity.
The subject had scarcely been entered
upon before the family doctor, who
now had charge of the case, forbade
his patient either to talk or think about
1t under penalty Of probably losing his
life. But now that McCabe had no rec
objection Of those with whom he had
been living an interest was aroused in
finding out who he was, that he might
be restored to his family. The doctor
questioned the convalescent.
"Are you sure your name is Nc
Cabe"
"McCabe? No. Who said sof"
"What is it2"
The old man looked troubled. He
could not remember.
"To what command did you belongT
Company X, -th Iowa infantry"
eve shall not have much trouble in
finding out your identity, for this place
is near the state capital, where the rec
ords are kept. I'll attend to it my
self"
When the doctor left the house, he In
formed the family that he had In his
notebook memorandum OF the mans
regiment and would look the matter up
Two days later he returned with very
singular expression on his face. After
asking the condition Of his patient he
went into his room and closed the door.
In a little while he called for every
member of the family to come to the
patients bedside. When they were all
assembled, they found McCabe prOpped
up with pillows, but instead Of the mel
ancholy face he had worn, especially
since the operation, he beamed upon
them with a newly kindled interest.
"I am going to make an announce
ment," said the doctor, with reference
to this veteran Of the civil war. He
enlisted In 1862 In the -th Iowa infan-
try and was reported missing after the
battle of Nashville, since when he has
lived under the name Of Andrew Nc
Cabe. His real name is John Lupton,
and he is the head of this family"
The wife tottered to the bedside and
sank on her husbands breast. John
Lupton, Jr., came up behind his mother
and grasped his father by the hand.
The others stood by wonder stricken.
The doctor stood back. For some time
there was no sound save the sobs Of the
woman who at twenty had been wild.
owed and at ffty-hve was reunited
with her husband.
If the Widow Lupton was attentive
60 tho xvandarar aha was n thOuSaDd
times more devoted to him now that
she knew he was the same John Lup-
ton she had married and seen starting
Off in the pride of youth with his regi-
ment and had since two years later
mourned as dead. And John LuptOn,