The daily Alaskan., 1905-08-23
The IrnpOstor

tUulFt NuO NN~ NtA lh NA. rtt NhN htA Australia Co set up a sheep ranch Ee was heard Of at intervals for the next three years. and then came the report that he had been killed by natives while on an expedition In Inc wllds.
 One day the son who was supposed to be dead arrived home in the best of health. He told a story of having been captured Instead Of killed, of having been held prisoner for years, oi living Crusoe nfe on an uninhabi,ei island off the coast, of putting Co set at last on a raft and being finally picked up adrlrt and brought home In a mer- chantman. The son was welcomed as one returned from the dead. Of course he had changed greatly in his looks, but after a day or two hls mother and father were perfectly satisfied Co hts identity. IT tLey had not been he was prepared with plenty of proofs.
 Day by day and hour by hour Arthur. the restored son. mentioned Incidents and adventures Of his b1yhood, often calling up things bong forgotten by par cnts and nclghbors. lt was the same house, and he was familiar with its rooms and its history. He remembered secret hiding place known only Co members of the family.
 The son had been home six months when hls father died. All property was left Co Arthur by win. and De was Co have tlc care of bis mother as bong as she lived. A month after the funeral girl twenty years old named Annie Shaw returned Co the place Co visit her sister She had been the child play mate of Arthur. but hur people had novel away some years before Dc went Co Australia She had hgard of the mans return and was much Inter. cs,cd He called on her and greeted her with a great show of col.ialU.
 At first she wns puzzled. Thyn she was uncertain and aunoycL Then she became distrustrul and suspicious. From her fifth Co her ninth birthday she had seen Arthur almost eve day. and of course hundreds of llttr Incl dents haI occurred. Ont of tl,n hun drcds be ySuld recall oug two O three. After they had met three v' fru. times the girl became satisfied thGt ;L' man before her was au Iwpo>tor True, Dc greatly rpScmb'cd Arthur. but t'.e sto- ry that had satisfied so many others falcl to sausfy her Sl0 found his memory at rau,t in many th'nsS and day by day her suspicious grew.
 on a certain 1sgasi1u when sNn was ah1~t six yoa-s a1 s',- h7l 'rcotne mircl ln a sw0mn when walking in the woods with Arthur. lt had taken him h8If au hour Co oytr'o8tr her. On another occasion while tlcy wctc pad ding about a lakc thc boat hnd filled with water und sunk under them, and both had nearly been drowned Again, pony had run uwEy with her and | thrown her Into a roadside ditch. and | Arthur had carried her home on his back because of her spraincd ankle. She lcd up To these things and many others iu conversation, but he seemed totally ignorant of them.
 Miss Shaw was fully satisfied that the man before her was villain. but how Co uumaSk him was another mat ter. The mother and an the people about were satisfied that he was the long lost son, and anything said to the contrary would have met with ridicule. The girl was very determined h0wev- CT. and she soon decided on a plan Co pave the way. There was an old wom- an living In the ncighborhood who told fortunes. and she agreed Co extend her aid For the next month all people coming to her were given hint that Arthur MeSsmnre was not what he claimed Co be. This soon caused talk for mIlcs around, and the talk soon re- suited In diStrust and suspicion. Some of the local papers picked the matter up and declared that the mystery sur. rounding young MesSmore's death In faraway Australia had never been properly cleared up. and SO it came about after three months that the law yers took a hand in the case.
 The young man had kept posted as Co what was going on and had laughed all talk to scorn. Ills mothef declared it a shame that his identity should be ques- tioucd, and when public opinion finally forced an investigation she was on hand Co pledge her life that no mistake had been made. The first hours inves- tigauon proved her In the wrong. A great gale had blown down a huge beech tree cue night while Arthur wHs yet at home, and in its fan it had killed two dogs in their kennel The suppos- , cd son could tell nothing Of the incl dent. A score Of other things were call , ed up to test him. and he failed In an of them.
 It was then found that he was ar ranging Co dispose Of all his property md flee the country, and he was taken , Into custody until a new investigation could be made in Australia. Ball was given. and Arthur went back home, ec- companied by hls mother. She had been made to doubt him. but she still hoped that he would be able Co clear himself