Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
The Man Without a Grave

Copyright. 1903. by American Press Asso-
ciation.]
The question was, What had become
Of the body? That Dick Sturtevant
was dead was not the question or
question at all. He had been visiting
the electrical works of Peter Robin
son & Co., was shown through by the
electrical engineer, had grasped live
rod, receiving some 10000 volts of elec-
trtcity. and passed from life to death
50 quickly that he hadn't the slightest
consciousness Of the transition. New
ertheless an effort was made to resus-
citate him, but after half an hours
constant application of all sorts of
stimulants without the slightest sign of
the work ceased.
All this happened about 10 O'clock in
the morning. The undertaken did not
appear till in the afternoon, when
the key to the room in which the body
lay was handed him, and he went up
stairs He returned to the Office, say
alive, in the room and there must be
some mistake. Several men declared
that they had put Sturtevant's corpse
In that very room and there was no
mistake about it, but they had never
been In that part Of the building be-
fore and didn't know there were sew
eral vacant rooms there. Anyway,
there seemed to be some doubt as to
which Of the rooms had been used.
This doubt grew till the matter was
lost In confusion. The only plausible
theory of the disappearance was that
the body had been stolen by medical
students for dissection. Since there
was a surgeons college in the neigh
borhood, this finally came to be the
accepted explanation
The heartrending part Of it all was
that Sturtevant was engaged to be
married. Every one sympathized with
the girl he had left behind him, espe-
cially that she should be prevented
from paying due respect to his re-
mains. No one else was especially in
terested since the deceased had been
an only child and both his father and
mother were dead. The wedding was
to have come off in few days, and
the cards We're out The bride to be
put on mourning, shut herself up and
would see no one.
A year passed, and Miss Minton-
that was the girls name-threw off her
mourning, and it was reported that
she was again engaged to wed. Then
everybody said that she had been
shamming about her grief for Sturte-
want. had had another lover most of
the time since his death and had only
waited the conventional year allotted
to widows to marry another man.
These reports were repeated to the
lady, and they made her very angry.
1t was supposed to be on this ac-
count that she did not give the name
Of her new lover-that is, If she had
one, which must be since she did not
deny the reports Of her engagement.
Besides, it was known that she was
having certain articles of her trous-
seau Of year before altered to meet
changes in fashion, doubtless to be
used as an outfit In her marriage with
the man who had taken the first low
er's place. This set everybody talk
ing. Its shameful" said Mrs. Goudy,
''the way that girl has treated poor
Sturtevant--going to wear the same
things she was to have worn on her
honeymoon with him. Why, she hasn't
even given him a headstone.'
"Where would she put it," inquired
Miss Reasoner.
"Oh, yes; I didn't think of that. At
all events, it's shocking about the
trousseau. And think how soon she
has been consoled! The courtship must
have begun as soon as Sturtevant died,
II not before"
Kind friends-there are always kind
friends to tell US disagreeable news
kept Miss Minton posted as to all this
talk, and In the meanwhile there
sprang up a universal desire to know
who it was that was to replace the un-
fortunate Sturtevant. But the more
the criticism the further every one
seemed to be from getting at the facts.
Miss Minton gave out through friend
that she had been so outraged at all
that had been said that "What's-his-
name or Where's-his-home" should
never be known till she and he stood
up to be married.
This announcement started the talk
ing social world upon such a clatter as
had never been heard before about any
wedding. OF course there could be no
advance cards since the name Of the
groom would not be given. Doubtless
the marriage would take place at home
before a few of the brides family.
What was the surprise, to say nothing
Of the shock, when it was announced
that the same wedding arrangements
had been made as the year before.
That was to have been at a church,
with large invitation list for the re-
ception at the house.
1t was now conceded that Miss Min
ton was resentfully flying in the face
Of good taste and society. Many of her
acquaintances vowed openly that they
would not attend the nuptials, though
secretly they were dying to do so.
But when the cards came out with the
space for the gr00m's name left blank
all society was struck dumb with
amazemept.
At the wedding the guests watched
the door where the groom was to en-
ter, the bride being for once suppressed
ed. When Sturtevant himself sailed
down to the chancel there was aston
ishment which broke into q clamOr.