Evening journal., 1909-08-02
THE FOrlorn Man
[originall

to the original happenings as they can
be without pointing to the actual oc-
cuiTence.
Matthew Tuttie was a good man, a
good father and a good husband. he
was comfortably OF in this worlds
goods happy and contented. This
statement is made with the reserva-
tion that so AIr. Tuttle appeared. That
he had means is certain. That he was
contented and harry is assumed be-
cause he showed no sign to the con-
trary.
One afternoon after business hours
Mr.. Tuttle did not come home as usual.
His wife waited dinner an hour; 8, 10
o'clock came, and still he did not come.
Mrs. Tuttle supposed he hfA been un-
avoidably detained, but why had he
not telephoned as usual? At II O'Clock
she called up the police headquarters,
requesting that they send TO certain
places where her husband might possi.
bly, be found. These places were Wis
ited but Mr.. Tuttle was not at any Of
them.
The next morning the city was ran
sacked for the missing man-that is.
after the usual hour for his appear
ance ct his Office. That hour came
cs1 the next, and there were no signs
Of 8ir. Tuttle. The day passed with
out the slightest trace Of him. His
wife soon fell into q condition border
ing on nervous prostration.
Weeks, months, years passed and Mr..
Tuttle was not heard from. The peliee
gave him up. considering his case one
Of the many IN which the subject Is
murdered and the body successfully
got away with. This they at last told
Mrs. Tuttle, and as soon as she became
convinced Of 1t herself, accepting the
inevitable, she became s5resigned and
regained her health. Her husbands
estate was administered and widow
ana children We're found to have In
herlted such an income as they needed
Five years after Mr.. Tuttle's disap-
pearance q man Of forlorn mien went
up to the Tuttles' front door and rang
| the bell. OF the servant who answered
/ the summons he asked II Mrs. Tuttle
lived there. He was informed that sh
owned the house, but had rented it
and gone to Europe with her children.
The man turned away.
1t was n Sunday morning, and he
strclled aimiessly for awhile till. pass
ing a church, he entered it and took
q back seat
whats that handsome marble be-
side the chancclT' he asked in a whls-
per of one next him.
That's the Tuttle font" was the re.
ply. 1T was placed there in memory
OF Matthew Tuttle. who disappeared
and never was heard from"
The forlorn man made no reply and
when the congregation was dismissed
went out with the others and stood on
the church steps as II not knowing
where TO 20. Presently he went down
into the street and boarded a trolley
car. After half an hours ride he got
out at cemetery and. entering the
gate. followed walk till he came tc
a lot whereon was n handsome monu
ment. He read the inscription, III
Memory of Matthew Tuttle." The mar
looked at the other graves in the lot
Stalking in each separately, then wen
away.
One morning IN Geneva. Switzerland
where Mrs. Tuttle had gone to put he
children at school. she was walking
over the bridge leading to an islauC
IN the Rhone. now and then stopping
to lean over the stone guard and lool
into the crystal waters. After one o
these pauses she raised her head L
proceed Suddenly she clutched at tn
5 stone beside her and was sinking dow
when a man caught her in his arms.
1t was her husband.
, Some time passed before the aston
/ ished woman could speak, and thel
Z the idea that filed her brain was tha
n she had been deserted.
D Where have you been" she asked
b drawing away.
,. Il remember" he said. placing hi
J, hand on his forehead, "a long Will
= ago boarding a train. Where I wa
going I don't know. After that I II
/, inembered rNthlng till three week
Y ago, when / suddenly seemed to com
= to myself. I was in Philadelphia.
took train for home and foand 20
K had come over here. had no troubl
/ In Identifying myself end gettin
q money to follow you. l have Just al
= rived. at your apartments they to!
y me you walked here mornings Will
the children are at school"
The wife looked at her husband Il
n confirmation and saw It in yhis forlorl
e hnlf dazed expression. Then. thoug
not entirely unobserved she threw hC
arms about him. At that moment
clock near by struck II, and 500
after three children came running
y the bridge A man none OF them r
membered who stood by their moth'
:. took them one after another in b
; arms and kissed them. Then the r
20 united family went away.
N Later, when the children's scho
r. term was finished. the family went 4
" 10 the Alps for the summer. In Il
e. autumn Mrs. Tuttle's health had bee
ID restored by the invigorating mounta
= air. and they all sailed for Americ
~ but before reaching home the insert
- ton had been removed from the Tut
memorial font, and the monument
Ie the lot IN the cemetery had been 7
v moved. The man to whose memol
d these two mementos had been erectl
l. bids fair not TO need such things 4
II q long while to come.
" It is questionable II these sudd'
~.