Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-04
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Strange Case of New Lovely Cuthbert Baker
Copyrighted Literary presA

The married life between Clarence
happy. When they were united Clar
ence was twenty-one and Edna nine
teen. Ten years later the husband
was obliged to make business trip
to Russia. His wife being in delicate
health at the time, it was not deemed
best that she should accompany him.
From Russia Clarence wrote often to
bis wife. at times mentioning in glow
ing terms a certain prima donna, Welt
volsky, a Russian Pole. He was not
In these letters to lead his wife to be-
heve that his feeling for the singer
was anything more than friendship.
She did not write him that she was
jealous of his new found friend. In
deed. she never mentioned the singer
In any Of her letters. When his and
the singers paths diverged he ceased
to mention her In his letters.
One day he received a cablegram
from his wife's bosom friend. Sarah
ingalls,, that Mrs. Hooper had been
caught in one Of those terrible railroad
accidents which kill and MAIN so many
people and had been crushed to death.
He had seen an account of the acct
dent the day before cabled to an Eng
nsh paper, but did not dream Of his
wife having been on the train.
A death OF one very dear to us in
the events of which we do not par
ticfpate personally is very different
from one where we are present. Clar-
ence Hooper could not realize that his
wife was dead. II was only when he
returned to his desolate home that his
bereavement appeared to him as a
reality, and then it rushed upon him
with it's full force. No children had
come to them to impart life or cheer
fitness to the companionless man
Nevertheless he remained in the home
where he had been so happy, morbidly
dwelling upon his loss. The lady from
whom he had received the cablegram
announcing his wife's death had gone
abroad. crossing him on the ocean.
She had. however. left a letter for him
giving all she knew OF the circum-
stances attending his wife's death. 1t
was not much, since no one living had
seen her killed and the body was I'M
recognizable. but stated that she had
buried the remains in h.5 lot at the
cemetery. He would find the grave
near the center of the lot.
Hooper's first act after his return
was to visit his wife's grave and shed
bitter tears there. The remainder of
his life seemed a dreary waste before
him. He had had his one love. it had
passed from him, and he would never
have another A few days after this
he opened his wife's will. He was sur
prised to notice codicil added during
his absence abroad leaving the in
come Of certain property to Sarah In
gals. who had been his informant as
to the testator's death. The reason
Hooper was surprised at this be-
quest was because Sarah ingalls, was
wealthy. Moreover. this legacy halved
bis own income from his wife's prop
erty.
1t was winter when all I occurred.
and as soon as spring ope. Hooper
went to the cemetery for thS purpose
Of putting plants about his ,wife's
grave. What was his astonishmeDt to
discover that the adornment be had
Intended was there already. 1t con-
sisted OF rosebushes of a variety that
bis wife had loved and had kept in
their conservatory during the winter.
season, ;.
Standing there beside the grave of
tumult Of suspicious. eonjectures pour