Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-09-29

One day Mr.. Jones tola,nis wife that

y
Won't you tell me what it is?"
He made no reply for few moments
except to fold her tightly In his arms;
then he said:
when l return l Will tell you ALL"
The morning of his return Mrs.
Jones received letter the envelope of
which bore the stamp of Porter, Gibbs
& Charleton, attorneys. Tearing IT
open. she read 1t hurriedly, then sank
in an easy chair in a dead faint A
maid who was with her at the time
restored her and supported her to her
bedroom. The mistress as soon as she
was alone took the letter she had re-
ceived and locked 1t in a rosewood
cabinet in which she kept her CORE
spondence. Half an hour later she
called a carriage and left the house.
When Jones returned. passing
through the hall he caught sight of his
face in a mirror. Struck with his pal.
lor and his haggard appearance, he
went into his library, where he made
an attempt to nerve himself to meet
his wife. The maid who had taken
care of her entered soon after.
Where is Mrs. Jones?" he asked.
''She told me to say to you that she
had been called away till the day after
tomorrow"
Jones didn't know whether to feel
relieved or to consider himself plunged
into a new complication.
You needn't unpack that" he said
to the maid, who took up his suit case.
I'm going away again tonight"
What shal! | say to Mrs. Jones
when she returns?"
What shall you say? Why. that I'll
return in a few days"
The uncertainty Mr.. Jones had felt
as to his first wife's not being dead
was converted into a strong probabil.
ity. Nearly twenty years before he
had wooed Alice Hinckley, but since
he had but few hundred dollars with
which to support wife her parents
had objected to the match. The young
couple resolved to be married and 20
to South America. The ceremony was
performed clandestinely, n the bride
returned from the church 20 her home.
1t had been agreed that hey were to
30 on board ship separately and in
disguise, for they were suspected by
the girls pare lts, and to meet after
the vessel had got we'll out to sea.
Jones performed his part of the ar
rangement, but his wife was delayed
and did not reach the dock until after
the departure of the ship. She hid
herself and took the next vessel, which
sailed a few days later.
These two failed to meet Jones not
finding his bride aboard presumed that
moment. she, too proud to return TO
her father. supported herself by teach
ing in Rio de Janeiro. Jones wrote t.
her at her fathers home, but received
no reply. He drifted to London and
thence to Australia. Nearly twenty
years later he saw notice of the
death of Alice Hinckley at the city
where he had married his wife. Re
turning to America, he learned that his
wife's father and mother had died and
who had disappeared many years be-
fore and had never since been heard
from. In case she did not claim the
property within n given limit of time
1t would go to charity. Jones then
put In claim for it as Alice Hinckley' s
husband.
Now, what was troubling Jones was
that a woman purporting to be Alice
Hinckley had recently appeared and
claimed the estate. If she were the
real Alice Hinckley the second mar
riage was Illegal.
Jones through the lawyers had made
an appointment to meet the woman
who claimed TO be his wife then he
Gad gone home to await the date OF
the meeting two days hence R"gurn
ing for the interview. he repaired t.
the rendezvous and was ushercd into
private Office.
What was his astoniShment 10 Sc.
there, pale and agitated. the second
Mrs. Jones.
The two stared at each other for 20
few minutes as though they could '..;
believe their eyes. then rushed iHio
each others arms.
There was an explanation involvin.
events covering Il period of twenty
years. Both husband and wife claim
ed the same property. and each had
heard that the other had turned ~
but neither knew that the claimant
was a former consort. The lawyers
were as much astonished as the par
ties themselves. and the parties them
selves were lost in wonder.
There was nothing for the couple
to do but 20 home. Both regretted
that there was no honeymoon for them
for they had never had one of the two
to which they were entitled.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jones did not enter
upon a lawsuit for the estate; corSe-
nuently they got it all instead of turn
ing the most of it over TO the lawyers.
The pair have never ceased TO believe
that theirs was not case Of coinci-
dence, but that Providence brought
them together
Origin of Confetti.
The history of confetti is rather curl
Gus. Several years ago large print.
ing works in Paris was turning out i'm
mense quantities of calendars, through
xx-biah n small round hola Ind hann