Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-05-13
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 49, 1910.

The married life between Clarence
Hooper and Edna Worth was very
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, 1t was not deemed
best that she should accompany him.
From Russia Clarence wrote often to
his wife, at times mentioning In glow
ing terms certain prima donna, Welt
volsky, Russian Pole. He was not
aware that there was anything said
In these letters TO lead his wife to be-
Iieve 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 cablegram
from bis 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 acci-
dent the day before cabled to an Eng
lish 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
ticlpate personally is very different
from one where we are present. Clar-
ence Hooper could not realize that his
wife was dead. 1t was only when he
returned to his desolate home that his
bereavement appeared to him as a
reality, and then 1t rushed upon him
with its full force, No children had
come to them to impart life or cheer
fulness to the companlonless man.
Nevertheless he remained In the home
where he had been so happy, morbldly
dwelling upon his loss. The lady from
whom he had received the cablegrnm
announcing his wlfe's death had gone
abroad. crossing him on the ocean
She had. however, left a letter for him
giving all she knew Of the clrcum-
stances attending his wife's death, It
was not much, since no one living had
EfIlaH mud tho hn1v n
recognizable. but stated That she had
buried the remains IN his lot at the
cemetery lie would Ind the grave
near the center OF the lot.
Hooper's first act after his return
was to visit his wlfe's grave and shed
his life seemed dreary waste before
him He had had his one love, It had
passed from him. and he would never
have another few days. after this
he opened his wife's will He was sur.
prised to notice codlcil 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
his own income from his wife's prop
erty.
1t was winter when all this occurred,
and as soon M spring opened Hooper
went to the cemetery for the purpose
OF putting plants about his wife's
grave. What was his establishment 10
discover that the adornment he had
intended was there already. II con.
sisted of rosebushes OF variety that
his wife had loved and had kept In
their conservatory during the winter
season.
Standing there beside the grave OF
the woman he had loved so well
tumult of suspicious. conjectures pour
ed In upon him. The events of his
married life passed before him In re.
view as they are said to pass In
simultaneously before one who Is
drowning. He had known his wife
since they were children, and this
sweep OF memory went 80 far back
as their first love, and he wondered
II any one then had been his rival.
Next he considered those she had
known when they were young men
and women. From there he passed
to those who might have come be-
tween them since they had been mar.
RED Among all these he could not
remember single person who could
have filed the place he had for years
considered he alone could al.
Hooper was stirred by deep emotion.
His wife had been an orphan with no
brothers or slsters-indeed. no relatives
In whom she had taken an interest or
who had taken any interest IN her
Sarah ingalls, had been the only being
except himself that she had loved and
by whom she had been loved. Yet here
was some one who had forestalled him
In caring for her grave, Was this un-
known person man or woman II
man, had he loved her before or after
her marriage7 Had that love been re-
turned? This last thought maddened
nim.
He turned away with a groan eI.
pressive partly OF grief. partly Of an.
ger. Why had Edna never spoken Of
this person1 A woman she would GER
tainly have mentioned. man she
might hova fnaufiouad "a Invar aha