The herald., 1914-10-29
CASE OF JOHN CLEMENTS
BY FRED BURNS.

had been Of years, but these narrower
down t. months and then to weeks
Those three weeks always remained
and. till the end of his days, they re-
mained a blank TO him.
Patrolman Thomas had found nm
standing beside the river In dazed
sort OF way. He had taken off his
coat and evidently meant TO plunge
in. He had even cut the initials from
his linen and destroyed all papers that
might identify him. But at the river
bank that lapse OF memory overlook
him. so that he only stared stupid!y
about him. unable TO understand sho
he was or why he had gone there.
At the hospital they said that it was
a case Of amnesia, due to some SHOCK
and that in time Clements would re-
cover his memory.
Gradually he did recover It. lie re-
membered that he was John Clements
but not till a number OF other details
had come back TO him.
Nurse Marjorie Ethan was IN
charge OF him. He was paying pa
tient and had got back into touch with
his affairs. But nobody in Aylmer
knew much about his private affairs.
There is one nan who knows all
about me" said Clements, during the
third week OF his stay in the hospital.
But don't know who he is or where
he lives
Miss Ethan was at first greatly in
terested in her strange case. Then
strong friendship grew up between her
and her patient. Before he was dis
charged cured as far as he was ever
likely to be, Clements asked Marjorie
10 marry him.
She refused, and. when he pressed
her, she admitted that she loved him.
Then why?" he asked.
because Of those three lost weeks,
she answered, turning her head away.
when you remember, dear-not till
then"
He understood her fears. He might
be a married man. He had no right
TO claim her until his memory came
back TO him.
So Clements went away, back to his
business. He kept in touch with Mar
jorie. II ever his memory came back
to him he was to claim her. That was
tacitly understood by both.
He found 1t easy to pick up the
thread OF his interests. Gradually the
old associations grew round him again.
But his memory remained blank.
At the end Of year he realized that
he would never remember. Then ne
went back to Marjorie.
Clements took her out to dinner
and, that night, he asked her again to
be his wife.
Marjorie agreed. They were mar
ried the following afternoon and went
away on their honeymoon.
Clements learned many things dur
ing that period. His wife was alone
In the world. Her only sister had died
under tragic circumstances year be
fore. She was unhappily married, ant
a man had come into her life who
seemed everything to her. Marjorie
had tried to dissuade her sister-haC
threatened to tell her husband Of thu
projected elopement. Then Caroline
had taken the bit between her teeth
She had run away, and. on the wa!
to meet her lover, the train had beel
wrecked. She had been killed instant
ly. Since then Marjorie had seen moth
ing Of her brother-inlaw.
What was the mans name?' aske
John.
Marjorie did not know.
They returned from their honey
moon and settled in Aylmer. Thre
years passed. Two children had bee
born to them. They were ideally hal
py. and. but for that period of blanl
ness in his mind, John was a norma
man. He was highly esteemed in hi
city and spoken of as the next mayoI
One day when John was away
stranger called at the house. Ma
jorie received him with an attempt a
warmth which hardly hid her real fee
ings. 1t was her brother-in-law.
He was no warmer than Marjori,
II have just learned the facts" h
said. "and thought would run dow
and see your husband. I found hi
letters in my late wife's drawer"
John Clements was the man VIII
had been the unwilling cause Of be
sisters death.
"Of course, l have read about tn
case" he said, but guess he'll kno'
me all right when he sees me-"
Marjorie fought fearful battle du
Ing those few minutes. Johns low
for her, his loyalty, showed her ths
he was good man; but the though
that he had been the cause of her 81
ters death, that he had made love I
the wife Of another, was CALLING I
her pride.
Roger" she said at last, you hay
a right to meet my husband. Stay [
dinner and. IL he remembers you, sa
what you please. That is your right
Il guess he'll know me-" answere
the other, scowling.
1t seemed an eternity before JOB
Clements came up the garden and I'M
the house. At his approach Rog,
sprang from his chair with clencht
fists, scowling at the ether man.
John, this is my brotherin-law
said Marjorie.
John Clements advanced with ou
stretched hand. 81 am happy to me-
L. L.. olr