The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-05
THE TWO CLAIMANTS
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

hohJ lhO yOuI5 LuSiiohhicAJ hHSe HI the gold country of Colorado and be- came fast friends.
 These young men, having compared notes, learned chat they came from eminent British families. Prower was a younger son of nobleman, and Gun ningham claimed to be graduate of Oxford. Besides the fact of their be- ing fellow countrymen, there was a strong resemblance between them. They were nearly the same height and build and both light complexioned. There was one difference between them, though 1t was scarcely noticea- ble. Prower's right eye was of slightly different shade of blue from his left eye.
 But there was a great difference in the character of the two men. How ard Prower was kind hearted, noble man; Cunningham was a devil. They prospected together for time, agree ing that if one struck paying dirt he would share 1t with the other. Finally Cunningham dug a hole in the ground for which he was offered hundred thousand dollars. He had no intention of sharing 1t with Prower and was de liberating how he could beat him out of his portion when letter came ad- dressed to Howard Prower, earl Of Brokefield. 1
 Prower was away on prospecting l tour when the letter came. Both mel had been away from England for ten years. If Prower were out of the way Cunningham might return, pass him. self off for the new earl and thus ap- propriate the title and estates. While be was deliberating on this plan word was received that Prower had been at tackled by claim jumpers and mur- dered.
 Cunningham went to the place where the fight had occurred and tried to find his friends body. He was told that e number of persons had been killed in the fight and they had all been bur jed side by side. He was shown the graves, but saw no reason why he should exhume his friends body. Re- turning to his cabin, he opened the let ter that had been received and learned that PrOwer's father and two older brothers had been taken i'll and all had died within a period of few weeks.
 A month from that time Cunning ham appeared in England and claimed to be Howard Prower, now Earl of BrOkcGrId. There was no one of the family to receive him except sister of the late earl, who did not doubt that he was her nephew.
 No one disputed the identity of the claimant except Lady Gladys Pem- broke. the daughter of neighboring noblCmnn who would have been How ard Prowers wife except for his pover- ty. She had not married and when the heir returned expected happy ] meeting To play the part of her lover was more than Cunningham could ac- complish, and she at once pronounced him an impostor.
 But notwithstanding this assertion. which was not very largely accepted, Cunningham established himself as the Earl of Brokefeld. He had played the part of peer some four months, when who should appear but the real earl. Prower had been left for dead by those who had attacked him and those who had joined in his defense. Before they had returned to bury the dead he had crawled away. When he had re- covered he looked for his chum, but did not find him. Later he had heard of his fathers and brothers death and at once started for England.
 When one day Howard Prower walk ed into his home and met his old friend face to face the latter turned pale. There was one of two courses which he might choose down and out or claim that the newcomer was an impostor. He chose the latter course. He ignored his visitor, saying that he had come to personate the real Howard Prower, but that he would be uQdDle IO SuDSLdulldlC uiS SiolLh.
 Prower, aghast at such treatment, withdrew and entered suit against the man who had usurped his title and his property. His aunt unfortunately ad- hered to the opinion that Cunningham was her nephew. This left Lady Gladys Pembroke the only witness in Prower's favor, and her evidence was not counted so valuable as that of member of the claimants family. Nev- ertheless, Lady Gladys warmly es- poused Towards cause, and the rela- tions of lovers that had existed before he left for America were resumed.
 One witness was found in an old woman who had nursed Howard when he was a baby. But she had never seen him since that time, and her eVi- dence was not considered of much val ue, especially since in her old age she had lost her eyesight. However. at the trial she was called to the witness stand and testified as follows:
 q have not seen Howard Prower since he was q baby, when l used to give him his bath and wheel him in !. his perambulator, but if I could see plainly now as then l would know him, for I noticed on him a defect l have never seen in any one else. His eyes