The daily Alaskan., 1915-12-22
"A Mistaken
 Identity
By DWIGHT NORWooD

Friends were arriving for the funeral and on entering the house tur-ed into the room where the coffin rested on supports. It had been left open, and any one who wished to have a look at the deceased was permitted to do so. Mrs. MacElroy looked down upon the corpse with melancholy visage, then went to her seat and whispered to Mrs. Martin beside her:
 'He looks very natural"
 ''Do you think so? wouldn't know him."
 Mrs. Gonlgle leaned forward and remarked in subdued voice that she had been asked to go to the hospital where he had died and identify him. She was in doubt at first, but as she looked the features seemed to throw off the death look and take on Q lifelike appearance. She would stake her life on his being Parker.
 Nathan Parker had left home seY- eral days before to go to work at his trade-he was a plasterer-and had not returned. He had complained of dig ziness and was seen to stagger as he walked down the street. Night came and he did not return. His wife was worried about him and fearful that he had collapsed. She would have gone to inquire of his employer, but her husband had told her that he was go- ing to do a job on his own account that day and unfortunately did not in- form her where 1t was.
 That night was one of great anxiety to Mrs. Parker. She went to the grocery and called up every hospital in town, asking if man of the name of Parker was there. They all replied that they had no such person among their patients. The next day passed without bringing the missing mans return. Mrs. Parker sent out a police alarm, but nothing came of 1t
 Then one day the missing mans son concluded to go the rounds of the hos pltals in search of his father. At one of them he found that a man had died who had been taken in unconscious and no name obtained. He had fallen on a sidewalk, been picked up by pO' Hceman and brought to the hospital in au ambulance. He had died the day before.
 John Parker went in to see the corpse, dreading to find his father. He no sooner looked upon 1t than he cov- cred his eyes with his hands. There lay the man he had feared to see. Then he went home and informed his moth CT of what he had found. After she had given way to tEe first outbursts of grief she asked John if he was sure that the body he had seen was that of his father. John said he was, but there would be no harm In sending some one else 10 identify 1t. stephen Parker, the dcceased's brother, went to the hospital and expressed a doubt that the corpse was that of Nathan. Then Mrs. GOnigIe, an intimate friend of the family, went to the hospital and confirmed Johns report.
 At the hour appointed for the fu- neral the family and relatives came Into the room where the burial rites were to take place and took seats be- side the coffin. X minister appeared, who conducted the services and dwelt at length on the virtues of the de- ceased. When all was over the under taker put the lid on the coffin and screwed 1t down. While be was dO- ing so a man, very pale, staggered in at the door,
 "Whats all thls?' be exclaimed.
 Good gracious"' cried Mrs. Parker.
 "Who are you?" asked the minister, starting forward to head of the inter- loper.
 -"Who am I? I'm Nathan Parker. Who's that in the cofTin?"
 "Oh, Nathan" cried the wife, "is 1t really you2'
 Really me2 Who else should I beT
 Have you come back from the dead7"
 CT haven't been with the dead."