The Ocala evening star., 1915-08-11
A Mistaken
Identity
b. DWIGHT NORWOOD

( ana on entering the mousse turned into n
the room where the coffin rested on |
supports. 1t had been left open, and |
| any one who wished 10 have a look at I
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? 1 wouldn't know
| him.
Mrs. GOnigle leaned forward and
| remarked in Il subdued voice that she
had been asked TO go to the hospital
where he had died and identify him.
She was m doubt at first, but as she
! looked the features seemed To throw of
the death look and take on a lifelike
| appearance. She would stake her life
on his being Parker.
Nathan Parker had left home sew
eral days before TO go to work at his
trade-he was a plasterer-and had not
returned. He had complained OF diz-
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 it was.
/ That night was one Of great anxiety
= to Mrs. Parker. She went to the
p grocery and called up every hospital in
, town. asking if n 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 police
2 alarm. but nothing came OF it
n Then one day the missing mans son
y concluded to go the rounds of the hos
:, pitals in search of his father. At one
of them he found that a man had died
who had been taken in unconscious
e and no name obtained. He had fallen
n on a sidewalk, been picked up by po-
lIceman and brought to the hospital In
an ambulance. He had died the day
= before.
John Parker went I'm to see the
corpse. dreading to find his father. BE
q no sooner looked upon it than he Gov
e cred his eyes with his hands. There
n lay the man he had feared to see Then
he went home and informed his moth.
er of what he had found. After she
- had given way to the first outbursts
= of grief she asked John If he was sure
that the body he had seen was that
81 of his father John said he was, but
e, there would be no harm I'm sending
N some one else To identify it. StepheI
lie Parker, the deceased's brother, went
TO the hospital and expressed doubt
that the corpse was that Of Nathan
r Then Mrs. Gonigle, an intimate frienC
of the family, went to the hospita
and confirmed Johns report
d At the hour appointed for the fu
A neral the family and relatives came
ut into the room where the burial rite
as were to take place and took seats be
s. side the coffin. A minister appeared
&C who conducted the services and dwell
at length on the virtues of the de
ceased. When all was over the under
- taker put the lid on the coffin ant
re screwed it down. While he was dc
al ing so n man, very pale, staggered Il
DIS at the door.
eu whats all this?" he exclaimed.
O. Good graciousr' cried Mrs. Parker.
M "Who are you?" asked the minister
starting forward to head of the inter
lOper.
''Who am /? I'm Nathan Parker
d Who's that I'm the coffinT'
no "Oh, Nathan" cried the wife, ''is
rd really your
tn Really me? Who else should beT
ID. Have you come back from th
"a dead?"
II haven't been with the dead"
- ''It looks like you, but I can't b
lIu sure
In Johnny went up TO the. intruder, lool
ed him close i'm the face. then thre'
his arms around him, crying: IT mad
at n mistake! ] made Il mistaker' The
Mrs. Parker took her husband ava
from Johnny and Rugged him.
Meanwhile Parker. who had just e
out of bed after several days, bein
II either unconscious or delirious, su
cumbed to the shock Of arriving ju
I'm time for his own funeral and woul
have fallen TO the floor had his Wi
ng and son not supported him to a sof
lis Johnny ran for n stimulant, and Mr.
eo- Parker chafed his hands.
cir Take that thing awayF' he erie
oft family
20 Parker was put to bed and Il
CORPSE removed As soon as he b
W. came sufficiently composed to give {
MS account of his absence he said tn
an while going to work the sidewalk al
his head seemed To come together
knew not how-and he was unco
sciOus till he found himself I'm bed
ie a strange house. lie called; wom'
nd came into the room and told him tn
5 ! she had seen him fall, had gone o
re- and had instructed several persons w
.dy gathered about him to carry him in
her house. She had not the heart
mt send him TO n hospital. but had Sc
- for n doctor To attend him.
me- Parker asked how long he had be
there ana when she told him II was
, week he jumped out Of bed. declari
that he must go 70 his family, W
would be worried about him On q
pro1ching his home and seeing
heaTse nj the door he feared his w
had died OF fright on his account.