The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-29
A Lugubrious
Race
By ALAN HINSDALE

man Of somber countenance, dressed |
In funeral black. Summoning a porter,
he engaged him to bring assistants,
and from the hearse an oblong box |
was removed and carried on to the |
boat During the transit one of the !
men carelessly let go his hold, and the
box came very near falling to the
ground.
The mourner groaned. do be care
full" he said. THAT box contains the
remains of my dear wife. She died a
few days ago In Brussels, and l am
taking her body to my home In Har-
witch, across the channel, to give It
sepulture."
Sorry, sir, that lost my hold"
replied the porter, evidently affected
by the mourner's deep grief. II won't
do 1t again."
The mourner raised his handkerchief
to his eyes to dry the tears that had
started at the jogging of the dear re-
mains and followed the bearers on to
the boat, where he begged them to
put down the box gently. They all
seemed impressed by the exhibition of
grief. and when the box touched the
deck not a sound was to be heard.
Wiping his eyes with one hand, with
the other the mourner gave each one
of them half a crown, and they dis
persed, walking away with soft tread
as If fearing to wound him by unseen.
ly noise.
When the boat reached Harwich a
customs officer came aboard. The
mourner stepped up to him and, with
trembling voice and difficulty In re-
pressing his tears, said to him:
my friend. must ask your indul-
gence for one in trouble. That box
contains the body Of my beloved wife.
who died abroad. / beg Of you to see
that l am spared any delay or diff
Guilty in receiving a permit to remove
1t. The circumstances Of my wife's
, death were extremely distressing. She
died of a fever after long and pain
full illness. Everything was done for
her.
IAN right, sir replied the official
''In see that you're put to no trouble.
SIR"
He put the customs mark on the box.
The mourner, sitting his tears, slipped
sovereign into his hand and, turn
, ing to some deckhands, asked them to
carry the box on to the dock. AS the
melancholy procession was passing
over the gangplank a man stood on
| the dock scrutinizing those who came
ashore. The mourner while passing
him put his handkerchief to his face
and sobbed.
A hearse stood near-it had evident.
~ been spoken for-and the box was
duly committed to it. The mourner
entered a carriage, and the two We
hicles were driven away.
They had scarcely started when the
man who had stood by the gangplank
entered another carriage and told the
driver to follow them. Slowly the
funeral cortege passed through the
! town and took a road leading to
cemetery. The mourner so far forgot
his grief to turn and look through the
glass in the back of the carriage and
saw another carriage not far behind
Presently the funeral vehicles turned
out of the main road. The mournel
looked again and saw that the carriage
behind also turned. Lowering a win
dow, he said quickly:
"Jim, we're gone up!"
what makes you think SOP asked
the driver.
81 saw a Scotland Yard man by the
gangway watching for us. He Is II
that carriage back there"
Suppose we race himT"
In another moment the melanchol!
trot of funeral procession wal
changed to a gallop. As SON as thu
new gait was begun the carriage In tn
rear also made a change. On wen
the hearse; on went the carriage con
tanning the mourner, and on went tn
one containing the detective. Seeing
funeral party galloping over tn
ground. persons along the road stopped
and gaped. Then when the rear car
rage passed. scattering dust and dirt
II was evident that there was race II
progress.
Presently the hearse reached a GENE
tary. The gate was open and tn
driver turned in, shouting to severa
persons standing about to get out Q
the way. The avenues Of the inclosur
were tortuous and well adapted 7
leaving a pursuer in the lurch Ate
making a number OF turns on tw'
wheels, the driver Of the hearse STOP
ped before a vault. the door of whicl
stood open. the mourner's carriag
came up. the two drivers withdrew tn
: box and hurried 1t into the vault Their
; the mourner remained with 1t, Will
: the two drivers drove on. The mourn
er listened. In few minutes he hear
: a carriage go by lickety split withou
, stopping.
can right, monsieur" he called {
the corpse Of his wife. "We've wonI
"For heavens sake, get me out 0
2 thisr' said the other in a mascunn
voice and broken French. This Jol1
ing has nearly killed me-"
! The mourner produced a screwdriN
or. removed the top Of the box, an
ont stepped a man well dressed an