The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-07


Judge Harvey felt his collar;
Jack stared.
"Yes-yes, said the impatien.
Mayfair. "But out with the story!
What's doing?"
Something that think will
surprise you." said Mr.. Pyecroft.
Something that has completely
astounded all of us-particularly
this lady who is Mrs. De Peyster's
housekeeper, and Miss Harmon.
here, who has just returned from
a quiet summer In Maine to at
tend her cousins funeral. The
fact is, gentlemen, to come right
to the point. there is to be no
funeral!"
mo funeral" ran through the
crowd.
mo funeral" repeated Mr.. Pye-
croft. 1.-THE reason. gentlemen, u
that a great mistake has beeh
made. Mrs. De Peyster is not
dead"
mot dead" exclaimed the re-
porters.
IF you desire proof, here 1t is."
Mr.. Pyecroft, stepping aside, re-
vealed the figure Of Mrs. De Pey-
ster. He put his right hand upon
her shoulder, gripping it tightly
and holding her In the chair, and
with his left he lifted the thick
veil above her face. 81 believe
that most of you know Mrs. De
Peyster, at least from her pic
lures"
Mrs. De Peyster." cried the
staggered crowd. MRS. De Pey-
ster herself"
But that other Mrs. De Pey-
|ster-the one the funeral is for?"
asked Mr.. Mayfair. "Who is
she?"
That, gentlemen, is as great
mystery to us as to any of you,'
said Mr.. Pyecroft.
But how the-but how did it
all happen?" calculated Mr.. May
fair.
THAT is what I am going to tell
you" Mr.. Pyecroft answered.
"Oh." moaned Mrs. De Peyster.
OlivetIa and Matilda gazed at
Mr.. Pyecroft with CHASTITY faces;
Judge Harvey and Jack and Mary
stared at him with amazed sus-
pense, and Miss Gardner, with
whom he had not yet made his
peace, breathlessly awaited the
next move of this incomprehensi-
BILE husband Of hers.
What Mrs. De Peyster has
said is really very simple. AS
you know, she left Paris on a
long motor trip. During her brief
stay in Paris one of her trunks
was either lost of stolen, she is
not certain which. AS she paid no
personal attention to her baggage.
she was not aware of her loss for
several days. So much is fact.
Now we come to mere conjecture.
A plausible conjecture seems to
be that the gowns in the trunk
were sold to a secondhand dealer
and these gowns. being attractive,
the dealer must have Immediately
resold to various purchasers, and
one Of these purchasers must
have"
Eyes, yes! Plain as day" ex-
claimed Mr.. Mayfair.
THE face was unrecognizable,"
lcontinued Mr.. Pyecroft. but since
the gown had sewn into it Mrs.
De Peyster's name, of course"
"Of counsel" The most natural
mistake in the world" cried Mr..
Mayfair. excitedly. Go on. Go
onl"
MRS. De Peyster did not learn
of what had happened till the day
the supposed Mrs. De Peyster was
started homeward. The most SEN
|sible thing for her to have done
would have been to declare the
mistake and save her family and
friends a great deal OF grief. But
the shock completely unbalanced
her. She was so completely un-
|nerved-but a mere look at Mrs.
De Peyster will show you how
the shock unnerved her."
The group gazed at Mrs. De
Peyster's face. A murmur of
sympathy and understanding ran
among them.
In her hysterical condition."
continued Mr.. Pyecroft, she had
but one thought, and that was to
get home as quickly as she could.
She crossed to England, sailed on
the Mauritania, kept her state
room, and arrived here at the
house heavily yelled about an
hour ago. l may add to the de-
tails that she sailed under the
name Of Miss Hartman, and that
her trunks are now at the Cum
ard pier. There you have the en-
tire story. gentlemen. And since
Mrs. De Peyster is in a state bor-
dering on collapse, we would take
lit as favor if"
mo need to dismiss u.s." put in
Mr.. Mayfair. Were In a bigger
hurry to leave than you are to
have us go. Gee, boys" he ejacu-
lated to his fellows, what a
peach of a story!"
In twinkling Mr.. Mayfair and
his fellows Of the press had van
lished.
Within the room all eyes fixed
themselves upon Mrs. De Peyster.
nMnthar--u Lack hreathad at