The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-05
A Lugubrious
Race
By ALAN HlNsDALE

and from the hearse an oblong box
was removed and Carried on to the
boat During the transit one Of the
men careIessly let go his hold. and the
oox came very r falling to the
Ground
The mourner groaned. do be care
ful." he said. THAT box contains the
remains Of my dear wife, She died a
few aavs ~ ago in Brussels am and 1 am
takinaa y Ssr body to my homo in Har.
WITCH, across the channel. to give it
''sorrVs sir. that | lost my hold
replied the porter; evidently affected
The mnurner 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 ne begged them to
put down the DOH Gently. They all
seemed impressed by the x,hibition of
Grief ,nd when the box touched the
ueck not SCUM vas to be heard
Wiping his eyes , WIN one hand. with
the other the mourner gave each one
of them half crown. and they dis,
persed Walking away with soft tread
as If tearing TO "ounu him by unseen
~ noise.
When the boat reached Harwich a
Custom ndicer came ahoard The
INQUIRER stepped up to him and. with
trembling voice and difficulty in re-
Pressing his tears, said to him:
NV srieud. must ask YOUR indul-
gence For one in trouble That box
Contains the body of my beloved wife,
who dis, abroad. I beg Of YOU to see
that | am spared any delay or diff
Guilty in receiving a Permit to remove
it Tho circumstances Of nv wife's
death wore extremely distressing. She
died Of a fever after long and pain
Iul illness. everything was done for
her.
An r,ott, 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
a Sovereign into his hand and. turn.
ing to some deck nanus' asked them to
carry the box Oh " Tue dock. AS the
melancholy procession was passing
over the eangplank man stood on
the dock scrutinizing those who came
ashore. The nno ,, .r while passing
nlm put his hahoAefehief to his race
ana sobbed.
A hearse stooa ne"r-it had evident
~ been spoken for,and the box was
July Committed " The mourner
entered = carriage. and Tho two ve-
hicles aa.. driven away.
They had scarcely Started when the
an who had s'oor ~ the gangplanK
entered another "age and told the
or1ver to follow lnem. Slowly the
funera, cortege passed through the
own and TOOK ,uad leading to
cemetery The mourner so far forgot
his grief 20 turn and look through the
glass In me back OF the carriage and
Presentlv the funeral Vehicles turned
out Of tho main rodu. The mourner
looked Gain and saw that the carriage
behind also turned. Lowering a win
uow. he said quichy ,,nm
Jim we're gone up"
What makes 70" mink so7' asked
II saw . scotland Yard man BY the
gangwsr watching Tor US he is in
that o. ~. 20 back there"
"Sunnann we race him7"
In another moment the melancholy
trot OF funeral Procession was
changed to a gallop. As soon as the
new gait was begun the Carriage in the
rear also made change. On went
the hearse. on went the carriage con-
tanning the mourner. and on went the
one contain,ng the detective Seeing a
funeral party gallopins over the
ground, persons along the road stopped
and ganed Then when the roar car.
riaee passed scattering dust and dirt,
1t was evident that there was q race in
Progress
Presently the hearse reached GENE
AIRY .ars The gate was open and the
driver turned in shouting to several
persons standing about to get out of
the way. The avenues Of the Enclosure
were tortuous and Well adapted to
leaving ! pursuer in the lurcb After
making n plumber OF turns on two
wheels, the driver OF the hearse stop
ped before vault. the door of which
stood open. the mourner's carriage
,ame up. the two drivers withdrew the
box and hurried it into the vault. There
Inc mourner remained with it, while |
lne two drivers drove on. The mourn
er listened In few minutes be heard
Carriage 20 by iickets split without
stopping.
An right. monsieur he called to
me corpse OF bis VIE We've wonr'
For heavens sake get me out of
nis! said the otner IN masculine
TOice and broken French. "This jolt.
ng has nearly killed me"
The mourner produced screwdriv-
=, Removed the top OF the box. and
-. stepped mah ven dressed and
Violently a gentleman.