TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14977, 26 May 1914, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The Mao Who Was Dead. Real life has plainly no intention if being outdone in tho dramatic by either fiction or the drama. For instance, the other day a grey-haired man knocked at the door of a flat in Williamsburg. U.S.A., and Avhen a grey-haired woman of his own ago opened it, found it hard to control his emotion. "Don't you

know mc?" ho asked. "Don't you know your husband? I've hunted all over the world for you, and just found yon wore living." The woman's reply was to throw herself into tho man's arms. Tho facts that preceded this iittlo drama were these: More than years ago Alfred 'Welland. thdn a prosperous British resident of Egypt, became involved in Turkish affairs, and at the- outbreak of the Russo-Turkish war, enlisted in tho Turkish Army under Osman Pasha, who made him an officer. At length news carao to hissvife at Cairo that her husband had fallen at Plevna. After a serious illnes3 wmsod by the news, Mrs Welland and her young son left tho coun-

fry, and, being of independent moans, travelled a good deal. She visited Aus-

tralia and finally settled in tho United States. Her son grow up and married. In the meantime Wolland was looking for his wife. Ho had been left for dead on tho field, had been captured by the Russians, and had regained his

health so slowly that it was two years after Plevna that ho returned to Cairo! His wife and child, he was told, had gone to Australia, so he followed them

there, only to bo told that they had left for America. In America he was checked by one of those pieces of misinformation of which the novelist Is so fond. He was told that a woman and a boy answering to his description had died of fever. Ultimately he went to Canada, where he did well in business. He seems never to have given up hope, for from time to time he followed clues. . At length he received information from friends stating that they believed they had really found his wife, and on going to the address given, the door was opened to him by her. That night they set off to Boston to see their son. Tho Xow York paper that tells the story calls Wellanrt an Enoch Arden, but ho was more fortunate than that very unlucky person.