“YOU ARE MY HUSBAND.”

Taihape Daily Times, 24 February 1919, Page 6

“YOU ARE MY HUSBAND.”

MASK COMEDY IN SYDNEY 1

WOMAN CLAIMS CHAPLAIN

An extraordinary experience befel the Eev. Horace W. Harder, in Sydney when he was claimed on a tram car by a strange woman as her long-lost husband. Eclating the story, Mr. Harder, who is only 30 years of age, said: — J

“I got into a tram, and had been sitting there only a few minutes, with my mask on, when a woman of apparent middle age, who was sitting opposite me, looked a.t my eyes closely. She did this so often, as to make her action noticeable. Then she opened a bag which she had on her lap, and looked at a group photograph closely. Loking at me again, she exoxclaimed, loudly: “You are my husband. I know you by your brown eyes and your brow. You left me ten years ago.” A girl, apparently about 14 years of age, was sitting next to hen

“The woman remarked to a fellowpassenger: ‘lt is always the way! When you want ia. policeman you can’t get one. I want to give this man in charge. He is my husband.” “The conductor came along just then, and she said to him, ‘As soon as you see ia constable stop the tram! I want to give this man in charge. ’ “By this time other passengers were becoming decidedly interested, and I don’t mind admitting that I felt far from comfortable. It was a preposterous idea, of course, but none the less embarrassing.” “At last two constables appeared in the vicinity of the Newton Bridge, and I was just as pleased fo see them as wtas the lady. The constables, after cohveration with the woman, sat on cither side of me. She still claimed me as her husband.

“I said. *'l have never- seen this woman before. ’ One of the constables, said, ‘A lot of attention is being attracted here to you!” and it certainly was so, for I was in my military uniform, and my high collar disclosed that I was >a. chaplain. “In the circumstances such a situation would arouse curiosity on the part of the onlookers, who no doubt, scented a scandal. I gladly followed the suggestion of the police officers that I should go to the Newtown station for the purposes of identification.

“I was i nthat station for threequarters of an hour, and was brought before a superintendent who was also masked. The woman started off by remarking ‘He’s my husband all right! They are his very eyes. My little girT has those eyes. He is my Tom all rigid.'

“ ‘Where -were w e married?’ { asked.

“ ‘At the Matrimonial Agency near the railway stsation/ she replied. ‘ ‘ ‘How long ago. ’ I said. “ ‘Fifteen years ago,’ was the answer.

“I may interpolate here that fifteen years ago I was only fifteen years of age. I asked the woman who married us, and she said, ‘Dr. Zillman. We were going to have another clergyman.—the Rev. Mr. Hay.’ She. also said her Tom was an ironmoulder

“I said, ‘When did I leave you?’ and she replied ‘You left me in July, 1910.

Proceeding with his story the chaplain said “I then took off my mask, and turning to the lady said, “Now am I your husband?’ She looked, me for some time and said, ‘You have his eyes and your chin is like his, but that isn’t Tom’s nose.’

At this stage I looked at one of the constables closely, and said, T think I know you,’ and the constable after looking at me intently, said,

‘Why! You are Barder,’ and turning to the woman, he added, T have known Mr Barder for years. He can’t be your husband.’ “The little girl then began to cry, -and between her sobs she said, ‘Whenever mother secs a man with

brown eyes she has him arrested. She always thinks he’s father!”’

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