Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1920 — THE MAN WHO WASN'T HIMSELF [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE MAN WHO WASN'T HIMSELF

By ROBERT AMES BENNET

SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—Alighting rrom a train at Denver a well-dressed traveler la familiarly accosted by a man about hie own age. The traveler Ignores the advance. A few minutes later he Is greeted as “Will” by an elderly lady and gentleman. Who stop their auto to speak. He imagines It a case of mistaken Identity and announces himself as “Richard Clinton,” on his way to the coast. The couple apf>ear greatly surprised, and learning he s to be in town until midnight, the lady, introducing herself as Mrs. Kirkland, and her husband as Doctor Kirkland, invites him to dinner, explaining the action by his truly refharkable resemblance to a friend of theirs. He accepts. At the Kirkland home he meets a young lady who greets him as her Hance. She Is Ellen Kirkland, and plainly is greatly hurt by his assertion that he is "Richard Clmton.” CHAPTER 11. —At dinner "Clinton” learns that his host is a medical speclaland that he is believed to be Will EOwrle, a young man who had been suffering from a nervous breakdown and had gone east for medical treatment. Lowrie had had in his possession bonds of the Value of |IOO,OOO, belonging to the bank Where he was employed, which have disappeared and of which he has no recollection. With Dr. Kirkland "Clinton” goes to the Lowrie home, the doctor being satisfied that Amy Lowrie, Will’s sister, will convince “Clinton” he is really Lowrie, suffering from loss of memory. CHAPTER lll.—Amy declares at once he is her brother, and insists on treating inim as such, to his great embarrassment. CHAPTER IV.—Doctor Kirkland arranges to send a telegram to the sanitarium where Lowrie is undergoing treatment, inquiring as to his whereabouts. CHAPTER V.—Ellen and Amy try in vain to convince "Clinton” he is Will Lowrie, brother of one and the fiance of the other. He visits the bank with Doctor Kirkland and cashes a draft. Bemm tells the president of the bank he is sure "Clinton” is Will Lowrie and agrees to find out the whereabouts of the missing bonds. CHAPTER Vl.—With Bemm "Clinton" visits the athletic club and there Bemm discovers that a birthmark, familiar to Lowrie’s friends, has disappeared from "Clinton’s” arm. Bemm is somewhat disconcerted but unconvinced. That evening an answer to Doctor Kirkland’s telegram arrives, with the information that the superintendent of the sanitarium is away, and the matter is left thus.

CHAPTER VII. High Stakes. Instead of a climax, the message was an anti-climax. For a long moment all stared at the frowning physician. Ellen was the first to speak. She looked appealingly at Clinton and whispered: “You—you will stay until—?” “All right,” cheerily rejoined Clinton. “On your heads be it 1 From now on I shall sit back and enjoy the comedy. It is delightful to be petted by a sweet little sister.” “How about a game of bridge?” suggested Bemm. When, a few minutes later the party left the table. Doctor Kirkland went Into the parlor with his wife. The young people stopped in the library. Promptly Bemm began courting Amy with a directness and ardor that at first both surprised and amused Ellen. Soon, however, her Interest again centered on Clinton, who was regarding Bemm’s gallantries with fast deepening displeasure. From the parlor Mrs. Kirkland watched the young people with growing concern. Her husband, though his -eyes were seemingly fixed on the pages Of a newspaper, had not missed a single shade of change in Clinton’s expression. Mrs. Kirkland talked In a desultory manner to. conceal from the players the intensity of her Interest. last, however, she reached the utmost limits of her patience. “My dear,” she murmured, “something must be done. He is utterly neglecting the poor child. Can you not gae how wretched she is? I gave her your advice to keep on trying. She has done so all evening, and yet look at him!” “If it were not for Amy—” replied the physician. “That is the uncertain factor. I had hoped not a little from his manner toward Ellen during their drive to my office. But now ” “Now?” “H’m. It is difficult to say what is the nature of this concern for Amy.” “Karl! It’s not possible you can mean —?* “I do not say, as yet. It may be due to subconscious impulse—his opposition to Charlie before he went .East.” "But this is frightful!” “I give it as a possibility,” said the physician. “Stop and consider, my dear. Suppose him what he believes himself to be—a stranger to us all.” “I cannot!” “You must. As a double personality, he is in effect a stranger. To avert this possibility of a disaster, he must be led to choose Ellen.” , “Ah!” “You see now that it is a matter of greater urgency than we thought; not merely a question of trying to recall—” “Yes, yes! Amy is fond of Charlie. If we can get her out of the way for a while— Sit still until I let you know ” Rising leisurely, Mr§. Kirkland went Into the library. Bemm was taking in the winning trick of a game. She smiled and shook her finger at him. “How haVe you done it? You’ve won ■Severy time, in spite of Amy. It’s wonderful luck.” ...

"All due to my partner.” replied Bemm. “She is the best of luck.” Amy jumped up to curtsey. “Really, my dear, I did not come In to — But if you wish a change,” murmured Mrs. Kirkland, and she took the girl's place at the card table. She met Bemm’s attempt at a cordial smile with a look of playful severity. “No, you shall have no more chances to defeat poor Will and Ellen.” “Er —to be sure, if Doctor Kirkland wishes to play—” said Bemm, and he rose with alacrity. Doctor Kirkland stopped in the doorway and stood waiting. His wife had gathered up the cards and was quietly shuffling them. Amy, who had drawn aside closely followed by Bemm, looked at Clinton and Ellen with a sudden change from merriment to grave delight. Bemm caught the opportunity of her softened mood. “There's a full moon,” he challenged. “Dare you to go out in the garden!” “You think I’m afraid oT the glamor?” she whispered. “I’ll show you.’.’ Clinton settled back in his chair and took up the cards dealt him by Mrs. Kirkland. Doctor Kirkland had taken Bemm’s place. Soop all four players were Intent on the game. Clinton gave closer attention to the cards and played better than when pitted against Bemm. Evident as It was to her as well as> to her parents that he still regarded her as a comparative stranger, Ellen was blissfully happy. Every time Clinton looked at her she blushed and smiled entrancingly. Under his gaze, her eyes, melting with tenderness, veiled themselves behind their long lashes, but at no time seemed able to turn away from him more than a moment. Though usually a better player than her mother, she was so overcome with ecstasy that she chose her cards at random. As Doctor Kirkland announced the score, Clinton suddenly tore his gaze away from Ellen, and rose from the table, his face for the second time flushed and conscience-stricken. “Pardon me, I—it is not right!” he exclaimed. “I must go—” “Away?” cried Ellen. “No, only—” He pointed upwards, and hurried out into the hall, to rush upstairs. Instead of intruding upon old Tillie’s domain, Amy and Bemm had gonq out through the porte-cochere. The grape thatched pergola was, ghostly dark. Amy darted ahead and out into the moonlit garden. “I say,” remarked Bemm when he overtook her, “what made you run away from me?” “Run away?” she replied. “Is that the thanks I get for leading you out of the darkness?” “I might have been lost.” “I*oor Chawles! But just so you did not lose your head!” “It is on, fast and level. The proof of it is that I have lost something else —to you!” “How bright the moon shines!” she bantered. "Miss—Amy,” he besought, “you know that for months there has been something I’ve wanted to tell you.” “Oh, look; there’s a star up there,” she teased. “Look at me, and I’ll see the brightest of all the stars!” he declared. “How poetical! We shall now hear Mr. Chawles Bemm declaim his solovely ode to the silly night.” “Why do you keep ragging me?” he complained. “You know I’m in earnest; that I —” “Really?—really and truly?” “Don’t!” he burst out passionately. “Can’t you see? If I were only flirting you’d not have such an advantage. But when for almost two years— You know I love you! You know that you’re the only one!” Again he sought to clasp her hand. Again she eluded him. But her look had sobered. She no longer regarded him with a teasing glance and bantering smile. “I am sorry, Charlie,” she said. “I did not believe you could be so serious.” “Not serious?” he rejoined. “Just because I like to enjoy things—as you do!” “But lam only a girl. It’s different when a man- —” “Is there any one else?” he Interrupted. “No,” she candidly answered. “There is no young man I like better than you —except, of course, Will.” He smiled with renewed hope. “Only your brother? Then I, of all the fellows who— Amy, you do love me! You must love me!” “Don’t be silly, just because I said I liked 4 you.” “If you like me yOu’ll soon learn to love me.” “Pm sure I don’t know.” “You’ll try. Promise me you’ll try.” . She looked at him, her eyebrows peaked with doubt. “I’m so sorry, Charlie,” she replied. “Really I don’t

Know wnar ro say. amce win came home I’ve —I’ve felt rather differently” Bemm frdwned and rejoined in an almost blustering tone: “Then he has been knocking me!” It was the girl's turn to flush. “Mr. Bemm. you forget yourself. You are speaking of my brother.” “You are mistaken. It’s he that forgets himself. He forgets—” “Need you remind me? It’s—it’s bad enough without your reminding me! Be so kind as to stand aside. I am going in.” •’Not until I have told you how he forgets his best interests.” “I asked you to stand aside.” “Oh, certainly; by all means,” said Bemm. and he sprang out of the way. His tone and manner caused Amy to pause. She looked at him, between anger and bncertalnty. “There’s something—yoh're hinting at something about Will.” she accused. Her upturned face was white and troubled. He stared at her doubtfully. “I’m not so sure,” he hesitated. “It's a big risk for me to say anything about it now. If It were not for you—” “Never mind me!” “Then he can go hang, for all I care.” “What do you mean?” He struck a match, lighted a cigarette, puffed at it nervously and flung it down. “If you want to know — I’m risking everything by telling you, but here goes! This afternoon, I —that is, I happened to hear that a key was found in Will’s clothes —a safe deposit key. The right box was located In the vaults of the —of one of the safe deposit companies.” “O-o-ohI”. the girl sighed rapturously. “They’ve found the lost bonds!” “1 said they found the box — It was empty.” “Empty!” she gasped. “Yes — Now do you see?” “You say empty? Yet how —why should he—” “He has forty thousand dollars on deposit in a Chicago bank.” “It cannot be!” “It’s true. I have it from — a fria*d

who telegraphed on and learned the facts.” - “Doctor Kirkland?’ “Not he. Some one else—one who may make trouble for Will. Unfortunately there can be no question as to the facts. The bonds are gone, and there Is that forty thousand on deposit under this—assumed name.” “Assumed! You know It’s because of the change In him—the dissociation I You know wjiat a state he was In even before he went away—forgetting everything I” “He may have difficulty In proving that, even with the help of Doctor Kirkland, If It all comes out." "How*do you mean? — ‘lf It all comes out.’ ” Bemm moved closer to the quivering girl* and lowered his voice: “It all depends on me, Amy. I can keep quiet about facts that would offset Doctor Kirkland’s testimony. Without those facts, Will need only return the bonds, or the money he obtained from their disposal. The doctor will make affidavit to the bank that he took them while irresponsible; and the matter will be hushed up without any publicity.” “You—you can do that, Charlie?” “I will if—” -• “Oh, you dear boyI” she cried, impulsively clasping his hand. “Amy! You’ll take me!” he exulted. She thrust herself free from the arm that he was slipping about her. “Don’t I” she exclaimed. “It looks too much as if—as if -you fished to make a bargain.” * , “Bargain?” he muttered. “Wishing me to—to let you kiss me because you are going to help Will.” “Why not?’ he asked. “If I agree to help him—I am the only one who can.” She looked at him, pale but cleareyed and very calm, and replied deliberately: “I do not believe it.” “What?” he queried, completely taken aback. “I do not believe it,” she repeated. Before he could recover, his afilomb she had walked past him. She disappeared into the back porch without looking about. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

"He Has Forty Thousand Dollars on Deposit.”