Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1920 — THE MAN WHO WASNT HIMSELF [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE MAN WHO WASNT HIMSELF

By ROBERT AMES BENNET

5 J .W,

SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—Alighting trom a train at Denver a well-dressed traveler is familiarly accosted by a man about bls 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 epeak. He Imagines it a case of mistaken identity and announces himself as “Richard Clinton." on his way to the coast. The couple appear greatly surprised, and learning he Uto 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 remarkable resemblance to a friend of theirs. He accepts. At the Kirkland home he meets a young lady who greets him as her fiance. She is Ellen Kirkland, and plainly Is greatly hurt by his assertion that he Is "Richard Clmton.'* CHAPTER H. —At dinner ••Clinton" gns that his host is a medical speclaland that he is believed to be Will Tie, a young man who had been sufferfrom a nervous breakdown and had gone east for medical treatment Lowrie Dad 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 Hl.—Amy declares at once he is her brother, and insists on treating him as such, to his great embarrassment CHAPTER IV.—Doctor Kirkland arranges to send a telegram to the sanitarium where Lowrie is undergoing treatInent, inquiring as to his whereabouts. CHAPTER V.—Ellen and Amy try la 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 telle 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 tc Lowrie's friends, has disappeared from “Clinton’s" arm. Bemm is pomewhat 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 VlL—Bemm Is very much In love with Amy Lowrie. Her brother has / discouraged the intimacy, and Bemm thinks he can prove to Amy that her —yother has made away with the bonds TVoa to in danger of prosecution, from k Acritlieh only Bemm can save him. < CHAPTER Vin.—That evening Amy visits her "brother” in his room, in sisterly playfulness Insisting he brush her hair. She tells him part of Bemm’s conversation and he is indignant. To convince her he is not her brother he shows her his arm, from which the birthmark is gone. Amy, believing at last, hastens from the room in maidenly shame, and “Clinton” at once leaves the house. CHAPTER IX —“Clinton ” .about to leave town, is arrested, and Doctor Kirkland and the ladles visit him at the police ytaUon. The doctor arranges for his reCHAPTER X—At the Kirkland residence, where the party goes, Bemm, still certain “Clinton" Is his former acquaintance, Lowrie, makes a proposition to him to return the bonds, promising immunity from prosecution in return for his inducing Amy to accept him as her fiance. "Clinton" throws him out of the house. Doctor Kirkland makes up his mind to have the young man remain in his sanitarium for observation and probable cure. CHAPTER Xl.—Arriving at the sanitarium "Clinton” finds he is practically a prisoner. In hot indignation he denounces the doctor, and Ellen gives him back his ring, declaring their engagement at an end. • •Clinton” assures Amy he will really go insane if confined for any length of time, and she shows him how. he can escape that night, promising to have an auto across the road to take him to her house. CHAPTER XH. — “Clinton” escapes from the sanitarium, as arranged, meets Amy, and they drive home safely. At the house he endeavors to make Amy see. once for all, that he is really "Richard Clinton," declaring his affection for her as a lover. The girl realises that her fondness for him is more than sisterly, and, almost convinced, leaves him and . takes refuge with Tillie. CHAPTER XHL—In the morning Ellen and Bemm arrive with the announcement of "Clinton's” escape, Bemm practically accusing Amy of complicity in the matter. Circumstances Indicating that the fugitive is in the house, he proceeds to make a search, but Is interrupted by a message from police headquarters that Lowrie has been seen in City Hall park.

CHAPTER XV. The Man Himself. Pensive and depressed, Amy went out through the side door and around Into her garden. He had not looked at her —all his loving glances had been for Ellen. So lost was she In the despondency of her mood that she failed to heed the hurried footsteps In the path behind her until they were very close. Vexed at the Intrusion, she started to move forward across a small opening. From behind her came a low, vibrant call: “Amy!” She stopped, trembling. It was his vo i ce —yet so different That deep, ardent note! —his voice as he had spoken to her In the night. Bewildered, quivering with mingled joy and fear, she timidly looked about He stood before her transfigured, no longer pale and haggard, but as be had been until there in the library—erect ruddycheeked, and In his eyes that look! Swiftly the girl’s expression changed from bewilderment to perplexity, from pemiexltv to hysterical alarm and an* y**Ym» I VUhat—what do yep mean?” streamed. Before be <9dV realize what She wrips about darted ait him and plucked frantically at his mustache. he ejaculated.; and be cUnmmml kb tend । to Us Bfe

"on r oh I ob r Shfe panted, shrinking away from him, her dilating eyes fixed in a horrified stare upon the few stiff hairs In her clutched fingers. "It’s real! Oh I” “My word! I should say it Is!” he mumbled, pressing hard on bls lip. “But—but how then—oh, dear 1 oh dear! Take me in to doctor! I must be crazy ! You had It; then you didn’t have it; now you do have it!” "Have it?” "Your mus—mustache! I thought you had shaved. It was gone—l’m sure it was gone—yet now —!” "Gone! When?” “In there —in the library—not five minutes ago! Oh, dear! I must be raving crazy 1 It wasn’t there then — you’ve grown it again In five minutes !” He stared at her wildly, infected with the terror in her look and voice. Insane —insane! That face in the mirror! She, too, had seen it! They glared at one another, overcome with dread and horror. “I say,” remarked a voice behind him. He wheeled about and found himself looking into the muzzle of an automatic pistol in the hand of Bemm. “Caught you napping, eh?” Jeered the detective. “I learned that Kirkland was tracing in this direction. I did not rush up to the front door. Quietly slipped in from the rear, y’know; and —here we are. Quite clever, I call it. No wonder you look flabbergasted.” In a flash Amy flung herself between the two. ~“Don’t you shoot him 1 Don’t you dare!” she cried. Hastily he lowered the pistol and sought to explain: “I hnd no intention, none whatever —only in self-defense. Can’t you understand? If he is violent —attempts to resist — But if you persuade him to submit—* I am sorry to have to use handcuffs.” “Handcuffs? Oh, shame! shame on you! —pretending to be his friend all this time ! Shame on you!” Bemm bit his lip. His bright, shallow eyes deepened and darkened with profound emotion. But "he stood firm. “I made no pretense,” he rejoined. “I offered to prove myself his friend. I stood ready to save him, even at the cost of my professional honor.” “Your professional honor!” she reproached. "He is your brother. I thought you would understand. I am willing to give a great deal to clear him, if you will —er —accept my—” “But if I cannot?”

“Then I shall do my duty. Do you take me for a fool, to connive at the escape of an embezzler, unless you are considerate enough to —" “Oh, you won’t —you can’t! Surely you’ll not be so meant” “I can send him to the penitentiary. What’s more, I will, unless —” “No-n-no! do not I” cried the agonized girl. "Let him go, please let him go! I will do what —what you wish I” “You will? You will marry me?" he demanded, and he stepped forward In eager elation. She shrank back with her hands over her averted face. The prisoner slippad a protective arm abouther shoulders and quietly remarked to Bemm: "Better step aside if you are nervous. You might accidentally discharge your pistol. There are people coming along the path behind you." Suspicious of a ruse, Bemm edged around to the side of the opening and glanced swiftly over his shoulder. A few feet away two hats were visible over the shrubs, moving down the twisting path. “Here they are. Hurry up,” boomed the voice of Doctor Kirkland. He came nimbly around the turn In the narrow path, with another man and Ellen and Mrs. Kirkland in line close behind him. Bemm uttered a< stifled exclamation and staggered back still farther to the side of the opening. Doctor Kirkland strode out of the path to confront him, saw the prisoner, and stopped as if transfixed. The prisoner did not see him. He was staring at the man who had stepped from behind the dumfounded physician. The man recoiled against Ellen and Mrs. Kirkland. He glared at the prisoner. Ellen and Mrs. Kirkland looked at the prisoner and shrieked. Amy raised her head and stared wildly from the man before-her to the man whose arm was about her shoulders.

They were the same! . . . yet not the same. It was not alone that one had a mustache and the other was clean shaven; that one was thinner and paler. Now that they stood face to fade it could be seen that there was a perceptible difference In height and breadth, in the shade of the hair, in the tint of the blue eyes; while in the. bearing and expression of the two were worlds of 1 difference. He of the mugacbe was first of all the astounded group to find his vplce. ejaculated. *0

wohder you were so We’re as like as brothers!” "As twins!” spluttered Doctor Kirklund. “Of all cases of doubles—! Yet Tve heard of such resemblances.” "Now that you see Mr. Lowrie here before me in the flesh, perhaps you will believe me when I say I am myself—Richard Clinton.” “Clinton F muttered Bemm. “Then you are not —it’s he?” “Of course I” exclaimed MrA Kirkland. - “Are you blind?” scoffed Klien, clasping an arm about her lover’s neck In absolute certainty. Amy, suddenly conscious of Clinton’s arm, uttered a cry. and fled away down the garden. Clinton whirled to sprint after her; only to check himself at sight of Bemm’s upjerking pistol. “Halt," Commanded the detective. “You may not be Will Lowrie; but those bonds and that bank deposit in Chicago—" “Don’t be a fool. Bemm, even If you are a detective.” testily admonished Dr. Kirkland. “Here are the bonds.”

He opened the envelop and spread out the contents for Bemm’s inspection. Bemm looked at them and then at Clinton. “They seem to be all there," he said. “But the fact remains they were taken from the safe deposit box. This man must have done it I found the key in his pocket.” “I had on a suit of Mr. Lowrie’s clothes,” stated Clinton. “You have found the key in that suit, not my owh.” “And I did not leave the bonds in the box," Will Lowrie spoke for the first time. “You may remember that suggestion you made when we were motoring from Pueblo." "I remember no suggestion,” denied Bemm. “You do not? Yet tt was that whjch, in my neurasthenic condition, caused all the trouble. I took it seriously. That why I told you I had put the bonds in a safe deposit box. To carry that out, I had rented a box. But Instead of leaving the bonds in It, I hid them in the abandoned brickyard pit out near City Park. You see, because of that suggestion of yours, I was morbidly fearful lest you might take them.” < "I? Take them? What do you mean?" stammered Bemm, flushing darkly. "Ha!” exploded Dr. Kirkland. ‘'You redden —and the color came first to your ears, not your eyes. You should know what that means. And you never mentioned the fact that Will told you about the safe deposit box. Mr. Bemm Mr. Detective Bemm, I advise you to put up that pistol and go to the bank and to police headquarters without delay. My future son-in-law must be at once cleared from the stigma of all that is implied by that warrant Go 1” Bemm thrust the pistol into his pocket and went The indignant physician turned to Clinton, with a swift change to dignified apology: "Sir, if you can forgive the crass stupidity of an over-confident psychopath Ist—” "Say no more, doctor!” interrupted Clinton. “In view of this remarkable

resemblance between myself and Mr. Lowrie —” “Indeed, yes, papa I" exclaimed Ellen, hiding her face behind the shoulder of her fiance. “If anyone, it’s for him to apologize for letting me—” “What’s that?” aggressively demanded Lowrie, and he frowned at Clinton. “Did that man take advantage of his resemblance when with you?” “My dear Will," tactfully interposed Mrs. Kirkland, “quite the contrary. It was he who insisted—come back into the bouse. We shall tell you everything.” “Well, if he did not —" the mollified lover lowered his crest. “We shall all go in. But how about Amy?” Dr. Kirkland noted Clinton’s face, and diagnosed its expression with a flash of his real shrewdness. "Mr. Clinton may be willing to fetch Amy," he suggested. “O —o —oh !" Ellen drew in her breath. “Now I understand!” "What?” asked Will Lowrie. “Do come inside,” urged Mrs. Kirkland. “We can explain that, too.” Clinton had already turned to hurry down the garden. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

"Jove! No Wonder They Were So Certain."