The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-03-29
Gbe Gin1es, Mem BLOOMFIELD, 1]a.
of the dark-haired Alice, and placed it in

prosper you J. We will have the most
important thing first, and dinner after
ward. The guests are already impa-
tient."
[ glanced at Alice's dress; it was a
bridal white and her beautiful hair was
crowned with wreath of orange bios
SONS.
The sight gave me tremor. l felt
weak and faint My pallor must have
alarmed Alice; for she clutched my arm
wildly, and gazed into my face with pain
full anxiety.
"What is it, Richard? Are you i'll ?
Merciful heaven ~ Helen, look at him
He is ~
1t is nothing-nothingw l gasped-
only cannot-cannot marry you =
ooh, heaven !" cried Alice, in Mortified
dismay; and seeing she was about to fall.
l clasped my arm around her for support.
At this moment the hall door was open-
ed, and turning at the sound, I saw, with
my own eyes, my second self enter the
room! My exact counterpart, Richard
Smith No. 2.
His fierce eyes took in the scene at one
swooping glance. He rushed to me with
wild ejaculation, and tearing the half
fainting Alice from my arms, he planted
his firm grasp on my throat I put my
hand on the same locality of his body.
"What are you doing?" he thundered
in my ear.
"What are you doing?" I tlundered
in response.
" Your life shall pay the Forfeit" he
exclaimed, with mad vehemence. "Tho
man who has dared to win Alice Here
ford's love, shall die ~
Gentlemen" interrupted the sweet
voice of her whom they had called Hell
en-, Z" be patient; there is some mistake.
Which of you is named Richard Smith ?"
81 am" replied L.
81 am .'' replied my counterpart.
But which of you is Richard Smith,
the son of Archibald Smith ?"
am" said my second self.
"And | am not" said I my father
was named Robert"
Ielen lOOkeu aC lie moment, nall IN
doubt, evidently, how to treat me, after
what had occurred. Finally, she held
out her hand
a." beg your pardon, Mr.. Smith; it was
all careless mistake of my own, can you
forgive me ?"
L thought of the kisses she had given
me, and wished the same mistake might
be made over again, though 1 was wise
enough not to make that thought known.
" Let me explain" she continued,
frankly:
"We were expecting my brother Rich
ard home from the South, where he has
been some four or five months past; and
were quite sure that he would arrive on
the train which brought you; he has for
some years been engaged to Miss Here
ford, and the marriage ceremony was to
take place Immediately on his arrival. l
went down to the depot to welcome him,
and because of the striking similitude in
your personal appearances, l mistook a
stranger for my brother. That is ALL
Brother Richard, Mr.. Smith is entirely
blameless of any wrong. We gave him
no time for explanation. Let me present
you to each other as friends.
My counterpart shook hands with me,
and begged my pardon for dislocating my
necktie. [granted it, and begged his
pardon for committing like depreciation
on his necktie.
And then at sign from the elderly gen.
tleman, we all walked into the drawing
room, where, in brief space of time, my
counterpart was made the husband of his
blushing Alice.
The acquaintance so singularly begun,
with the Smith family, soon ripened into
friendship, and became one of the most
precious of lifes blessings to me.
Helen Smith had kissed me and she
could not forget it. If man can get
woman to think of hint hardly mat
ters in what way-he has claim on her !;
and so it was in my case. 1 believe that
| never met Helen but she blushed at the
memory which stole over her.
Three months after our first meeting,
she kissed me again. and called me " Dear