San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-27

bleSpluS Cullu OI us pillow, Inc Jlue OF
sympathetic interest set toward the sick
man once more, and even the lady OPP
posite rose superior to the natural ex-
ultation of prophecies whom the event
has justified, and rendered her shawl
and tiny silver flask with no thought
save for the sufferers relief The con-
ductor hurried forward followed by
brakeman with some bits of board, pro-
cured in the baggage car, which they
laid across the seats and heaped with
rugs and overcoats, improvising as COM
Portable resting place as circumstances
would permit. The train was a local.
and had no sleeper attached. The con-
ductor seemed troubled, and repeated
the story he had given earlier in the day.
The fellow he's no business travelling"
he averred i;npatiently. Hes been
badly smashed up, and is only just out
of the hospital. He seems in the devil
of hurry to get where he's going to.
A brother Mason handed him over to me
this morning. with orders to look after
him and help him all could. He seems
to need taking care of, if ever man did"
''Is he Mason?' questioned by
stander, then added, superhuously,
Chow do you know he is?'
'How do you know I'm MANI" was
the sharp counter query.
The passenger stared.
"The signs point that way, don't
they?" pursued the conductor, elabor-
ating from sheer vexation with the
others inconsequence We'll, I'm a
Mason myself, and that gentleman was
given into my charge by Mason, as l
said before, and he's got the badge of
the order pinned on his breast. That's
as good evidence as beard and trousers,
reckon. 1t passed, anyway"
There was smile at the questioner's
expense. The young man bending over
the invalid moved his coat aside and
glanced at the badge on his breast. He
had been working away with profess
sional skill and promptitude, and his
instant assumption of authority and
responsibility, as well as his evident
ability to cope with the situation sug-
gested in the minds of the other passen-
gers surmise that he was practicing
within his own bailiwick even before all
abrupt announcement changed con-
lecture into certainty.
1--WE all thought" the lady across the
aisle commenced, then paused, smiling.
THAT was ranchman? Everybody
makes that mistake, madam. | come
from out there, and doubtless have a
look of the plains, so it's very natural.
Ranching isn't my trade, however. I'm
DR.. Hart Royal"
The sick mans eyes opened; his mind
was torpid, but struggled to perform its
functions. His lips moved and he NUT
tered slowly; "That is my name, sir.
Who wants me-" ...,..
DR.. Royal No. 2 was bending forward
with his fingers on the sufferers wrist,
his ear inclined for the feeble words.
He Strengthened himself, a trihe puzzled;
then his expression changed to one of
half quizzical amusement. He had known
very i'll men before to acknowledge
their own names; even in semi-con-
scious condition name is mental
anchor. The sick mans travelling bag
stood open near at hand, and in it was a
silver brandy flask. Royal turned it so
as to read the name engraved ON the
side, then his hand went to his pocket
for his own flask, They differed in size
and in other trifing particulars, but
both TASKS were labeled with the same
name-John Hart Royal. twas queer
coincidence. DR.. Royal felt it so, and
regarded his namesake with whimsical
sense of confused identity. He Won
dered whether they could resemble each
other
The other man lay with his white face
and closed eyes thrown wildly out by
the dull red background of the seat.
Beyond the facts that both men were of
medium height and had brown hair and
mustaches and blue-gray eyes, there was
no resemblance whatever Even in health
the face on the pillow must have differed
materially in cast and expression from
the one bending over it. 1t was older,
and there were in it lines of thought and
care which neither life nor experience
had traced upon the other. DR.. Royal
No. 2 leaned back in his corner and let
his thoughts run somewhat in this wise:
"a queer sort of happening, this-a
fellow with my full name and profess
sion besides, my double, in short, and
cast on my hands in this overwhelming
fashion. I'll be hanged if can make it
out! Out yonder I'd cut loose from him
as quick as Advantageous him on to
the next lodge. A double would have
to be the right sort Of mascot to make it
pay to tie to him out there. But here in
Virginia. He paused, the association
of ideas producing a new thought.
Good Lord! suppose it should be! A