The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-04-26

impossible 10 stem, ana let the results
take care of themselves 1t cannot do
any harm. How could anyone blame
me for it, under the circumstances?
And, really, / might as well combine q
little innocent amusement with the inn
portant business that calls me to X.
Unless am vastly mistaken, this prom
ises to be the most diverting experience
ever happened upon!"
This soliloquy flashed through North's
mind in very brief time, during which
he stood abstractedly in the center Of
the group whose chatting remarks he
only half heard or comprehended; and
as it reached this definite conclusion he
resigned himself to his fate with q sense
of reckless enjoyment.
Certainly, colonel" he said, having
caught the title, though the name ofthe
gentlemanly manager had escaped him,
"the same rooms, by all means, BY the
way, shall register?"
"As you please, Mr.. North; as you
please. When will you leave off jest
ing?" And the expression of vague un.
easiness again appeared on Col. Dayton's
round, rosy face. "Just step into the
Office minute, anyway. The clerks
got letter that was sent up after you
left this morning You didn't tell US
where your correspondence should be
forwarded to, so we were in something
of puzzle to decide The rest OF
the sentence was lost in the colonels
putting endeavor TO open the heavy
swing-door.
Allan North, attorney at law, was
glad to escape from the hilarious crowd
on the hotel steps and followed the
colonel into the Office. But here another
difficulty confronted him, when q
dainty missive bearing lady's chirog.
raphy was placed in his hand.
True, the envelope was addressed sim
ply to "Mr. North, Clement House,
City," and was not he that gentleman9
But then, very probably at the time
the letter was written he was not with
in one hundred miles of the Clement
house and had never even heard of the
place.
1t may appear to the cool, dispassion-
ate reader that North's proper course
at this point was too obvious to admit
of any hesitation or mental debate.
Nevertheless he did hesitate; and he did
argue within himself what line of ac-
ton he should adopt Refuse to take
the letter? That would give rise to re-
newed questions, explanations and ridi-
cule, which, in view Of his late trying
experiences, he did not wish to pro-
woke. How would it do, for instance
His reflections were suddenly arrested
by the discovery that the envelope was
not sealed. A vague sense of relief
came to his mind, as If he now saw an
easy and justifable solution of the diff.
ficulty.
"An oversight, of course" he thought,
still contemplating the creamy envelope
that he held, from which arose faint
exquisite perfume as of withered rose
leaves; but there cannot be anything
very private or personal about this cor
respondence or the fair writer would
not have been so careless. After all
whom is IL for II not for me? Who Is
the man whose perfect counterpart
seem TO be7"
He paused in his speculations.
sudden suspicion darted like lightning
into his mind, then as suddenly wa
dismissed.
"oh, no, that is impossiblel" he men
tally declared the next instant. ''Quits
out Of the question. And yet the
name No, mol It cannot bel There
must be some other explanation OF the
mystery. will glance over this letter
when get TO my room and see II It AZ
fords any clew to the solution"
With this decision he turned TO the
books and registered in dashing but
somewhat illegible characters:
"a. North, New York"
"And now, colonel" he said, turning
around TO that gentleman, where are
you going to put me?"
where am going to put youpT
The colonel's amazed countenance was
a study as he repeated the question.
"What on earth are you thinking about,
Mr.. Northp Your rooms are precisely
as you left them this morning. Here
SAM" summoning colored porter,
stake Mr.. North's valise up to 54."
A few minutes later North found him.
self in the suite assigned 10 him, evil
IDENTIFY the apartment of his mysterious
double. He proceeded with much
curiosity to survey his new domains.
There was nothing in the appoint
ments that especially attracted his at