The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-05-23
MY EXACT COUNTERPART.

MY EXACT COUNTERPART.
Did it ever occur to you what strange
things might happen TO you, If you
looked just like somebody else, and
were liable to be taken by this other
mortal's friends for their friend, and
70 receive treatment accordingly?
A little awkward sometimes, though
there are pleasant features about 1t, as
AL experience of mine last fall leads
me to believe. Having nothing better
to do, suppose give it to you.
s.Smith, my boy" SAID old Harland
10 me one day-Harland was my en-
employer, ard was head clerk IN his
great importing house-"how would
you like to go West, to Chicago, st.
Paul and Omaha, as our agent? I'M
portant business relations in these To-
calities will oblige some representative
If the house to go, and Hendricks is
Gown with the rheumatism, and l
wonld as lief be shot as sleep in any
,ed but my own. What do you say?'
was delighted, and told the old fell
low so at once. Ihad been iD New York
five years, without taking any other
holiday than the law prescribes, Fourth
of July, Christmas, ETC., and the pros
pect of a journey made me as happy as
the prospective first pair of trousers
makes a four-year-Uld boy.
In few days it was all settled.
packed my vaiise, received my instruc-
tions, and said good-by to my land
l4ty, who, as always paid my bills
promptly, shed tear Or two in the
corner Of her apron in honor Of my
exodus.
Everything went on swimming. The
day was lovely, the car a new one,
nobody in it was scented with musk,
the conductor was model, and there
was such pretty young lady seat or
Gwo ahead Of me, with ravlshing hat
and feather, q bewildering mass of
curling hair, and eyes as bright as
Alaska diamonds.
And she had such a coquettlsh way
of cutting the pages OF her book, and
presenting her ticket for destination to
the conductor, and asking him in a
sweetly implo-ing voice, ''if we were
almost there" that she quite took ny
saccy; and I resolved that if one of
those inevitable smashes took place,
such as we are regaled with in first
class novels, I would throw all per-
sonal considerations aside, and ego for
ler."
We had nearly reached Rochester,
when two strangers entered the car.
They acted like men who were hunting
for something. They took seats just be-
fore me, and turned round back to
back, and read their newspapers and
looked at me over the tops of them.
Now, men generally do not look over
the tops of their newspapers at any
body but handsome women, and their
persistency made me nervous. /
char g.d my seat, but did not get out
Of range.
I went to the smoking car, and my
shadows suddenly developed taste for
smoking. l returned to the car had
left, and they followed me, and as l
was about taking my seat, one of them
aid mis- hand on my shoulder.
'sMr. smith" said he, "you are my
orisonerH'
l exhibited specimen of the "clear
grit" which the Rev. Mr.. Collyer speaks
ii, and knocked him down.
Then the other one, and a half-dozen
of the passengers, pounced upon me,
and I was hanGcuffed, and done for
generally.
Then everybody fockeJ around me
to remark on what desperate looking
criminal was.
"Might have known by his face that
ne was a rascal!' said a short gentle
man, with bald head "Got regu-
lar hang-dog expression. Was it MUIR
der, sir?'' to the officer,
"No, it was embezzlement," said
hat gentleman.
"Got his employers money, eh?''
exactly! One of the most daring
cases we've had on our hands for a
long time. But we've worked it up
successfully, and now we've got him. -
"Shocking!' said an elderly woman,
in pink bonnet. "Thank Heaven,
never was tied to q man. They're al
ways turning out bad"
"a sad thing" SAID sleek-lookmg
Individual.
ssWill it be State prison?" asked a
solenln-faced old lady, with bundle of
papers under her arm. "Because if it
is, yourg man, Will give thee tract
o read and profit by"
And she handed me leaf Of paper
With the somewhat startling title, "The
Road to Perdition!"
/ remarked that I had no wish to
learn anything in regard to that route.
and that brought up clerical gentle
nan in white choker, who inquired:
"Young friend, hast thou moth
er?'
II hast" said I-'likewise grand
mother, two aunts, sixteen cousins and
father-in- law"
Beware said he, "of sitting in the
seat of the scornsul"'
He was just going to read me his
last sermon on total depravity, when
we arrived at Rochester, and I was
taken to the lookup.
did not like my quarters. 1t was
impossible for any decent white man
to like them. Dirty and illsmelllng,
and would have been glad to change
the bed for any respectable pine plank.