The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-08

S>~~
We ascepded to them by the elevator.
Necessarily we came in contact with
several individuals with whom my COM
panion was acquainted. He exchanged
o word with them and made pleasant
remark 10 the elevator boy.
did not speak or look up, but kept
my derby we'll down over my forehead
and twisted one side Of my mouth. SO
as to change my countenanoe to some
extent My friend noted and understood
The expression Of his face showed that
he was pleased, for it might help to pre-
vent complications.
At last we were seated face to face IN
his handsome apartments and the key
was turned in the lock. He extended
box Of Partagas toward me, and each
Of us lit one.
"Shall order some wine?'
"Thanks; never touch it."
"Nor do I. Well, my double, he
added, with light laugh, "this beats
all creation. I never saw anything like
it; it is worth the minstrel's joke, that
each Of us looks more like the other
than he does like himself. How old are
your"
"Twenty-three years, four months
and seventeen days"
"That makes your birthday-let me
see''-
He snatched golden pencil from his
vest rocket and, turning to the table at
his side, figured for moment on bit
Of paper.
"Well, I'm blessedp' he exclaimed in
q frightened half whisper. "You were
born on the same day as I. I doubt not
that if the truth could be known it
would be found that the hour and min
ute of our birth were the same. Have
you any living relatives?"
II am an orphan without brother or
sister. have some distant kin, but so
distant that we are strangers
my case precisely. Under these I'M
precedented circumstances we can be
confidential, for are not you ] and I
your" be asked with his pleasing smile.
"You have more money than you know
what to do With"
son the contrary. have not 800 in
the world"
"Ah, here then comes the diverging
point. l am rich. As consequence l
am the prey Of lot Of harpies. who
make life burden"
"Can't you say No to themp'
II do, but they won't accept it. They
worry me half to death; they seem to
look upon me as legitimate prey; that's
ono Of the curses of wealth"
IT would like the pleasure Of dealing
with some Of those fellows" I remark
ed, COMPRISING my lips.
"That pleasure shall be yours, Jover'
And the mental picture Of what he saw
caused him to throw back his head and
laugh more heartily than he had yet
done.
had been thinking hard ever since
we first spoke to each other. The cir
cumstances were SO incredible, 80 mar
velous, that ! determined to make a
confldant Of Harold 0. Westcott.
After all, was be not myself Was 1t
not safe to whisper my secrets in my
own ear? He was eager to be confiden-
tial. Why should not advance to meet
him9
He had smoked awhile in silence,
during which he eyed me with an
amused and yet awed curiosity. Then
he broke out abruptly:
cit passes my comprehension. ! have
pinched myself several times to make
sure I am not dreaming"
II can explain it all to you."
"For heavens sake do 80.
then told everything that has beer
related in the preceding chapters, ex.
pounding the theory Of the late Pro.
fessor Gorgensen, Of which I was the
living verifcation. My companion lis
tened with open mouthed amazement.
"Do you tell-me," he asked, as soor
| as he could swallow his emotions, :'that
you have the strength Of Samson Of thu
olden times?"
"Well," replied with keen enjoy
ment, there is no way Of telling pre-
cisely the strength of that miraculous
man, but he must have had considera
BILE muscular development to overcome
80 strapping fellows, to tear the jaws
Of lion-apart, to kill 1000 men with
the jawbone Of an ass and finally tt
pull down the pillars Of an immense
structure so that he killed more people
than in all his life before. I canno
claim to possess similar uncomfortable
power, but of one fact am assured,
am the strongest man in the world un
less somewhere else there is another
Samson living out his life in obscurity
But how is it as to your strength? Yor
and being duplicates SO far as the eye
can show ought to be SO in every re
spect."
He shook his head.
IF anything, my strength is les
than usual lead a temperate life
take regular exercise; have studied box
ing and fencing for years; have rowed
played tennis, golf and done my utmos
to strengthen my limbs and frame, bu
any ordinary man can handle me with
out difficulty. How does all that affec
Professor Gorgensen's theory"
mo doubt, IL he were alive he coult
explain it. In truth, it is easier to I'm
derstand that fact than it is that
should possess this amazing gift. Hi
theory is that after something more thai
100, 900, 900 persons are created tho va
riations Of the face and figure are ex
hausted and nature goes back to the be
ginning and starts over again; that sh'
has been doing this ever since creation
80 that the double or rather the double
Of every man and woman Of the pas
have been reproduced again and agail
and are now walking up and down tn
earth. This is not reincarnation; neithe
of us has existed before, as some claim
We are nobody but our individual selves
but nevertheless exact copies of Samsol