The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-01-21

Hest little girl" for me, and she was in
Boston. But if / refused Harvey would
be offended, and when he found out
that l was engaged he would think me
a love-sick chump. Besides, what was
the harm? Mollie herself, the dear, I'M
selfish creature, would be only too glad
to have me pass my evening in pleas
ant company. 1 could not have her,
and there was no use making myself
more miserable than l need be. SO l
determined to go home with Harvey.
Nyanted to have a long talk with him
over college days, and as for the "jolli-
est little girl in New York. why-she
could take care Of herself.
After a brief talk we arrived at Har-
vey's home, a cosy little house in East
Fifteenth street, and | waited in the
drawing-room while Harvey went in
search of his mother. She same in al
most Immediately, a handsome, white
haired woman, whom | remembered
very well from college days. l used to
be quitea favorite of hers and she wei
coined me very warmly.
Eyes, Mollie is home" she said in an
swer to a question Of Harvey's. "She
will be down presently"
Mollie! l started at the name, but re-
covered myself Immediately. 1t was
not such a very uncommon name, but
it was a little singular that Harvey's
cousin should be a Mollie, 100. We
chatted together all three of us for a
few minutes, and then there was a
rustic of skirts in the hall and Har-
yey's little cousin stood in the door
way.
For a moment I thought my brain
had beer suddenly affected. Harvey
arose from his chair, but 1 kept my
seat and clinched my hands in the eff
fort to regain my senses. Standing
there in Harvey Gaskelrs drawing
rom door-the "jolliest little girl in
New York"-was Mollie, my Mollie
ToppingtOn-or else my eyes deceived
me. 1t takes a long time to tell it, but
a hundred thoughts passed through my
mind in the instant she was standing
there. Then the truth or what seemed
to be the truth, flashed across me-that
it was simply a wonderful resem-
blance intensified by my love for Mol
lie, and that the wish was father Of
the thought. So l pulled myself togeth-
err with a jerk and managed to eX-
change the usual commonplace of an
Introduction. But l could not take my
eyes off her for an instant, and l finally
detected Harvey looking at me in a
most amused manner.
Ithas often occurred to me as strange
that among so many million people
there should not be some who are more
alike as to features and form. 1t
would seem to be the merest chance
that nature does not create more du-
plicateS than she does. for after all we
must all have the same features, the
Indispensable nose, eyes, mouth, and
so on, and the mere fact of one
being Roman or retrousse and q pair of
eyes. being blue or brown and a mouth
being large, small, ugly or pretty
these things are mere accidents, and l
have often wondered that people
should differ as much as they do. 1
was not prepared, however, to find an
example Of my theory in the person Of
a duplicate to Mollie Toppington, for
surely she and this other Mollie, who
was introduced to me as Miss Forsythe,
were duplicates.
/ could scarcely eat a mouthful Of
dinner for watching her across the
table. She had Mollie's brown hair pre-
cisely, and it was done up just as Mol
lie does hers, wen down to the little
escaping ringlet that fell over her tiny
ears. Her eyes were dark and had the
same soulful expression as Mollie's-
and her. mouth had that same indie
scribable droop and fullness to it which
made me want to kiss it, until I sudden
ly remembered that she was not Mollie
my Mollie.
When she spoke, too, her voice was
| Mollie's voice. She seemed to have the
same tastes and opinions-the same
little mannerisms. Her dress, a simple
thing of, some light blue material, was
precisely like a gown 1 had seen Mollie
wear half a dozen times. 1t was terri
bly, bewildering. 1 did not know what
| to make Of it all, and 1 answered when
spoken to quite at random. I detected
Harvey and his mother ~glancing at
each other in an amused way. They
must have thought me terribly and sud-
denly smitten with Mollie Forsythe.
| Once or twice 1 was tempted to explain
L }s@MX So