Arizona republican., 1898-10-13

!A ttN at the railway ! .1 V station fifteen i minutes before. | The fare started up as if from fit of
 profound abstraction.
 "The Clement house?" he repeated, gIancing up Ut the hotel with it's wide
 stone portico supported by massive pill lars and pharmaceutical with its usual | quota of smoking, staring, well-dressed l idlers.
 Well, driver, what did we agree
 upon? Seventy-fiye cents-and here it is.''
 The money, in glittering silver pieces, was handed out ;tud eagerly transferred
 to the hackmans pocket; tken the gen
 tleman. with a small portmanteau in
 his hand. emerged from the carriage and walked leisurely up the steps of the hotel.
 He was a handsome man, tall, slen-
 Ger and elegant in figure, and he car
 ~ied himself with q co,idescentling air,
 -s very handsome men are apt to do. t; was eT,velnped in |. long, iouse ulster, | 'vi,iertly donnetl t, protecG his expen-
 ,;T" hTs'asirloth from the dust of travel;
 S''ft black hat rested upon his auburn
 sIriS- His dark gray eyes were keen
 'snsi slightly quizzical in expression: his | whole cOuntenance, though delicate in
 features and complexion, denoted
 strength. determination and reckless
 daring. with a touch of genuine mir th- fulnesS to which. however, the dark
 sweeping mustache that he wore gave an odd contradiction by the indescrib-
 o1 1,1 ,r,,l . bot
 He had scarcely assembled the hotel Esteps when he was ;lccosted on all sides by the assembled gentlemen.
 North! North. Ye gods and little
 fishes if it isn't North back again!"
 arose chorus of astonislicd voices. as
 the ;<ros,p of isllers suspended all other conversation in order to question the
 newcomer
 'tWhy. what does this mean, North?
 Back hef,re anyone has had time to
 miss youl'' said one. as ht. held his cigar
 aloft and hastily adjusted his eye
 glasses.
 Come i,acls to get q better start?"
 "Afraid your friends wouldn't be able to survive your ahseuce?"
 "EaTgnt something, perhaps?" sug gested one brilliant genins, thus bring ing himself out in bold relief against l; the background Of vague and unsatis- factory conjecture.
 , Was it your heart. North? Inquire : up on Delaplaine street. and it will no ,doubt be returned and no questions aslxedr'
 Thus the running fire of banter went on. The victim of it, halted thus un- : th,,x <1 ! hotel, stood in bewildercd silence for a moment without attempting any re- sponse. But after the first pause of ut ter astonishment he recovered himself and found voice to speak. , ''Gcntlenen," he exclaimed, in tones that expressed well-bred surprise and
 annoyance, ''this is curious lnisappre : hension! I assure you it is a case of mistaken identity. I am not the person whom you evidently think me to be. have not the honor of knowing you, and indeed I never saw you before"
 The gentlemen addressed looked blank in their turn for an instant; then , derisivc laugh swept around the cir l cle.
 Hear! heary.' cried two or three, ap- plaudingly.
 Mistaken identity-snet the person VIC think him to bel" echoed mocking- F ly from lip to lip.
 | Didn't we bid you good-by only four hours ago, fairly bowed down with s grief because you assured us that you l would be gone for two whole weeks? : And now here you are back again like y the proverbial penny"' : What do you Tnean?" demanded the g newcomer. with a -perceptible increase l of bewilderment and indignation q :, never was at the Clement house, never was in N before in my life!'
 Upon this declaration the laughter ] and protests broke out afresh. n ''Oh, say, North, you've carried this . . far enoughl'' cried the brilliant genius f who had previously distinguished him self. Have you suddenly lost youl n senses, or do you imagine that we hav' ]. all taken leave of ours? It is no use y you know, your trying to deny you | own identity, when here are dozen O V your daily associates and intimat, Il friends all ready to swear to it.'' $ "I assure you, gentlemen" the voic, - had the infection of rising anger, bu q it was quickly drowned in the laughing $ comments of the others. I Come. come, Nor,h,' testify inter t posed the gentleman with the eye :. glasses, you've perjured yourself quit n enough. Where's the use, you Know d You surely can't think of carrying t!li - poor little farce any farther. Afsn.