The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-13
Copyright, 1898. by James Raymond
Perryl

ment were over.
/ watched the procession, but OF
course, could not see every individual i
in it, and 1 didn't happen to see the |
man from Omaha. 1 took no part in
the parade. and so was not little
surprised when, on my way home that !
afternoon, an acquaintance said to me: |
Bruce, you looked first-rate in the !
saddle; but how did you happen to be T,
with the Nebraskans?"
Looked f1rst-rate in the saddle?"
repeated. What do you mean? /
haven't been in a saddle for ten years" |
Weren't you in the parade this af-
ternoon?" he demanded.
No, sir
''Why, I saw you; stood on the curb,
and you passed within three feet of me.
You looked exactly as you do this min
ute, except for your uniform. And you
mean to say it wasn't you?"
1 assured my acquaintance that it
really and truly wasn't me.
Well he said, you have got dou-
bic, sure enough. / wondered at the
time how you happened to be with the
governor of Nebraska
My wife and / live in a boarding
house, and at dinner that night some
of our fellow-boarders entertained a
guest from Omaha. He was DR.. Some
body do not now recall his name.
After being introduced, l caught him
cycling me curiously. Presently he said,
Mr.. Bruce, you bear most astonish
ing likeness to a friend of mine in
Omaha. If / had met you anywhere
else 1 should certainly have thought
You were Philip Carr. He was in the
parade today, on the staff of our gov
ernor"
I did not see the man from Omaha
while he was in the city that time.
Several weeks passed, and I had quite
forgotten that there was man in
Omaha, when something happened to
remind me of the fact.
One night on the way from my office
to car / saw a gentleman advancing
from the opposite direction. He was
smiling toward me in q friendly fash
ion, and, thought, seemed mighty glad
to see me. His hand was extended,
and, under the impression that might
have met him before, l took it. We
shook hands warmly, not to say with
fervor. But even While we were doing
SO. and while L was searching in the
darker recesseS of memory for the
mans name the expression of pleasure
on his face changed, and. with rather
more doubt than conviction, he said,
You're from Omaha, aren't you?" But
he shook his head while he was speak
ing, his eyes studying my face with
great earnestness.
q guess I've made a mistake" he
added, continuing to gaze at me Won
deringly.
Il think you have" I replied. AT
first L thought 1 had met you before.
but 1 can't place you
Il thought you were Mr.. Carr, a
friend Of mine in Omaha. You look
very much like him; but 1 see you're
not" and he passed on.
when I was out for luncheon, l felt a.
touch on my shoulder. Turning, faced
man with gray hair and mustache.
A de was a stranger to me, but his hand
was extended for a shake. / did not
grasp it; and when he looked me full
in the face, 1 saw the expression of
friendly greeting change to one of
hesitation and perpleXity. He gazed
wistfully into my face, and asked:
You re-yoUre from Omaha, aren't
your
No. I said, I'm not the man from
Omaha. My name is Bruce. You
thought twas Carr, didn't your"
Yes" he said. "But-how did you
know?'
oh, I've been mistaken for him be-
fore" l said, smiling, and with that ]
bowed and passed on.
1t was not long after this that my
friend Harry Hull returned from a
western trip. He had been gone several
weeks, and | was very glad to see him
ard met him warmly. But 1 thought /
detected an unwonted freshness in his
manner. He replied rather coldly to
my questions regarding his health and
directed most of his conversation to a
mutual friend who CHANGED to be with
me. This mutual friend withdrew
however, in a few minutes and left
Harry alone with me. He seemed
rather embarrassed and made brief re-
plies to my inquiries. l began to Won
der what the deuce allied him, and in
trying to remember what 1 could have
done to offend him, lapsed into silence
myself.
Silence seemed to embarrass Harry
more than conversation, however, and
at length he asked: Did you have q
pleasant time in Omaha?"
The man from Omaha instantly came
into my mind, and l thought: "Ah. here
4 lies the secret of Harry's GOODNESS. He
y hes seen him, and mistaken him fol-
q ne" / had a mischieveus desire for g
. Nlittle fun, now that / suspected What
Nod come between Harry and me, and
so. though l have never stepped foot
inside the limits of Omaha, said
Yes, quite pleasant. It struck me as
a lively and energetic town, and The
people there were very cordial. Die
YOU GO there while on your trip?'
Harry's face flushed. Did I q
there!'' he exclaimed. Don't add insul'
to injury, Bruce. Don't pretend. nov
that you are back here in Chicago, tha
you didn't see me there. There was nj
occasion for you to feel your impor.
lance so much, just because you hap
pened to be hobnobbing with the gov
ernor. / wouldn't have cut you the wal
you did me if I'd been with the presi
dent Of the United States, and yol
know it. It never entered my head tina
you were such despicable snob unit
you proved it that day" There was tn,
bitterness Of wounded pride in Harry
tone.
l saw that this was no time to carr,
on the delusion, and so 1 said, quietly
Harry, you are the victim of a mis-
taken identity. I have never been il
Omaha
Harry stared at me, and the look o
anger on his face changed to a curious
expression Of disgust He opened hi
lips TO speak.
wait" L said. do not say anythin,
p you may regret until you have hearC
me- You think 1 am not only a snob
but a liar also. 1 speak the truth
though, when I say 1 was never il
Omaha
Then why did you say you were.
moment ago." he interrupted.
l you asked me if had a pleasan
time there, and answered yes. l
wasn't saying in so many words that
I had been there, though ! admit it wa
tantamount to it. beg your pardon 70
that I was joking-quite harmlessly.
thought But let me explain. Their
lives in Omaha a man who, SO far as
can judge, must be my exact double.
heard of him first through an acquaint
ance, and twice since have l beer
stopped on the street by men who mis-
took me for this man from Omaha