The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-18

knew that / was myself, but a few
more such questions with those serious
eyes staring ut me over those spec
tacles. and L felt that | would begin to
doubt 1t. Indeed, / vas already losing
my identity In spite of myself No
card; no name! With the impression
that was a fraud who was trying to
deposit money under false pretences. l
took presently to believing it. Two
clerks entered the room. They were
tall and strong. They stood near the
OLD man, as IL to protect him, and
looked hard at me. l felt like a Grim
inal. The cynosure of three pairs of
conyicting eyes, / am sure that con-
scious guilt oozed from the pores of my
countenance. The old man grew omi-
nously polite.
I'VE should be glad to have you de-
posit your money with us, madam said
ne unctuously, If only there were some
means by which we could arrive at your
identity. Think again. Haven't you
your name about you anywhere?'
'I thought again. / ransacked my
brain. thinking. In the first place. the
laundryman had marked my collar with
my initial only, and. in the second place,
1 hadn't any collar on. My neck was
encircled by stock. Naturally that
settled the matter Identification by
collar. | thought another time. l had
a shirt waist upon which the laundry
man had carved my full name and ad-
dress. but that was at home in a drawer
of the chiffonier. | had the key to the
drawer i'm my pocket, but the chiffonfer
was some seven miles away; conse-
quently il was impossible to identify
myself by the name on the shirt waist
The old man put up his hand To con-
ceal a yaWn. The two boys raised their
four eyebrows about an inch and half.
Evidently their valuable time was being
I'll kfskatN all IL
name. a convict without even a number.
was the one who was wasting Ii. At
last a happy thought struck me. My
diamond pin! My name was on the in
side of that | had had il traced there.
so that if a burglar should happen TO
steal it he would be certain To bring IL
back when he found out whose pin il
was. | unfastened IL with trembling
fingers and handed IL triumphantly over
to the old man. He took il i'm one hand
and large microscope in the other.
He looked through the microscope at
the name, which was exceedingly small.
He looked from the microscope at me,
then back at the microscope again, un-
It'll I began to have the feeling OF
squirming insect under a microscope
myself.
From watching him repeat these
maneuvres I intutively came TO alb
sorb tho suspicion which filled him.
Could NJ be tndt ne Was wondering
whether it was my diamond pin? Yes.
that was Il, My brain cleared. lie
thought it was borrowed, perhaps, or
and I turned pale at the bare idea--he
thought | had stolen IL! Undoubtedly
that was what he thought. I knew IL
from the expression OF his profile. |
was a thief then. I had come not only
TO deposit money under false pretonses.
but to Identify myself by means Of q
stolen pin.
Il sank back I'm my chair speechless
and watched the expressions on the
faces of the boys change from distrust
and suspicion 60 fine offended dignity.
Each moment I expected To be forcibly
elected from that little room and hand
"a over % the care of the bic policeman
ON the corner. ! already in imasinstion
frlt the handouts on my wrists 7 wac
shout tO sue, umb 60 despair when
spied q friend who was casually pas
sing by. taking q stroll in the nne af-
ternoOn sunshine. 7 ran ont OF The
room and buttonholed him.
Come in here minute I cried.
y want vou to- identify me. 7 want you
20 tell thcEc people that ! am myself,