Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-07-13
A COMEDY Of ERRORS. "


hearty hand clasp. sigh, and part
ed from my second self!
Ned Dalmaine and / were cousins. OF
the same age, educated at the same
school, left orphans within the same year,
and III appearance so alike as to be hard
1y diSunguiShable. 1t is no great wonder
that we were bosom friends! Financially
we were very differently circumstanced.
While / had only q small annuity-bare1y
enough to enable me TO follow the studies
of a professional musician-he was left
wealthy, and able to give the reins to a
gay, rowing disposition.
Until now we had never known separa-
ton, but an opportunity Offering, L had
accepted the post of organist at a fashion
able church in B, a rising town. some
fifty miles from London. Vain had been
my endeayors to persuade Ned to ac-
company me. Country life would never
suit his constitution, he declared.
Sunday came. Upon taking my seat at
the organ, my gaze fell upon a face which
caused 4 hitherto unknown futterlng to
take place beneath my robes Its owner
was a lovely girl, APPARENTLY about ~
years of age. By her side sat a young
man Of bulldog proportions, dressed in the
most approved masher fashion.
With a smothered exclamation of
Beauty and the Beast / commenced to
extemporize. What [ played | know not,
but this l DO know; | played to that face
III a way that | had played to no other,
and rapidly came to the conclusion that |
loved that beautiful girl and hated Bull
dog"
During the week my services were So
licited as accOmpanist at a concert. I'M
agine my delight when, upon introduction
to the artists by the vicar, | found my
self bowling to Miss Violet Duncan-''the
face" What a thrill went through my
frame as I handed her onto the platform,
and what a glorious feeling of satisfac-
ton made itself felt when l observed
Bulldog" in the stalls, frOwning most
ferocious!y from behind a three-inch col
lar.
Six months later she was my beJrofhed,
and he, d relative named SelSby CroOke
was my secretly-ayOwed enemy. Ned
and [ corresponded regularly at first, but
my last letter had remained unans Wered
and a month had passed.
1t happened that Violet was paying 4
lengthy visit in town and was not e1-
pected back until the morrow. L was
deyOting the evening to preparation tor
an organ recital. When in the middle of
q Bach fugue a telegram summoned me
to the deathbed of an aunt, an eccentric
old lady residing in London. 1t was only
; o'clock. The London train left 1T Z.
Wishing to finish my programme, | re-
turned to the organ, leaving the church
door ajar.
Just as I had again warmed to my
work was considerably startled by feel
ing a hand placed suddenly unon my
shoulder. Ned stood at my side, looking
the picture of health. His face vas,
however most comically miserable.
Claude" said he, in tone as hollow
as a naturally rich voice would permit
I'm in a scrape!
''WhO is SheT' was my conclusive but
not strictly original reply.
The daughter Of a rich traGesman.'
'Ahr'
He then related that from the first in
PRODUCTION he had loved Maude Heath
had proposed, and had been accepted
For a month life had been a paradise
then, while she was away, attending to a
sick friend he had attended a concert
and had been completely Cf temporarily
captivated by the beautiful face of 4
singer. How to meet Maude again he
knew not, and in his difficulty he had sped
to the old source of advice. Hearing the
sound of the organ as he passed, and
guessing that | was the performer, he
had come straight in, with no previous
call at my house.
The pleasure and surprise that Ned's
appearance and narration caused me
banished all thoughts of my dying rela-
tive. and when these did occur to my
memory it wanted but a few minutes to
:. No time must be lost! What could
be done? If l went home to introduce
him [ should lose the train! Suddenly
the fact of our mutual resemblance
flashed upon me. | should be away but
a few hours. Why should be not take
my place? All could be explained after
ward Hastily stating my position, and
giving my cousin a few necessary direc-
tons and a promise to talk matters over
upon my speedy return, vanished, and
managed to spring into carriage as the
train moved off.
Ned, with 4 keen relish for joke, had
no objection to acting my part for a few
hours, 50, following my instructions. he
locked the church door, left the keys at a
neighbOring house, and started down a
long, dark lane which | had described as
q short cut to my diggings.
he had not proceeded far when sudden
Is three men Sprang upon him from the
hedge, one aiming a blow with 4 heavy
stick which only just missed its mark
Now, Ned had always prided himself
upon his hard hitting, and at this coward
-Iy treatment he rose to the occasion
Planting his back against a tree he dis
played such vigor and science that one
of the attacking party decamped. The
other two fought desperately. but after a
very lively five minutes Ned was left
master of the situation. having as tro-
phies of the battle a highly-coIored eve
and several scratches.
He reached the house, but found. to his
dlsmay, that the excitement of the strug-
gle had etfaced the landlady's name from
his memory. He did not Immediately re-
quire it, however for so exact was his
likeness to me that he passed to my
rooms without exciting Mrs. Spaniel
suspicious.
Entering the sitting room. his first ac-
ton was to examine the Illuminated or
gan, and the dimensions of the DANA ge
alarmed him. Ten minutes application of
n cold knife blade proving no specific. he
determined TO procure piece of beef.
But how! That name would not return
to him! He had Il vague notion that if
was in some way 'doggie," so running
mentally through list of canine appella-
'tions, he at length fixed upon Terrier, -