Evening journal., 1899-01-02
A DOCTORS DOUBLE.


ton, from the geological survey; Her
ring of the fish commission, together
with Long. from the agricultural bu-
reau De Forrest Of the army medical
museum and myself, then serving as
Washington correspondent for New
York paper, it is needless to say that
the talk had run the entire gamut of
art, literature and science and had for
the moment settled on the belief in dual
personalities.
II tell you, gentlemen" said Mer-
ton, with the authoritative air by which
be always attempted to settle questions
under discussion, "that, while 1 anl
willing to admit that there may be
some things almost impossible to prove
or disprove scientifically, yet this talk
about dual personality, subconsoious
mind and all such stuff is, vulgarly
speaking, simply rot. " And he lay back
in his chair with a self satisfied air, as
though there was nothing more to bs
said on the subject
Long took up the argument, and the
debate grew rather warm as the pres
and cons were laid down in that ex Ca
thedra way which we young men are
apt to affect DR.. De Forrest had thus
far taken no part in the discussion, but
had smiled once or twice at our asser-
tions in q way that assured us, who
knew him so we'll, that he had a good
story to tell if we could only draw hiE
out.
"Coue, doctor" said Long as he or
dered fresh round Of brandies and So
da for the crowd; "you ought to know
something about this question, for you
told us last week that you had studied
under Charcot when you were in Paris "
De Forrest selected a fresh perfect0
from the box at his side, lighted it in
his usual careful way and blew a few
rings of smoke, which he watched float
lazily toward the ceiling, before he
spoke.
"Well, boys" he began, "as Merton
has just said, there are some things
which we cannot as yet decide by pure
ly physical methods. We cannot weigh
the soul in our most delicate balance,
though the scale sinks if we add but
the fraction Of a hair. nor can we by
our most subtle reagents analyze that
vital spark we call life in our labora,
tories. do not care tonight to speak oi
the many curious phenomena which
witnessed during my studies in Paris
for they might furnish you with a olev
to the story which is to follow, but IL
tell you a little incident in real lif'
which occurred when was very younl
in my New York practice and thel
leave the question for you to decide.
"When 1 established myself in New
York. back in the sixties, fresh from
my studies at Vienna, joined the 70
bemia club. That was not its nan q
but as none Of you is old enough to re
member the club It will do as well a
any other, and shall take the libert.
OF changing the names Of the actors il
my story as well, for obvious reasons.
1--WE were a rather Jelly crowd at th
Bohemia. for we worked hard at on
different lines all day and then met a
the club 10 the evenings for relaxation
= and TO ocmpare notes. You see we wer
5 young then, and not authorities in on
several branches, as you all are here.
= And he smiled in his quizzical way q
he looked round our littlo circle.
. "There were two southerners in th
club" he continued, "both II. d. q
and although greatly alike in their fei
lures and marvellously so in their dres
4 they were totally different in character
and suppose it would be hard to fin
7 in any club two men further apart
D their moral and mental qualities. Viii
, ing had been a praoticing physician f
year or more and had already larf
r clientele. He was a splendid felloV
large Of frame, but straight as an a
row, with great brown eyes that locke
you squarely in the face when he spok
y and, with all his physical strength, kiI
8 and gentle as a woman. He was love
VI by every one at the club, where v
knew him as the soul Of honor and gel
: erous to a fault.
= "Davis, ON the other hand, thoui
! he was of the same olive hued type al
i enough like Whiting in features TO
, his twin brother. had a sneering e
q preston on his face, and when he loo
ed at you with his eyes half closed al
that cynical smile on his lips he MAJ
me think of the copperhead of his oy
= Louisiana swamps. He was a hea'
k drinker and spent money enough at c
y club, but he was never known to dc
kind act, and we were sure that he ne
Is er spent dollar on any one unless
saw that he would gain some adva
a tage in return.
s Both of the men had ample mea
of their own, but Davis had never prs
h ticed, so far as we know, and where
q. got his title Of doctor from or where
D. lived no enc seemed to know. Sol
Of said that no was an expert chemist a
dabbled in alchemy as well, but
is made no close friends and seldom spo
of his own life.
u "It happened that Davis and VIII
'i ing had never met at the club, as ca
came but seldom, but we often chat
s. ono about the other, and from tn
III facal resemblance dubbed them the I
dromios. Jekyll and Hyde would ha
n been more appropriate, but this Y
r. long before Stevenson's book was WI
~ tan