Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-05
FOR EITHER SEE
MANY A SLIP.

1 am a young solicitor without practice.
Dining with II friend I met a Mr.. Van
Scoup, a typical American, broad shout
dered, tall, neatly dressed.
$50 you're an attorney, them" he said,
addressing me.
Eyes, l am, worse luck"
"Ah! Business slack, then?"
"No, not that exactly, but It's hum
drum work at the best; not exciting
enough. Now a man like you Is meeting
with fresh experiences every day, ana
life's not run in a groove and tied up in
red tape"
Van Scoup thought a moment, then he
looked over at me in a critical sort of way.
edo you want a real, live, exciting sort
of job; no red tape about it?"
"Let's hear about it," I replied.
"Well, I've made my pile, SO it's not
much consequence to me, but there's Ole
man on the face of Gods earth that If
I could only lay my hands on I'd be
worth another $50, 600. If you can hunt
him down anywhere, I'll pay you we'll"
whats he like9 How does he mean so
much to you? When was he seen last?"
exclaimed, as fast as I could.
"I'll answer that last right of-he's the
dead image of me-, as like as the halves OF IA
split pea-what you call over here my
double"
"But how can you get the money from
him? It's not a criminal ofense to be a
mans double"
"You find the man, and he'll know
right off whether I'm going to get the
dollars or not"
kSDrx Ion, ha JtGo~ frcp,, uO11 IN moth.
ings" -
"Well, that's the most extraordinary
thing in the whole bag of tricks, for he's
got his initials tattooed on the soles of his
feet"
"What!" I exclaimed.
Eyes, on the soles Of his feet. It's a
ticklish job, I admit"
Van Scoup entertained US with a long
rigmarole as to how he had only to find
this double, whom he knew to be In Lon
don, and to produce him In New York to
have him convicted of an impudent fraud
by which he had absolutely got immense
sums Of money by personating Van Scoup
in several places III the States.
OF course / never gave the matter q mo
ment's consideration until n night ]
felt I should like to have q Turkish bath,
and so found myself in Northumberland
avenue ~luxuriating in true eastern fashion
had not been in one Of the hot rooms
long before ! saw the big, burly form OF
the American coming through the doors.
rose from the marble slab to greet him
"Well, Van Scoup, this Ia q queer place
to meet you. Why, we're dining together
tomorrow evening""
| to- n aro h,,t that,a M raaa0n why
we shouldn't enjoy ourselves together TO-
night, is it?"
"Of course not"
He took one Of the wooden lounge chairs
beside the marble slab on which I was OK
tended at full length and we had a very
interesting conversation.
"I've not found your double yet" said
"Have you seen or heard Of him?"
"No, I've not. But you wouldn't OK
pect to find him here, would your"
laughingly replied: mo, perhaps not
Of course you would be ableto zee his fee'
here, wouldn't your"
He laughed. "Ah, &C you would Nevel
thought Of that. I ought to have had
private detective put on at every bath II
London"
suggested, st wouldn't have been
bad plan II II was worth the trouble"
"Oh, it's worth the troubled"
Time passed on, and my companion wa
the first to announce his intention Of be
ing shampooed, and left for the coole
HoQm~