The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-05


ings tho not more than 1: but. indeed, |
we both knew no other life than that
which we lived. We had never met
in familiar intercourse any but such
people as her parents and the Marks
family. We never went to church,
we never read a good book, we knew
nothing at all Of the moral ethics
upon which more fortunate young
people are nurtured. Underhand
methods Of acquiring means to live
were in our circle accounted neces-
sary, owing to the grasping natures
Of the rich and mighty. We were all
natural communists, and While we
were never guilty of small robberles
or personal assaults, we looked with
plying federation on those who were
compelled to resort to such methods
by the limited range of their faculties.
We knew nothing of legitimate en-
ployment, for we had been brought
up outside it's limits.
But for all this Lenora was beau
tiful, and true to me. and she gave
me her hand with all the graciousness
and sweetness of the most high-bred
and cultured lady. She was very
beautiful, as I have said, and she
owed much of her loneliness to the
unique color of her hair, which was
OF an emerald tint, the color of the
sea. She was always beside me, and
of the mushroom towns where we es-
tablished our banking institutions. l
was far more popular than either
Marks of Soule, tho they were more
clever and subtle than l. My free
handed manners and my wife's beau
ty and pleasant ways were important
adjuncts of success.
After time learned that my twin
brother. who was said to bear g.
most startling likeness to myself, was
endeavoring to find me: for what
purpose I could not understand. l
had no desire to meet him, but kept
out of his way, and gave orders that
no one should direct him to me. I
had no fear Of being recognized by
him. as / seldom may say, never
appeared in public without being dis
guised, our nefarious banking oper-
atoms making this necessary to my
safety. In one place I would be
known as dark haired, with long
whiskers: in another, as smooth
faced. with light, curly hair; in a
third, with close-cropped. dark (dyeD
hair and light mustache.
Sometimes I appeared to be rather
stout, again quite thin. You perceive
it was easy to vary these DISCUSSES to
almost any extent. SO, as have said
did not fear recognition. Once or
twice I got into the clutches Of the
law officers, but eluded them by clever
devices Of my own. l am mind
reader, having been naturally pecul.
iarly gifted in this direction, and by
study of hypnotic methods In time
exceeded, or at least equalled, the per.
formances of Marks, Bishop and Other
mind readers. I got clear on one oc
casion by hypnotizing the jailer an(
walking off before his eyes, he believ
ing that 1 was the ailer and he the
prisoner. ,s''.-.
At last peculiarly aggravated
swindle of ours in Goodwill rivetet
the attention of the whole country
Marks and Soule succeeded In escap
ing to Canada, where I hoped to NEE
them. Lenora was instructed to pro
coed to Quebec, while I was to joif
her later. But [ was hard pressed
There seemed little chance of escape
I was at Portland depot, well dis
guised, yet. I knew. in imminent dan
ger Of arrest. While there I saw Van
but at first 1 could not fully realize tina
it was my twin brother. Sometimes
in the seclusion of our home, at LIE
nora's request, / would doff all dis
guise, and at such times L was tn
exact likeness Of the man 1 saw tina
day. r.
1t appeared for a moment as If
were observing my own reflection in
mirror. Our clothes were much alike
our bags exactly Of the same pattern
our OVSrCOdlS, WHICH, We CdIIleu y
our arms, near enough alike to deceiv
the owners. I stared at him. I coul
not help it, the resemblance was S
complete. But recollecting myself
walked to a little distance and sur
veyed him less openly, and I now oh
served that he acted strangely, as
he hardly knew what he was doing
or where he was. He looked about i
a vague, puzzled way that surprise
me. But he had observed my look
in his direction, and after a tim
walked up to me and said:
you appear to know me- What
Like flash came the idea of shift
ing my identity to this man until
could make my escape. [ thought n
further than this. No conception {
the unhappy complications to folio
occurred to me. I answered almos
directly, your name is Henry Ashle,
T know you WE'LL" u. .'.....
He did not appear satisfied, but "
entered into conversation. He tol
me he had suddenly forgotten h
name and home, and every event of h
past life, 81 know nothing, absolute
nothing, of the past he said.
I wished him to be ignorant for
time, and as I feared his belonging
might contain his name or some da
to, refresh his recollections, or be tt
means Of information to some persc
l.
to change travelling bags and to po
sess myself Of his note book, or al
papers that he carried. T succeede
in doing so that very afternoon, but
restored his money and gave him n
own overcoat and travelling bag
take the place Of his, which I thougl
It prudent to confiscate, the better
throw the police off their guard.
He was arrested a week later al
taken to Goodwill, where his stran.
manner was believed to be a ruse
his part until his examination befo
the authorities, when he was pr
nounced mentally unsound and sent
the asylum.
Lenora, who saw in the 1lewspape
the statement that Henry Ashley w
arrested, went to see the prisoner, b
cried out in establishment when a
naitted. He denied that she was h
wife, but she, thinking it best for n
safety, declared that she was. 81
saw now that I was at large, and 81
knew that the prisoner was the ma
she had seen in Grovedale, and who
she had for a time mistaken for m
self. She was convinced that he cou
be no other than my twin brother wi
had been seeking me, but she,
course, said nothing to any one exec
to me when we met in Canada fe
weeks later.
Meanwhile, I had found. the not