The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-22
That Reads Like the Fiction We
Find in Story Books
REAL LIFE TARGEDY
Ia the City Of Rome Which Very Nearly
Parallels the Nest Improbable Lit.
erary Plot Of the Noval,
The Masquerader." Not
Long Written.
Long Written.

| LOD8 written.
The following remarkable story ws
take from the New York American:
"Impossible, but interesting" peo
pie eaid when they read THE Mas
querader," Katherine Cecil Tnurston'f
successful novel, In whjoh two men not
related, but looking absolutely alike
change places. And now, to justify
her Imagination, to prove that the
novelist's dream was not only interest
ing, but possible real, he he's como tc
the rescue.
In Rome the situation that formed
the plot Of "The Masquerader" has
bsen duplicated. A. nobleman, Count
Andrano Benioulli, finding q valet
who resembled him marvalously, en-
ployed him as bis double. The valet,
Paolo, impersonated his master at ali
sorts of social functions. He initiated
his manners and graces DO perfection;
he walked like him and talked like
him, and, even as the duel impersona.
tors who made The Maauuerader''
the talk Of the literary world, deceiy.
ed not only the Counts friends, but
his wife az we'll
AS in "The Maaquerader, the i'm.
personator falls In love with the wife
OF his double. and 1t is jealously of a
woman that assists In the denouement.
But In real life the denouement Is q
tragedy. Real life ia not accommodate.
ing. The right man rarely dies to
make the end OF situation pictures.
que, happy, romantic.
The Countess Benioulli, lovely as
the wife Of John Ohilcote of 1.-THE
MasQneradar," committed suicide
Hhen she found that she had permit.
ted menial to make love to her under
the guise of her husband.
The poor, deceived wife La dead, and
Count Beniculli has appealed to the
courts of Rome to avepge him. He
charges that his valet took advantage
OF the position he had permitted him
TO occupy and caused the death of his
| noble mistress
Iu 1.-THE Masquerader" Is is the NOR.
ph1ne eater, John Chilcote, who dies,
the man who neglected his wife and
his duties, leaving both to the care
and attention Of his double, John
YoSer, the good, clever hero.
The novelist herself seems to realize
that the possibility of the eXtraordi.
nary resemblance upon which she
bases her apparently fanclful plot, is
going to be much doubted and ques.
TONED, for she refers to 1t In the open.
ing chapter In this fashion: "By that
seem too mild for real life and yet be.
long to no other sphere, the two faces
were identical. feature for feature. 1t
seemed to each man that he looked
not at the fsce Of another, but at his
own face reflected In fawless looking
glass"
Then. again, John Chilcote brings
up the subject Of identity In conver-
satiOn with Lady Astrupp.
| ChilcOte picked up q book that lay
between them.
'OSher mons shoesl he read. "A
novel, Of course?"
She smiled. 'Oi course. Such q
fantastic story. Two men change
Identities.
'Chilcote rose and walked back to
the mantlepiece.
Changing identltieaP' he said,
with a touch OF interest.
/
other millionaire; one wants 10 know
what fame is like, bhe other wants tc
know how IL feels TO be really, sinfully
rich. 80 they exchange experience fol
a month" She laughed.
"Chilcote laughed as we'll. But howf
he asked.
=" On, bold you the idea was alb.
surd Fancy two peop'e so much alike
thab neibher their friends nor thei,
servants see any differences! Such a
thing couldn't be, could it2 There are
likenesaes, but not freak likenesses
like that
The novelist plainly foreSees that
the possibility Of such resemblance
az she makes the basis Of her plot /.
going to bS questioned by the great
mass OF her public. Yet In Rome rea
lie upholds her most fanciful imagin
lngs
The Count Adriano Benioulll is o.
an old and respected family. He him
self Is bit ccoontric, but none thu
lesa nobloman who has always NOV
ed in the Highest social circles.
WIS vast estates on which he
entertained handsomely. He had, until
the tragedy which set all Rome talk
Ing in Mortified whispers, charming
wife whom he neglected shamefully
Duting hor life this was said to be ont
of his eooontrloitles. Another was his
hobby of collecting and repairing an
Client locks.
If you had asked In Rome som,
months ago about the Count Ben!cull
and his wife, you would have heart
these things and not much else. The,
seemed commonplace enough and 81
doubtless they were until ono day tn
Count looked up on Antinoro Paalo ant
saw thai the man, though Of humbl
origin, WAS educated and In appear
ancs and manner marvellously iiR
himself.
The Count had grown to find socle
ty, which demanded moro or less 9
his presence, an awful bore. He ha,
become as tired Of 1t as he had OF hi
wife, whom he scarcely saw. In fact
when he first met the man Paolo, h
was not even living with her.
AS he marked the extraordinary res
cmblance between himself and th
man an idea flew into his head. III
would take him In his employ an,
make use Of him. Now, whethe
the Count had heard Of "The Masoue
raider" or not has not yet been unfold
ed. In the novel similar propostio,
was made like this;