Amador ledger., 1906-03-23

and at the same time determined to
investigate the diabolical agencies at
work to destroy the happiness of my
home and family.
l told the driver to follow my wife's
cab, and at the end of it's destination
to stop about square behind. He
followed these instructions and after
a long, noisy ride over the rough
cobbles, halted abruptly and opened
the cab door for me to alight. I
paid him and dismissed the cab, and as
l saw my wife's dress disappear in
a doorway down about the middle of
the next square, made for that di-
rection.
My heart gave a bound as 1 hur-
ried up the steps to the door 1 had
seen her enter. By some lucky chance
it was unlatched, and walked into
the house. Great Heavens! The same
rich hangings, the divan with its GRIM
son drapery, the paintings-al re-
vealed themselves in the glare of broad
daylight. I heard the murmur of
voices somewhere in the house and
paused to catch the direction of the
sound. could not seem to make out.
Every minute was as an hour. I stood
in breathless expectation while long
er, then passed noiselessly over the
velvet carpet into the adjoining room.
A heavy portiere at the rear led into
still another, and from thence the
voices proceeded. l recognized my
wife's in the most excited tone. II
glided closer to the curtain and dis
tinctly heard these words:
what you have already told me 1
cannot help believe and while 1 would
know more, I am afraid Oh! 1
can not! not now L"
Madam" some one interrupted
in the unmistakable voice of my even |
ing's enchantress, 81 am simply about |
to present my impression of your |
husband as he appears to me in that |
astral personality which he is most |
probably unconscious of possessing"
There was deathlike stiffness for a |
few minutes; suddenly broken by my
wife's voice in the most agitated tone |
accompanied with a low sobbing:
"Oh my God! I cannot look! 1t is |
my husband and yet SO strangely diff
ferent!" could hold back no longer;
drew aside the curtain and through |
the folding doors which were opened
wide enough for the purpose, passed |
in. l found myself in total darkness.
There were few seconds of suspense
and then-at first indistinctly, then
clearer and clearer out of the dark
ness-a face appeared; finally stand
ing in startling bas-relief against a
fiery nimbus that surrounded it. In
the wide open staring eyes, the COM
pressed lips and sunken cheeks, rec
ognlzed my own phyiognomy!
"Sylvia!"
1t was my wife's name I had ut
tered before I was conscious what l
had done. There was distinct scream
from each woman; one of them fell
groped my way in the darkness and
tound it was my wife. picked her up
n my arms and got out of the room
and house know not how. I have a
vague memory Of hailing cab and
placing my wife in it and then driv-
ng home. All that night she was too
II to move; but the next morning she
lad recovered enough for me to report
1t police headquarters
The detective to whom I told my
tory smiled.
"You have been in the hands of a
couple of notorious adventurers," he
'for whose arrest the au-
horities Of some large cities in this
country and abroad are on the alert.
rhe woman is a clairvoyant, and pro-
esses to make a speciality of the sci
nee of double personality; practicing
his humbuggery by the desperate
means you describe by which she has
,athered large clientele in this city.
The experiment in your case is one
# the most daring. The apparition of
7our face is reproduction of a photo
,raph taken in your aenseless state
hat evening in their house, for which
purpose you were decoyed there and
rugged. This by a clever stereopti-
,on effect was used to present the
startling revelation of your second
for your. .wife's benefit, who
happens to be patron of theirs, and
or whom the trick was contrived.
They were arrested last night"