The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-20

others face.
BILE by the lifting of the fog. The
match in the strangers hand burned
down till it scorched his fingers, and,
feeling the pain, he laughed and let it
drop.
"Of all odd things.' he said. Then he
broke off. The circumstance was too
novel for ordinary remark.
BY one of those rare occurrences,
those chances that seem too wild for
real life and yet belong to no other
sphere, the two faces so strangely hid
den and strangely revealed were iden-
teal, feature for feature. 1t seemed
to each man that he looked not at the
face of another, but at his own face
reflected in a fiawless looking glass.
OF the two the stranger was the first
to regain self possession. Seeing Chill
cote's bewilderment, he came to his
rescue with brusque tactfulness.
1.-THE position is decidedly odd" he
said. But, after all, why should we
be so surprised? Nature can't be eter-
nally original She must dry up some
times, and when she gets a good model
why shouldn't she use it twice." He
drew back, surveying Chilcote whm-
sically "But, pardon me, you are still
waiting for that light!'
Chilcotte still held the cigarette be-
tween his lips. The paper had become
dry, and he moistened it as he leaned
toward his companion.
Don't mind me- he said. I'm
rather-rather unstrung tonight, and
this thing gave me a jar. To be can
did, my imagination took head in the
fog, and / got to fancying I was talk
ing to myself
"And pulled up to find the fancy in
some way real"
Eyes, something like that"
Both were silent for moment. Chill
cote pulled hard at his cigarette, then,
remembering his obligations, he turned
quickly to the other.
Wont you smoker" he asked
The stranger accepted a cigarette
from the case held out to him, and as
he did so the extraordinary likeness to
himself struck Chilcote with added
force. Involuntarily he put out his
hand and touched the others arm.
Its my nerves. he said in explana-
ton. They make me want to feel
that you are substantial. Nerves play
such beastly tricksv' He laughed awk-
wardly.
The other glanced up. His express
sion on the moment was slightly sur
prised, slightly contemptuous. but he
changed it instantly to conventional in
terest. II am afraid 1 am not an au-
thority on nerves." he said.
II
thoughts had turned into another chan
mel
How old are you?" he asked sud-
denly
The other did not answer immediate
~. MY age?" he said at last slowly.
"Oh, believe 1 shall be thirty-six to-
morrow, to be quite accurate"
ChiIcote lifted his head quickly.
why do you use that tone?" he
asked. Il am six months older than
you, and only wish it was six years.
Six year nearer oblivion
Again a slight incredulous contempt
crossed the others eyes. oblivion
he said. Where are your ambitions?'
They don't exist"
Don't exist? Yet you voice your
country? l concluded that much in
the fog"
Chilcote laughed sarcastically.
when one has voiced ones country
for six years one gets hoarse. It's a
natural consequence"
The other smiled. "Ah, discontentr'
he said. The modern canker. But we
must both be getting under way. Good
night. Shall we shake hands-to prove
that we are genuinely material!
Chilcote had been standing unusually
still, following the strangers words.
caught by his self reliance and i'm
pressed by his personality. Now. as
he ceased to speak, he moved quickly |
forward. impelled by a nervous curl
osity.
''Why should we just hail each other |
and pass-like the proverbia1 ships?"
he said impulsively. IF nature was
careless enough to let the reproduction |
meet the original she must abide the |
The other laughed. but his laugh was |
short. "Oh. don't know. Our roads |