Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-07-19
MyDouble
A Girl Graduate Sees Herself In
Another Body on Three
Occasions.
By DONALD WALLACE.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

l remember well the night | received
my first shock. received another lat
er that affected me more than this one.
but In a different way. The first was
In the nature Of surprise; the secoud
was q terror
was but eighteen at the time and
was going home to my aunt, with
whom lived. having just finished my
education. The journey was long
one, and had somewhat broken down
my nerves from hard study did not
like to stay overnight at a hotel alone.
but did not feel like taking sleeping
car. was rather timid girl any
way and had not been used to going
about without protector.
| reached the hotel about o'clock
and went Immediately to bed and to
sleep. was awakened in the night by
a noise in the hall. Several persons
passed hurriedly and were talking rap
idly. have always been afraid OF
fire. especially in hotel. got out OF
bed, went to the door and opened II
At that moment l received my first
shock.
Standing In the open door Of the
room directly opposite mine stood a
girl in her nightdress peering out nnS-
lously, Just as l was doing. The cor
rider was lighted. and | could see hei
plainly. The marvellous feature was
that she was myself. There was not
the slightest difference between US
We were both In nightdresses. the hair
of both was worn In a braid hanging
down the back. and her face and figure
were replicas Of mine.
Both gave little scream OF surprise
and both drew back into our respective
rooms. ! shut my door and CROPPED my
way to my bed All thought of dan
ger was put out Of my head In this re-
markable apparition of my other SELF
The physician in charge OF the sem
mary | had attended had warned me
that If did not give up study would
break down. But. DESTROYS OF being
graduated with the class as well as
at the head of 1t, had disregarded his
warning. Now. 1t seemed to me. l was
paying the penalty Of my obstinacy'
NV mind must be giving way. 1t was
long past midnight when bethought
myself that on opening my door must
have looked into large mirror. |
would have got out of bed and salts
fed myself of this. but feared to find
the contrary, and II did would not
get any more sleep. So | comforted
myself with the assurance that | would
in the morning find mirror opposite
my door and dropped into slumber.
was called early for the train. and
when | left my room looked for the
mirror. Alas. there was no mirror
there. but door just as had seen 1t
in the night. had no time to make
investiga tons. needing to so down to
breakfast and to the station.
BY the advice Of my physician !
spent July and August that summer at
the seashore. By September | was
much improved and spent the month
in the mountains. This restored my
health. but did not relieve me OF an
uncanny feeling at having seen myself
or my other self at the hotel during
nv homeward journey. Two years
passed during which had gradually
driven the matter out Of my mind when
/ saw the vision again.
Singularly enough, saw II under
circumstances somewhat similar To
those connected with its first appear
ance. Ii was the second summer after
the one during which 1t had first ap'
reared to me. when ! was at -
Springs. had room In an extension
of hotel. facing another extension
One morning ON arising ! went to d
window. and there at another window
in the other extension stood my dou
BILE. We were both. as before. In night
dresses and wore our hair plated on
our backs.
Nothing could have induced me to
remain ut that hotel for another day
| was with friends and surprised them
by announcing that would leave by
the next train They wondered. ex'
postulated. pleaded. but to no purpose
One of them. girl Of my own age
with whom I was very Intimate. beg
sed me to tell her why was leaving
and what was the matter with me. for
II was plain that had received a
shock of some kind. would not have
told her for the world. | declined to
tell any one but my physician, and
wished to consult him as soon as pos
sible. I was sure that suffered from
some kind of mental breakdown. and
l only hoped that he would find means
to arrest its progress
On reaching the city ] sent for him
to come to me at once and told him OF
this second vision of myself. He tried
to reassure me by telling me that haC
seen some one who looked very like
me. I refused to be comforted. had
seen myself or my exact counterpart
I told him that only one OF my owr
flesh and blood could so closely resem
BILE me and that had no sister or ever
cousins 30 far as I knew. Besides. II
this vision were real person ! woulC
see her In different dress from my
own. The doctor explained this by
saying that as had seen her at night
and In the early morning ! would nat
urally see her In the dress ] wore my
self, both of US wearing nightgowns
I tried to consider this within the liml
of coincidence. but II was impossible
for me to believe that two persons
could be 30 identical In appea rance
that they should meet twice and both
times see each other in nightdress
No; I had seen this vision first at a
time when my physician had warned
me that ! was breaking down. had
been overstrained. What had been
straining? My mind; therefore II was
my mind that had been giving way,
This reappearance Of the vision would
naturally denote that my mind was
again giving way. shuddered. ]
saw myself confined In a lunatic asy.
lun, mental wreck.
My friends to whom my malady be-
came known used every argument L"
hisabnse my mind. some Of them assur-
Ing me that my vision was real per
son closely resembling me. Others
nyerred that people In disordered state
Vt the system were liable to see all