Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-01-06


a mistake. We exchanged the slips
and it turned out that my possession:
were double hers.
"Why." she exclaimed on looking al
the amount on my slip, Mr.. Markney
did not tell me that there was such ar
inequality as that. | don't understand
why you who had never seen me
should have desired ME simply on ac
count Of a property consideration
mine being but one-half yours"
81 said to you just now before this
interchange Of information that after
it had been made the sordid part OF
this transaction should be dropped
Now let US talk Of other matters
By skillful management | learned
that the man I had been mistaken for
had gone away to be absent several
weeks and that no communication was
likely to take place between him and
Miss Efingham until his return. AT
first l permitted myself to drift on
into the false positit carelessly, but
now and again twin .es Of conscience
would come to me and. more than all,
distaste for the denouement that
was sure to follow. At the end Of this
our first meeting 1t was evident that
we were mutually pleased with each
other, and if we continued to be so the
wishes of the lady's guardian would
be carried out. What these wishes
were or how far they would tend to
her enrichment l didn't care. When /
arose to 60 she said:
But you are not going before see
ing my stepmother and my half Sis
ters. They are my only relatives"
Pardon me-" l replied. II am rath-
er shy of meeting strangers. especially
under the present circumstances. How
would it do for them to get sight OF
me the way you did-through the key
hole"
"If you ever mention that again you
may consider the matter broken off be-
tween US forever. After all. think 1t
as well that you should meet them
during a later visit
I'm sure Of it. How often do you
think you can endure call from me?"
"As often as you like"
| wondered whether Miss Efing-
ham considered that we were engaged
and would grant me an engaged mans
privilege or. rather, expect me to take
it. ! didn't wish to presume so far on
a mistaken identity and was going
away without kiss The lady must
have considered herself engaged. for
she made it plain that no such cold
departure would please her took
the kiss, and. though it was intensely
enjoyable. l felt that l had received
that to which l was not entitled.
When ! stepped out Of that apart
ment house into the open air | was
fairly overpowered by the change
which had come over me since | had
entered it. There were pleasurable
sensations confused with horrible an
ticipations. What would | do during
the next few weeks while this other
Townsend was away? Was l to try
to win the girl? l conned over the
question as to whether or no it would
be honorable for me to do so. There
were several points In my favor. In
the first place. was twice as well
fixed in worldly possessions as the
other fellow In the second, / had
found favor in Miss Effingham's sight.
and she had yet to see him. She
might on meeting him take great
dislike to him. | secretly hoped she
would. I took pleasure in depicting
him in my minds eye as a red headed,
freckled, snub nosed chap with the
forehead Of an orang outang.
I went straight home. sat down in
an easy chair and tried to think Of
some plan whereby / might come out
of the matter with eclat instead Of con-
tempt, but failed to find one.
What would have been the outcome
had / not been pierced with an arrow
shot from the little god I don't know.
1t would probably have been far diff
ferent from what it was. l vowed to
keep away from Miss Ef1ngham and
the consequences Of my first visit to
her. l kept my resolution by calling
the next day. and the next and the
next, for two weeks, every day in
tending confession and never making
one. Meanwhile the matter between
US was a case Of desperate love.
went to see my sweetheart one
day and learned that the sword sus-
pended over me had fallen. | found
her in the room where | had first met
her, talking in an excited state to a
man who. as | entered. looked at me
scrutinizingy. Miss Eflingham. as If
to shut us both from her mind. sank on
a sofa and concealed her face with
her handkerchief
"Who are you, sir?" / asked. THE
lady does not seem inclined to intro
duce u.s."
81 am Edward Townsend"
"And 1 am John Townsend"
81 am the Townsend. sir"
Edith" | said, Its all out. You
mistook me for this gentleman. and |
permitted you to continue in your mis-
take. All that remains to be done is
for you to decide between u.s."
Leave me, both Of you" she walled.
The other Townsend and myself nat
urally obeyed and at the same time.
It was an embarrassing walk through
the corridor and miserable ride down
the elevator was much put out to