El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-19
Fatal Resemblance
The Herald's Daily
Short Story

, gives him his medicine. During the
night 1 thought / heard MN Gaining
me, so I got up and ran into his room
He was alseep, but little Maria was at
the medicine shelf holding bottle In
her hand which she dropped and broke
on the floor when she heard me com
ing. I asked her what she was doing
and she said that you had told her
to mix some medicine for my master,
but the bottle broken was not among
the things you prescribed"
was greatly surprised, for none Of
the medicine 1 had prescribed was IN
liquid form.
have said nothing to master about
this" he went on, for he is very fond
Of her, but thought it was my duty
to tell you"
ing him to let his valet give him his
medicine, as some Of IL was too dan
gerOus TO be handled by child
The same day 1 had to 20 out Of the
city, and when I returned a week
later I found my patient very much
better j congratulated myself on my
success and advised NJ. Latraine to re-
turn to Paris to avoid the heat and
cholera
Ny dear DOCTOR" he replied, I re-
greet I cannot follow your advice L
have something TO do here in Italy
and cannot leave until it is done 1
viii tell you what It is. had
brother, Jerome, whom was very
fond Of, but who was rather reck-
less fellow. We resembled each other
very much, being twins. as you VIII
see from his portrait over my desk
there. When Jerome died about q year
ago I took over all his property. We
had always thought him bachelor,
but among his papers 1 found evil
dence showing that he had married
"a Their low born italian girl and that
for some reason he had married her
under my name A girl was the fruit
Of this marriage, which was not a hap
py one, and my brother left his wife
and child. His papers showed, how
ever that he kept himself informed
OF their whereabouts and that they
were living here in Genoa at the time
Of mis- deatn-Why there is Maria
now"
The little Italian eirI came in. Sshe
was very pretty, but her face looked
very much older than her actual age.
When Latraine told her my name, she
said rather angrily- so you are the
doctor who refused TO let me handle
the medicine. You need not worry
about me. I once nursed my mother
during a much more dangerous sick
ness, when she starved to death. But I
suppose you had a reason"
Where did I hear this voice before2
I did not remember, but as I was go
ing home shortly before midnight I
passed the little restaurant where !
had sought shelter once, and suddenly
remembered everything aud under
stood what was doing. Latraine had
been taken for his brother and was to
be made the victim OF a genuine
southern revenge.
Immediately turned back. Some
thing told ne that my patient was IN
danger at this very moment. I sneaked
up the stairs and as ! opened the door
nOiselesslys 1 saw the little Italian
girl bending over the sleeping man.
holding in her hand a tering stilet-
to. I was at her side in a moment and
struck the knife from her hand. The
noise awakened Mr.. Latraine.
"YO on. Maria" he exclaimed, as he
realized what had happened, whom
I loved like a father"
She laughed Historically.
"A fatherl A father who kills his
wife and throws his daughter into the
street / swore at my mothers death
bed to kill you"
traine had been taken for his brother
She had tried tn poison him and when
I had prevented that, she had tried
quicker way.
We explained her mistake to her and
showed her the portrait telling her
that her father had died a year ago
MY father dead" she cried and sent
us @ glance fun Of hatred, and I did
not kin him" Then she threw herself
down on her knees as If to ask La
traine to forgive her, picked up the
stiletto and buried 1t in her heart. be-
fore any Of US could prevent her
Latraine had a nervous shock and
Tor weeks I despaired OF his life, but
at last he recovered.
The police made every attempt TO
discover Maria's grandmother, but she
was never caught.
THE END.