The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-06-07

bent down and. placing her pink lips
on mine, gave me Il delicious kiss. IL
seemed that all the joys in the world
were concentrated in those few mo-
ments. Then. saying that she would
20 and bring my noon meal. she eft me.
Never in my life have | been placed
in such a quandary. My own dear
twin brother had left me to %personate
himself with Il woman he loved and
who loved him. | didn't know wheth-
pr | was acting both di~shonorably and
unbrotherly TO him or not. He had not
confided the truth TO me. He had ex-
pected that the girl would mistake me
for him, but had the position in which
this mistake would place her and me
occurred to him? Probably not. He
was in such a hurry that it was likely
he hadn't thought Of this. | was terri
fed at receiving caresses that were in
tended for him. 1t was as dishonora-
BILE to the girl as to Jim. What was
to do?
The thing l did-the next thlng-was
to eat the dinner she brought me, all
the while the lovelight in her eyes
beaming down upon me. After ! had
finished and she had removed the tray
she told me that she had reported me
to be so much better that she had more
time to devote to other patients. but
she would come in to see me between
her attentions to them. During one of
her absences | thought the matter
over and came to the following conclu-
sion: | must go on playing Jim's part,
whatever 1t was, for | could not do
otherwise without giving him away.
and how serious this would be to him
| did not know. | had been placed in
a position for which | was In no way
responsible. My conscience was clear,
and l didn't see how 1t could be cloud
ed. l would act the part of a respon-
sive lover.
I managed to put off my departure
as a discharged patient for two weeks.
How / succeeded in doing 1t l don't
know. unless it was by the conniyance
of the girl who dreaded to part with
me as much as l dreaded to part with
her. At the end Of these two weeks
l am ashamed to confess that / was
ready to fight to the death my own
flesh and blood, my own twin brother,
for the love of the girl in whose at
fections l had taken his place. l ex-
cused myself by encouraging a suspi-
cion in my mind that he had treated
her shamefully and that l was justi-
fed in securing her for myself. At
any rate, l would never give her up to
him or any n else.
But what next? When this query
popped into my head I was seized with
q sudden desire to get out Of the hos
pital, find Jim and hear from him an
explanation. Then. whatever 1t was,
I would tell him that. having placed
me in a position to make love to his
girl, he should not complain that l had
won her from him. Had i won her
from him? Did she love him or me,
or both OF us?
Feeling that if l lay thinking upon
this brain and heart racking problem
l should go mad, / threw off the COW
ers and jumped out Of bed. I was In
Jim's clothes in a twinkling and when
my nurse entered again l was ready
for my departure.
She stood looking at me, surprised.
I folded her in my arms, shOwered
kisses on her face-particularly her lips
then dashed away without 9 word OF
explanation as to my sudden depar-
ture.
In an hour I was with Jim.
"Why did you put me in this posi-
ton and why have I heard nothing
from you since?" / asked impatiently.
docs she love me still mean your
"She loves meme, ! say-not you
at ALL"
THANK God"
what do you mean"
"Subside, Bob, and I'll tell you all
about 1t. / dared not write you'll mean
myself-for fear Of giving away the
whole situation. I went to the hos
pital engaged to be married. ! hadn't
had time to inform you Of my engage
ment before I was taken Ill. Immedi-
ately after our betrothal my fiance
sailed on a European trip. The hos
pital girl took a fancy to me at once
and showered such attentions on me
that l couldn't help reciprocating. l
very weakly suffered myself to be
drawn into an affair Of the heart. l
assure you l didn't realize how deeply
involved I had become before ] COM
mitted betrothal bigamy.
I'm your appearance I saw a loop
hole. I took advantage Of 1t, and from