The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-08-16
MY OTHER
SELF
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

country pace. Passing Hyde's a few
days before l was ready to start,
thought of the jewels, called for then
and took them home. There is no saf,
in my house, and | was at a loss wha
to do with them until my departure.
My wife has woman who has beer
with her great many years She wa.
and is her maid" but if she is to b,
called by such name now she is sure
! ly an "old maid" / am very careless
and / knew that my wife placed i'm
| Fis,it trust in Phoebe. | therefor,
save her the jewels and told her tC
take care of them until l called fol
! them.
The next day, returning from my Of
flee, as was my custom, about half an
hour before dinner on passing the din
| ing room | saw that dinner was al
ready served and a man was sitting al
my place at the table. Then / received
the shock of my life. He turned his
face toward me, and l saw Great
heavens! | saw myself.
l had no more doubt that | had re-
ceived one of those brain shocks the
| doctors call amnesia or some more un-
pronouncable name than that l am
telling you this story. I clutched at
the wall for support. My legs were
giving way beneath me. Then, fear
ing to faint, grasped at consciousness
and succeeded in holding on to it.
THAT l which was sitting in the
chair looking at me-was dressed ex-
actly the same as the / standing in the
hall. The most remarkable thing about
the matter was that he seemed as
much stricken with surprise and terror
as l. He trembled like a leaf. My
colored butler Joe, who was carrying
out dish to the kitchen, turned, stop
ped short and stared at both me and
my other self. Phoebe, who was up
stairs, hearing the front door open and
shut, came to the landing and, seeing
that l had just entered the house, ran
down to the lower hall where I was
standing, eXclaiming:
For heavens sakel l thought you
were in the dining ROOM"
My double, sitting at table with q
small cup of coffee before him, indi-
eating that he was at the end of his
dinner, spoke first and to Phoebe.
DO you see anything stranger he
asked
Phoebe was too agitated to reply.
She stood looking from one to the
other.
Tell me, quick" continued the
speaker, have / gone stark, staring
mad? Tell me that you see myself
standing there shivering, just as am
doing"
81 see you both"' she gasped.
where did you come from?' 1 man
ageS to ask my double.
"Where did you come from?"
"The office"
81 have been at the Office all day till
came here"
"What Officer
"Mine; 3S Harrison street"
Oh, heavens! That was my office.
had left it only twenty minutes be-
fore.
"Joe," said to the butler, "am l
myself or is that man myselfT
There was smash. Joe, whose |
eyes were as big as saucers, dropped |
the dish on the floor and ran out of
the room without word.
Phoebe" said my double, "tell me
whether I am the master of this
house or that He could get no fur |
ther.
II don't know" said Phoebe, as
much agitated as any one of us.
Don't know" cried the man at the
table, rising. Ring up a doctor /
shall go mad. No; can't stand this
I can't wait. l must know the worst
at oncer'
Dashing past me, he seized his hat,
that was hanging in the hail, and in
another moment the door was slammed
behind him. I went into the dining
room, sank into q chair and asked
Phoebe to hand me q stmulant from
the sideboard. 1t put me in better con-
1ition.
"Now, Phoebe, tell me what you
know about this"
"All know, sff, Is that an hour ago
mean him-came home and said
he must have dinner at once, as he was
going away. He told me to bring him
Ill the valuables and he would put
hem In the bank. / got the Jewels
''1'he jewelsT"
"Hes, sir. / gave them to him and
A light began 10 break through my
Itupid skull. Rushing to the telephone,
called the police and told them that
had been victimized by some one
Who looked exactly like me.
Five minutes had not elapsed be-
veen the mans departure and the
'olice getting after him. A patrol
wagon dashed up 10 my house. They
u took look at me, and in less than :
n hour they had my double.
The story he told as to how he CON
eiVed of and arranged for his plan {
'e had been watching me for some !
ime-showed great ingenuity. And &