The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-18
but stin, unmisIaEable. When he got

over the shock he spoke to him.
roach was too much surprised to
oeny his identity. And so he explain.
ed. He had wanted TO leave Quontok
set, where he had no relatives OF
property. He had hated the idea OF
marriage. So he had taken advantage
OF the wreck to loSe his identity aud
start a new life in New York. He
PLEADED that it was the only way to
save Miss Prudence's feelings. No
doubt she would marry somebody
else, he said. He begged Horton not
to betray him.
Horton was slow and simple. He
nad given his promise before he real.
lied what 1t would involve. 1t meant
mat he must let Miss Prudence live
the rest Of her life under the belief
mat Roach was dead. Then he want.
ed to thrash Roach: but he was torn
between the conflicting ideas of duty,
and meanwhile Roach slipped quietly
away and was gone.
norton went back to his village.
lie decided that he could not break
the girls heart by letting her know.
For three years he laid siege to her,
but uselessly.
Now. Ellsworth, I claim that the
soul OF Miss Prudence knew perfectly
well what was happening. and loved
Horton. and was trying its hardest to
obiiterate the false image OF Roach
without letting Miss Prudence know"
Ellsworth smiled incredulously.
Proceed" he said.
Miss Prudence had to 60 to Bos-
ton on business. She had never left
the village before. Horton was to es-
cort her there and back. on the same
day By this time the two were like
brother and sister.
They reached Boston and had
lunch together, transacted the bust,
ness and started homeward taking
the elevated to the North station. Miss
Prudence wanted the papers. They
went to the paper and magazine booth,
and there, behind the counter, stood
Roach.
The supreme moment had come
Horton did not know what to do. He
stared at Roach. who had turned the
color Of chalk. and both were waiting
for Miss Prudence to look up at
Roach. She picked UP one or two pa
pers and magazine. got her purse
open. and stared full into Roach
face.
Miss Prudence" Roach burst out.
and stopped again. for Miss Pru.
dence's hand was lying placidly upon
the counter and she was staring right
into Roach's eyes and never saw or
heard him.
Isn't 1t queer" she said to Horton,
that they leave all these papers and
magazines around without anyone to
sell them"
She put down the money and walk.
ed away. Roach, of course. thought 1t
WAS an deliberately staged cut He
couldn't have understood Miss Pru-
dence. But Horton did. He knew that
for her, Roach had been non.eviden-
tial. There was no possibility Of her
there was no quaver in her voice nor
a shake OF the hand az she sat down
beside Horton In the train"
Your theory Is very ingenious"
said Ellsworth, when the doctor had
ended. but those cases are we'll
known to science. When one sus-
tains deep psychic wound the per-
sonality sometimes sloughs part Of
itself away. We have those classic
cases Of double personality. for exam
pie. In which the patient is absolutely
unable to recognize those whom he
has known before, and sometimes to
see them, even.'
Wait a minute" said the doctor
ION the way home Horton, who was
greatly distressed. renewed his suit.
He couldn't restrain himself; he was
terrified, too, and wanted to have the
right to take care of the girl. He
asked her to marry him.
why, | have loved you all my
life. dear she answered. There wasn't
the smallest hesitation on her part
about accepting him. She remembered
Roach. but she never remembered
that she had been engaged TO him.
And 1t is my opinion that she would
never even have seen him. had he
stood up In front Of her at any later
date. Fortunately. she was not put to
the test. Roach died In a hospital
year or two afterward
We'll. Ellsworth" said the doctor.
rising. that is how Miss Prudence
met evil. and It's no use your telling
me there wasn't something that pro-
tected her from knowledge Of evil.
from madness, perhaps. Good night"