The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-11-09
A DOUBLE IDENTITY i

By AUGUSTUS a. sHERWIN.

- - - -
Whatever was stirring-or wouldn't
stir-in the mind of the man dubbed
Johnson" he kept along with his
work, acting In dense automatic
fashion. Always q question In his
thoughts as to his environment, the
circumstances, his companionsi Al
ways a dim picture of some far past
where he had been quite anothertn-
dividual-or was 1t dream?
He was Johnson" for those in the
boarding house called him that. He
was listed as johnson" at the plant.
In the midst Of occupation sudden
spur of awakening thought would halt
him in the work he was at. His mind
went cropping, but not far. He would
shake his head obviously and resume
the dreary treadmill of accepted rou-
tine.
One evening when he arrived at the
old boarding house, the landlady
called him into her own living rooms.
There sat two little children--a girl of
four, and a lad of six.
your dead brothers children" In
troduced the landlady bluntly.
"My-dead- brothers chiIdren!"
murmured johnson mechanically. "Oh.
yes, yes. Yes, indeed"
You see, they are without home
or relative, except you. He died in
Macon, fifty miles away, and told the
neighbors you would care for them.
You look troubled, SIR, and confused.
will harbor the dear little ones until
you get your bearings and decide what
you will do with them"
Il see," nodded Johnson in a lost
dreary way. Thanks"
The puzzle of existence was now
humbly accepted by him. He kept on
working at the plant. He shut out the
strange dreams that came into his
mind. Evenings he would sit with the
children and amuse them. His life
became work and they-that only.
All this time Mrs. Alice Messenger,
lady residing in fashionable quar-
ter of the big city. was mourning her
| life away over the strange inexplicable
disappearance of her husband, Arnold
Messenger.
| He had been q good husband, but
not good to himself. Left fortune,
he had married woman he loved and
who returned the affection, but he had
q serious fault-he was convivialist.
always that, and fast degenerating
into q confirmed inebriate.
Mrs. Messenger sat in tears in her
elegant drawing room. With her was
the family doctor and the family law
yer.
| mo trace. madam. am grieved to
say" the latter was remarking. Il
fear foul play"
/ Il do not countenance that deci-
sion," demurred the doctor "As have
often told Mr. Messenger, he was slow
| ~ undermining brain and nerves by
the use of stimulants and narcotics.
| / believe these have overcome him,
casting cloud over his brain, and,
while thus temporarily deranged, he
has wandered away to distance"
"oh, try. try to find him." sobbed
Mrs. Messenger.
Rewards were offered in the newspa-
| pers, but no trace discovered as to
the whereabouts or fate of the missing
man. Then one day Mrs. Messenger,
gazing listlessly from window. ut.
tered q scream as she saw man
come up the front steps.
i Then her eager loyal heart died
down within her, for then she saw
that the person she had mistaken for
her husband was quite another person.
| She went to the door and opened 1t.
MRS. Messinger?" questioned the
visitor, shifty-eyed. coarse-looking
man. Then, as she nodded assent,
he added: Il am wearing your hus-
bands clothes, as believe you per-
ceive. ! saw your advertisement /
have not come for the reward. On
the contrary. ask you to deliver me
up to Justice"
"But-my husband!" cried the lady.
He is"
Alive, madam"
| "Oh. take me to him. bring him
here!" pleaded the distracted wife.
when have told my cruel, wicked
story, madam insisted this strange
visitor. Listen. madam; my name
| is johnson. I tried to find honest
work. l failed. I came across your
husband In hopeless condition.
drugged his drink. l led him to the
wretched quarters where l lived, ap-
propriated his clothes and what money
they contained-and e1oped.''
Where Is he? oh, tell me quick
ly!" begged the anxious lady.
Il will, In a moment. When I abb
seconded. supposed your husband
would wake up in the morning, realize
that he had received a good lesson
and go his way. The strong drug l
used, along with the drink, must have
turned his brain. for yesterday I
sneaked back to the old tenement
house to find that he had taken my
place as II he had been Mr.. Johnson
all his life. Madam" and the mans
voice broke, Il found something else.
A poor dead brother of mine had sent
two little tots to me. Your husband,
loving them, caring for them, shows
the good man he is. Come, and | viii
take You to your lost husband"
It was swift automobile that took
Mrs. Messenger, the real Johnson and
the doctor and the lawyer in quest
of the real Arnold Messenger.
Science and medical skill soon re-
stored the clouded mind to its normal
functions.
( The lonely home greeted the two
little children lovingly. johnson was
found decent employment, and Arnold
Messenger was changed and better
man.