The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-09-13
%. My %.
Other Self
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

l live alone with my servants, wo-
man cook and a housemaid. l am
fifty years old, tall for woman and
with grizzly gray hair. wear glasses,
and as have trouble with one eye the
glass before that eye is colored light
amber
These details are necessary to an I'M
Outstanding of an incident l am about
to relate.
One afternOOn-or rather evening
for the day was fading-I went home
after shopping, opened the front door
with my latchkey and went upstairs to
my room. The door was open, and
woman was standing before the mir
ror Of the bureau powdering her face
l saw her reflection In the glass, and
what was my establishment to see my
self. If I had any doubt the woman
was l, 1t was dispelled by seeing that
one of pair of glasses she wore was
colored and was amber.
While l was gazing at her she sud
denly caught sight of me, and her face
took on the same expression as mine.
She was apparently as much aston
ished at seeing me as / was at seeing
her. Indeed, she caught at the bureau
for support. l felt very much like
catching at something for support my
self, but 1t occurred to me that l had
better keep grip on myself and re-
tain my faculties that l might find out
what this strange occurrence meant.
Nevertheless | will admit that | was
obliged to make a great effort to do so.
who are you?" l stammered.
"Who are your asked the other,
looking ready to faint.
Il am Wilhelmina Bunting"
NO. no, no. gasped the woman.
You cannot be. | am Wilhelmina Bunt-
ling. Go away! Do please. go away
l strained my eyes to discover some
want of resemblance between the wo-
man and myself IT was shortly before
the time for lighting the lamps, and
of course l could not distinguish mi
nor parts as we'll as if I had seen her
at MONDAY, but she was my height and
build, had the same grizzly gray hair
as l, with two short curls on each tenn
pie. But more convincing than all else
was the amber colored glass before her
left eye. And yet l doubt if this was
more staggering than the fact that the
woman seemed to be even more appall-
ed at seeing me than [ was at seeing
her
The first explanation that occurred to
me was that had been stricken with
some brain trouble. But l had been
feeling as well up to the very moment
l saw this strange reflection Of myself
as had ever felt in my life. And not
withstanding its appearance l now felt
myself 70 be in a perfectly normal
condition. ! was conscious also that
this woman was not a shade, but a per
son Of flesh and blood. Perhaps it was
this consciousness that enabled me to
get my first grip on myself. l began TO
throw off the idea that I had brain
trouble or disOrdered vision or any
thing of a physical nature that would
cause me to see double me. The wo-
man actions in that case should be an
exact duplicate Of mine. They We're
not. Her motions were not in unison
with mine, though they were similar to
mine
Next came a suspicion that my dou.
bic was playing me. As soon as got
control Of my faculties l began to see
that her actions were not altogether
spontaneous. There was something
forced IN them In other words. l real
lied that she was acting a part. At
least | suspected she was. l had no
theory as to what would induce her to
do this. 1t simply seemed to me that
she did it,
BY this time was in a condition to
ask questions
when did you come here?' 1 asked.
II came in about half an hour ago"
Where from?"
~ had shopping"
She hestated before speaking the
last word 1t seemed to me that she
was deliberating what answer to make
to my question. But had been shop
ping myself, and the reply tended to
discomfort me However. by this Tina
the woman had recovered some of her
equauimity and seemed to me to be
| bracing herself for an examination. 1t
suddenly flashed upon me that her ap-
| pearance in my house was for a pur-
pose. Quickly Withdrawing, | stepped
back into the hall and, pulling the door
| after me, locked it.
Whatever had been the woman's oh
! iect-if indeed she We're real woman
and had an object-she was II prisoner,
| for there was but one door TO my bed
room, and there was no means for her
escape. l staggered to the telephone
| and, calling a friend. told my story
somewhat incOherently, it is true. but
managed to make her understand me.
She came right over and after satisfy
! ing herself that | was of sound body
and mind advised ME to send for the
police.
Well. the upshOt of the matter was
that the woman had seen me buying
| iewelry, Of which am fond. though |
seldom decorate myself with it. and, no
ticing our similar personal appearance
decided to get herself up like me, i'm