The Washington times., 1918-07-04
Part one-(cOutinusD

riage was hopelessiy broken on he
continued. -Is this trueTs
I'm afraid So" said Lillian. with
some sympathy. sMra. Barnard
was very angry and vowed that she
would accept no apology from you"
Il shall not make one" he sighed:
mot. at any rate. with q view to
renewing the engagement It
would not be fair TO Angela to aAI<
her to marry = man afflicted as
am" Ali his brusque good humor
or speech had deserted him: he was
. broken man. ''You will believe
me-" he continued. that I never
attached the Importance TO my
trouble that II deserved? told
you last night that II never affect
cd me in any way. and thought
Il could be 50 easily explained to
Angela on the score Of business.
But nov-uov ] think I mast BE
mad"
mo. no. cried lillian, anxious q
comfort him. -It Is not 50 bad as
. that Probably when you are ex-
cited or worried By business you
somehow forget your own identity.
and then you may. without know
ing Il. pick up the thread Of some
other existence and follow that for
the few days that you are away,
follow II TIL your own personality
reasserts itself. II is very strange,
OF course. but have heard Of such
eases"
-And my other existence he
asked bitterly. IF what you say
10 correct, what am IN that exist
ence7 A thug. . beggar or q bur
glar? How came 10 be burglinG
my own house7 Why. might
have been seized by the police and
arrested for stealing my own prop
erty" He laughed harshly. what
q positioni Think of it, In q few
weeks, suppose. I shall be on
again. and than Who knows what
may happen?S
~You must bs watched" said
Lillian. firmly.
And who win watch msF
Dual Identity q SeereG
with your permission. VIII"
She met his eyes fully and spoke
with discrimination NO one
knows OF your extraordinary dou-
BILE identity but myself No one
else shall know. Let me md out
how you DO indeed pass your time.
and then perhaps we may ind .
cure No disease can Be healed
until II has been successfully
diagnosed"
"And viii you do thisT' be asked,
his voice trembling ~Oh, God In
heaven, II with your help I may
overcome this madness. feel myself
once more possessed of elf-respect,
be able honestly to ask Angela to
forgive me and be my wife. would
vilhngly-hoW willingly-pay you
what said last night-half q mil
lion OF money. More than that, II
you wished it-hAlf my fortune
for what is money to me under
these circumstances? For whom
have I made it7 / have no son to
leave Il to, and I shall never have
q son unless am healed Of my mai
ady."
7 VIII do my best she saId
You must trust me. and you must
let me have a free hand. I must
watch you to and from your o1lca.
and I must spend the days in the
neighborhood of the Office fancy
that it IS from there that you
usually set out on these expedf-
tions. and to the Office that you
usually return Do you not think
that this Is 80 yourselfF'
Yes" he replied, "but have
never before been conscious OF a
change Of clothes. I generally set
out to go somewhere in the city.
and the next thing remember Is
that am walking back to my Of
nee about the same time OF day,
clad just as when I went out. but
when / get In Thompson tells me
that have been away for q week.
II has never seemed anything to
me but the same day. Thompson
wanted to follow me, but
wouldn't let him. and the other
clerks-welL it's not their busi-
ness. Nobody else but Rachel
knew anything about It"
How long has this state Of Gf-
fairs lasted?" ask Lillian She was
throwing herself into this new in
vestigation with Zest The man re-
sponded obediently to all her ques-
tons
GeIdenstefn Tells Story.
I'VE lived" he said, my parents.
my sister and I, on Cherry HILL I
grew up there. I left them when
I was twenty to make my own
way. They died soon after. I had
a little shop, a general dealera-
He spoke humbly; his pride had
fallen from him "It paid, and
made q start with q friend upon
my profits. That was the start Of
my fortune. think my strange
disappearanca must have begun
with my business life"
After a few more questions Lillian
that the safe should be
opened, and that the bundle placed
Ihere overnight should be exam
ined. To this course Won Gelden-
stein consented He opened the
safe with a key which he produced
from the recesses OF his desk
Lillian took out the bundle for
the man seemed chary OF touching
It. The dirty cap fell at his feet
and he kicked II angrily away
The knot was obstinate, but after
a vigorous tug. II yielded and fell
open. Man and woman stopped
low TO see the contents.
Suddenly the man uttered a Wild
cry and sprang back as II he had
been struck.
LOOK. look" he screamed.
What Is it," Lillian saw little
but heap OF old clothes and nick
nAcks
THE gold nugget" he cried. See
on the top-the gold nugget and
the pearl buttons, Jehovah. what
An What am r.