Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
By H. De We're Stacpoole
Copyright. 1918, by John Lane Co
with the dukes bandanna handker-

He stopped at the drawing room
door.
Look here" said he, zone moment
can prove what say You send out
a man to Philadelphia and make in
aulries, fetch some Of the people over
mat knew me-, Yeu'H And Im-my-
self and that I've told you no lie"
I'VE will do anything you like" said
Simms, but first let US go down to
the library" -.
They went. 1t was a large. pleasant
room lined with books.
Sfmms sat down at the writing ia
BILE, while the others took chairs. He
wrote a prescription. and the duke,
ringing the bell. ordered a servant to
take the prescription to the chemists
Then. during the twenty minutes
DeInre the servant returned they talk
ca. Jones, giving again his address,
that fantastic address, which was yet
real-and the names and descriptions
or people he knew and who would
know him.
You see, gentlemen" said he, it's
just this, l have only one crave in life
just now-to be myself again. Not ex-
actly that, but to be recognized as my
self You can't imagine what that
feeling is. You needn't tell me. j
know exactly what you think. you
think I'm Rochester gone crazy. I
know the yarn I've Slung you sounds
crazy, but it's the truth. The fact is
I've felt at times that If | didn't get
some one to recognize me as myself
I'd go crazy. Just one person to be-
lieve in me, that's all | want and then
Id feel free of this cursed Rochester.
Put yourself in my place. Imagine
that you have lost touch with every
thing you ever were, that you were
playing another mans part and that
every one in the world kept on insist
ing you were the other guy. Thint of
that for nnSitinn WHY
YOU might open that door wide. I
wouldn't want to go out, not till had
convinced one of you, at all events.
that my story was true. / wouldn't
want to go back to the states, not tin
| had convinced you that | am who /
am. 1t seems foolish, but it's bed
rock fact. l have to make good on
this position. convince Some one who
knows the facts and so get myself
back. 1t wouldn't be any use my GO
ing to Philadelphia. ia say to people
! know there, I'm Jones' They'd say,
or course you are and believe me.
But then, do you see, they Wouldn't
know of this adventure and their be-
l,ef in me wouldn't be q bit Of good.
or course | know I'm Jones. All the
same I've been PLAYING the part Of
Rochester so hard that times I've al
most believed I'm him. Times I've
lost myself, and ! have a feeling at
the back of my mind that If don't
am may go dotty in earnest. It's
a feeling without reason. ! know.
It's more like having n grit in the
eye than anything else. ] want to get
rid of that grit and | can't take 1t out
myself, some one else must do it, one
person would be enough, just one per
son to believe in what I say, and !
would be myself again. That's why |
want you to send to Philadelphia. The
mind Is curious thing. gentlemen:
the freedom OF the body is nothing If
the mind is not free, and my mind
can never be free till another person
who knows my whole story believes
in what say. could not have imaG-
ined any one being trapped like this
I've heard of an actor guy once play
ing a part so often he went loony and
fancied himself the character. I'm
not like that; I'm as sane as you. It's
Just this uneasy. uncomfortable feel
ing-this want to get absolutely clean
out Of this business, that's the trou-
BILE"
Never mindr' said Simms, cheer
fully I'VE will get you out. only you
must not worry yourself I admit that
your story is strange, but we VIII