Charlevoix county herald., 1920-08-06


saw you look so robust. There's res
onance in your voice It's no use af-
fecting the Boston accent. You can't
disguise your voice."
"Sir, it is you who insist upon a
practical joke because of fancied re-
semblance," declared the young man,
his blue eyes glinting with annoyance.
"Fancied !" exclaimed the lady.
81 beg your pardon, madam" he re-
piled, and he presented his card TO her.
"As you see, my name is Richard Clin-
ton. l am on my way through to the
Coast and am stopping over in Denver
only for the change of cars"
"Ah, yes, to be sure" she murmured,
her eyes on his card. $50 stupid of us.
Pray pardon me a moment"
She turned her shoulder to him and
leaned forward to hand the card to her
portly companion.
"Ohl what can 1t be, Karl?" she
whispered. "See Ito have had cards
engraved! He really seems to be seri-
Gus, and it's so unlike him to joke. Can
it be possible that his loss Of mem-
ory-that 1t has failed entirely?"
The bushy eyebrows of the gentle
man came down over his keen eyes,
and his face clouded with concern.
Possiblel Possiblev" he muttered.
"Amnesia - dissertation - secondary
personality! My dear, it's not onlys
possible; it's highly probable And l
thought he was joking, poor boy!"
"Hushl Leave it to me. We must
detain him. He cannot be allowed to
leave town."
"No, no!-while In this state-im-
possiblel !"
The lady turned to the young man
with an air of gracious apology. "Mr.-
Clinton, you hear my husband. We
cannot allow you to leave the state
without first having made amends to
you for this-this annoying mistake"
Pardon me, rather, for my rude
ness," he hastened to reply.
"It must have seemed to you so i'm
pertinent" she insisted. "Only, you
see, our friend-Will Lowrie, you
know" She paused expectantly, but
his clear gaze betrayed no more than
polite attention. She flung up her
hand in a little gesture of bewilder-
ment. "You are Willard yet your
expression Pardon me, but If only
you realized what an extraordinary re-
semblancel AS was going to
say, Mr.. Lowrie has been away more
than half a year. He was quite Ill
when my husband took him east.
This-it is as if ne had come back to
us strong and WELL"
"a perfectly natural mistake" the
young man good-humoredly reassured
her. 1.-TWO persons between whom
there is only a moderately close re-
semblance are often mistaken for one
another when apart, though their diff.
ferences, once they are together, may
be very noticeable"
"But you and WILL" she replied.
"EveD after your explanation 1 have
to refuse to believe my own eyes. ]
have no doubt that my husband, as
well as myself Pardon me. l am
Mrs. Kirkland, and this Is my husband
Mr.. Clinton-Doctor Kirkland"
The young man met the introduction
with manner nicely balanced between
well-bred reserve and cordial warmth.
He bowed to the lady and stepped for.
ward alongside the car to grasp the
chubby hand Of the physician.
ut is a happy case Of mistaken iden.
tity that gives me the pleasure of your
acquaintance" he remarked.
"Very!" agreed the physician, mask.
ing his diagnosing scrutiny under be.
nevolent smile. "The pleasure is not
all yours, Mr.-Clinton."
Indeed, no, Mr.. Clinton" viva.
ciously confirmed the lady. "Even II
it were for no more than your resem-
blance to Will It's simply absurd
how like you are. have to keep re-
minding myself that you are not he. 1t
makes me feel quite as If you were an
old friend. How long did you say you
expect to remain In town."
my train leaves shortly before
midnight"
"Not tonight7
"Yes."
"But that never will dol You say
you are a stranger In Denver. You
must stop over a few days at least to
see our beautiful city. You are not
hurried by businessT
He hesitated. Denver has the name
of being a cold town to strangers"
"That is baseless calumny, as we
shall prove to you," she declared with
redoubled graciousness. "Since we
have become acquainted In this de-
lightfully unconventional manner you
must pardon the unconventionality of
an Invitation to dine with us on such
short notice"
at is most kind of you," he acknowl-
edged. "But my trunk"
mo, no; just as you are-quite In
formal" she forestalled his objection.
He could not resist her cordiality