Show HIS I uS SECOND SELF A NOVEL J SYNOPSIS Joan Wentworth a a. country girl is ill employed a aa as a nurse nura in th the Southern hospital at nt Avonmouth presided over OYer b by Dr John Lancaster a bully and a manot man manof of ot bole oo character She faints faint during her herf f first D DoP oP operation and d she ahe e to his hta nou houe o n nto r hae gk rr to b beg t c to get her position back To her hr astonishment Lancaster appears alto alto- alto 1 Kelher different he U ill manifestly Ill HI and gentle with her lie He says she ehe needs a change while her and cane cao a offers l Is being bIni her I 1 a considered temporary at post poat the Institute In the tho hIlt hill country founded by hi his hi father with the Lancaster fund Joan KOta IOS to Lancaster the tho name of the hill hili village and finds a dilapidated old ohl building with a colored doctor a 1 matron and n a crazed woman Mrs Mra Dana who Is Ia locked Jacked In her room There is Ia a au super per per- named Myers whom Joan dis- dis Ilk Next day lay she ahe Is Ia surprised to e tI Lancaster come down to the Institute has hall a quarrel with Myers who takes her Into the doctors doctor's room and anti hows howa h hz h. r Lancaster Insensible from An overdose overdo of morphine Joan discovers that h he in Is act ad- dieted to the drug druC Lancaster lIter bs s h her r n L d him fight g the h habit b and a grim battle e ensues e first I B with I the e drug fh then with Myers l whom Joan suspects of try- try InK to induce Lancaster to continue the habit 1 I Continued from yesterday She led It'd ed the doctor In a chase before I promised him they say Bay nut Hut the I very try da day before their marriage was Wall to i bave been she left lett her home without a ai i I ii-d ii to anyone to go jo oft off with another I Iman man roan who's never been discovered I broke the doctor up lie took to I II I I I drugs druga then they tell toll me The institute been a big place before It stood over mer on Morley's lorley's hill hili but It burned down clown one night and we wo took this old farmhouse And the tho doctor was using the funds they said and wasn't responsible re responsible re- re at nil The trustees found that the money mone was gone Nobody knew where It went ent because the tho doctor had his own Inheritance and he be wasn't the man manto to steal to-steal Steal or squander They wouldn't do anything to him because ot of his I tam family amily II but they put Mr Myers 1 In charge of ot the tho finances That's all None of ot us liked him but what could we do about It lie He was here when Dr Jenki Jenkins s and I were appointed and andas andIS andas as S soon as we wo understood ho how matters were we agreed to sta stay as long as we could and try to help the doctor jl Mrs Fraser I t want t to know why Mr Myers Incited Dr Lancaster to use uso morphine said ald Joan I Miss Atlas Wentworth Wentworth- You know ho he did You told me so And Dr Jenkins knows 1 The matron looked a agitated What could we do she sho cried Suppose we I knew what can two people do against a anian man man like Myers Suppose we ha haIll had I Ill said Jd so so who would have ha believed us I We did all we could do and we all alii love 10 the doctor and would rather stay with him and help where we could than be discharged and do nothing She looked at Joan piteously like achild a child oil caught In wrongdoing I know you ou did your best answered the gIrl T But why should hould Dr Lancaster Lancaster Lan Lan- caster Onster stay here In Myers Myers' power in instead In- In stead of ot at his home In Avonmouth I where here he Is respected and powerful Nothing of ot all this is known there Tho The matron wrung her hands I Ilio lio t ofen t know sho she answered I I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose the man has hag had him b by tho the throat In more ways than we wo know Whenever the doctor used to go to Avonmouth Mr Myers would go with him and generally hed he'd come backwith backwith back backwith with him Miss 1 Wentworth till tin you came here hers the doctor wasn't a man what with hi his drugs and tho hold Mr Tr Ir dyers Myers had over him he was just a a. machine And Mr Myers was the driver Joan had the feeling that she should not lIsten to the matrons matron's talk about Lancaster it seemed disloyal to her but bat she felt too that she must know more and speedily if it she was to thwart that menacing evil which she I sensed more and more clearly as aR the I moments pass passed d Aye ye but theres there's worse than that continued l Mrs l Frazer dropping her voice I spoke to you of ot the es ts when the doctor has come back from Avonmouth not a n man but a devil I IJ T J sal said Id I'd shoot him then and not I think It was the doctor who lay dead before me Those are the times when Mr Ir dyers Myers has pulled and pulled until he has lisa pulled the doctor down to his hison own on I level fI Only two or three times Mist Wentworth but the village knows what he Is then That's why the people pee peo I pIe wont won't come coma here when they are ill O 0 O. O Its It's pitiful then Mi Miss Wentworth and my mv heart has bled when Ive I've I looked Into the doctors doctor's face and seen Iten I Ithe I the eyes of a lost soul my heart I I has bled In tn spite of ot m my frs fears For hes he's j I j terrible then Miss IllIs Wentworth a dif different I dlf-I dIfferent dIf dIf- ferent man a wicked man and Id I'd rather see the doctor lying dead be beme be- be I I tore fore me than see him like that But what am ant I 1 telling you you this for tor when that hoodoos hoodoo's gone forever and thank thanks to you the doctor will wUl never be like that again Joan rose I 1 know that trouble Is at an end she be said And I am sure Dr Lancaster Is I. Incapable of having I misappropriated that money And nd If j I Mr Myers made him think he had done dont so 80 when he was under the In InI Influence In- In fluence of ot morphine anti and has baa been I blackmailing him that has come to an end too Yes Miss Wentworth And even ItI If It I the doctor did use the tho money for tor some purpose or other ho lie wasn't sible They went toward the door Al Although Although Although Al- Al though she ahe was not aware of ot It Joan was straining her ears to hear hoar through th the dripping rain sin the sound of ot the buggy wheels She had been nearly an hour In Mrs Frasers Fraser's room TI sense Bense i I of ot Imminent danger was growing stronger but hut with it was relief that i the hour was wall come She Sho felt that the j revelation was at hand However terI ter- ter I I rifle that coming battle was to be at atIt least It would be bo a blind battle no longer The women looked at each other a a. little uneasily Each had something to tobe tobe tobe be concealed J presently Mrs Fraser spoke Dr Lancaster could never do without with- with I I out you now Miss Wentworth entworth she said significantly I Joan hesitated There was a n. challenge challenge chal- chal lenge In the words but she sho bared Lancaster's Lancaster Instructions to her herI herto to say nothing about their engagement engage- engage ment She could not break themI them I Miss lIss Wentworth entworth said the tho matron placing her hand on the girls girl's arm ann firmly theres something else I t ought to have hass told you about Mrs Dana Dana Dana- Hark Interrupted Joan holding up her hand for silence allence They had heard a long distance away and Inaudible to one whose at attention attention at- at was not strained like j theia the sound of ot the wheels of ot Jenkins Jenkins' buggy bugS It was he who told me that I could never break off oft who urged me to continue continue continue con con- the use of ot it with sophistical ar argumEnts arguments arguments ar- ar which I 1 had not the ener energy to oppose I t had been five years away from A Avonmouth The people at the Southern hospital believed me dead and I 1 did not undeceive them I never meant to return When I came here It was always by night to this man whom I 1 believed to be my friend to avoid shaming our name In the eyes of ot Mill Mill- yule ville Thus none ever saw us together and Lawson and I resembled each ach other as much as we do today More I t hope John sneered the other The life one leads tells as the years eRrs go by Nobody in these parts had seen me since I was a boy I 1 had left lett home young and studied at Johns Hopkins and abroad Lawson had taken my name The old neighbors had gone one away and If It any of ot the country folk have long memories they have close tongues too The matron and Jenkins I are both newcomers I 1 had passed out I of or memory This devil saw his chance and grasped at It he went on with Ith sudden vehemence Here was the famous Dr Lancaster a broken map an outcast and believed In Avonmouth to be long since dead And here was the Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster Lan Lan- caster known to and Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster Lan Lan- caster village at the head of ot this In inI in- in Why shouldn't he get me to take tako his place here while he went to I Avonmouth and claimed to be I Lawson Lawson Lawson Law- Law son was as ambitious He wanted to be something bigger than the superintendent superintend superintend- I ent of ot a little hill bill institute And he lie heI I wanted to get his fingers on the trust I fund at Avonmouth Do I wrong you he ho demanded turning fiercely upon the I other Not in the least you ou honor me said Lawson with a suave bow I wanted to take the fund out of ot your yourI worthless supervision and devote it to I proper uses This must be be stopped shouted Myers with a sudden Interposition Dr I Lancaster ancaster you are saying things I that you will regret tomorrow You are turning to bite the hand that fed you ou Where here would you ou be today save for tor Dr Lawson A dead man in a paupers pauper's grave gravel lie Ha persuaded me as Iwas I Iwas was WI by the morphine with which he heI I hart hall been beau dosing me Lancaster re resumed resumed re- re without paying the least attention attention atten atten- I tion to the secretary lie He was to take takeI I my place In Avonmouth while I could assume charge here pretend to have an illness I which would account for tor any change in my aspect and character Nobody Nobody No- No body would know lenow the difference difference and and L nobody has known the difference Here he told me I could he be free to brood lover over my unhappy life while he th the clever schemer taking up my past I I aJ s s I r t r 4 t 4 i. i i k 4 I i k s. s t. t i S SS' lIe Jit drew her toward him I could adapt it to his own lie He con convinced con colt conI I vinced me Joan gasped as she began to understand understand understand under under- stand the enormity of ot the crime And it was true she could read that truth in Lawsons Lawson's face tace his pride in the ex exploit ex- ex Lawson was actually smirking as he had smirked in the operating theatre I consented and he be went away said Lancaster My Iy recollection of the months that followed is necessarily adim a adim dim one I 1 know lenow however that I 1 was In no state to take care of ot the funds I They disappeared and I 1 was accused of ot having embezzled them If It I did dill that I 1 did In my dreams I I the trouble with you John said Lawson You dream too much I The question is is what did you do with them Bury Dury them You cant can't have spent thirty thousand dollars upon morphine I 1 have accepted and borne the burden burden burden bur bur- den of ot the guilt cried Lancaster This man Myers was placed in charge I Thereafter he was ever at my elbow urging me upon the downward path I When hen I would make an effort to break off oft my habit he would whisper to me that my life lite was ruined that the I charge of ot embezzlement would be I pressed if It ever er I returned to Avon- Avon I mouth lIe He would advise ise me to take I my drug and forget forget forget- You are lying you dreamer yelled the secretary You lie He and you I know It it I When you came caine John I 1 was all allbut allbut allbut but hopeless I 1 had caught at your aid I as my last hope because that day you came to me your face looked good and strong too and you spoke so and it was years since I 1 had known any anyone one like you rou And you seemed I to have been sent to me Religious hallucination said Lawson Lawson Law- Law son tapping his forehead significantly i Nevertheless Joan could se se that he i iwas j was growing uneasy as the plot was unraveled I It was a a. miracle that meeting one of ot those chances that seem reserved to uncover such conspiracies For though this man had stolen my name and and here a touch of ot pride was visible on Lancaster's face there face there was one thing he ho could not do He could not perform the Lancaster operation though he had picked m my brains durIng during during dur dur- ing the weeks in which he kept me here a prisoner In one room And so from time Ume to time he compelled compelled com corn me to go to Avonmouth under I the charge of ot Myers in order to op op- op erate crate He laid down the regulations I was to dress and mask alone I was to speak as little as possible and to leave hastily after I 1 had finished my work And he always sent me there therewith therewith therewith with a full fun Injection of ot the drug in my body I was as too weak to resist too much under the thumb of ot Myers here hert Doctor wont won't you OU stop this painful recitation of ot hallucinations pleaded the secretary to Lawson You know tomorrow he will retract everything The day came continued Lancaster when a a. committee of visiting surgeons surgeons surgeons sur sur- sur- sur geons was to witness the operation He thought that he had learned It His vanity led him to go to the hospital In person after he had brought me to Avonmouth The patient died but he alone was responsible for tor that And i that is where you come into the case I Joan I managed to get word with you and Myers followed you OU to this institute tute In order to forestall me mp if It pos pos- Jos- Jos sible Dr Dx Lancaster you OU did not steal the funds said Joan calmly Do you not see the hold these two men have ha managed managed man man- aged aed to obtain over o you They stole the funds and their object in drugging you ou was to get rid of you ou the tho sole evidence evi I dence denee of their crime by your death I And so not daring to murder you they planned that you OU should hould commit sui sui- sui- sui cide answer for that shouted the secretary white with rage Lancaster shrugged his shoulders It lt doesn't matter now my dear he said But Dut he be had struck Lawson through his triple hide of ot vanity at last But Dut that Isn't aft aH shouted hout d the man I Admit that there ma may be a substratum of truth in these morphine dream dreams of yours John Lancaster Admit that IWa I Iwas Wa was 8 ambitious and that I 1 did take the place my had forfeited In I order to to be of or use to the world orid and In order to save you from a felons felon's cell or a maniacs maniac's grave Acknowledge that I did impersonate you ou tonight as before that I 1 came carne back with Myers in order to get rid of ot this girl who threatened to the disrupt Institute and put a drug drunkard in the office I hold Well Yell what then That isn't all the story You have played your miserable game gamo craftily John Lancaster after atter having made a fair agreement with me But Ive I've done my duty toward you I and your fathers father's fund and if It he were alive he would thank me for it ii And Andas Andas I as for this girl she can go and if It her ravings receive credence anywhere IllI Ill I'll I face a Jury and tell tho the truth fearlessly I But nut you haven't explained everything everything every every- thing to your our poor dupe John You haven't told her where your sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart Is You haven't said that all aU the while you |