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Show HIS IRSEJATO It Is Each Man's Double and Becomes Be-comes Harmless When Conquered. By ALTON EDWARDS. Nobody except the Governor knew that he had a double not even the Governor's wife, who knew him, perhaps, per-haps, better than anybody else. The two men resembled each other so completely com-pletely that It would have been Impossible Impos-sible for their most intimate acquaintances acquaint-ances to distinguish them. If there was any distinction, it was that the expression of character and sincerity upon the face of the state's chief executive ex-ecutive was replaced, upon the face of the other man, by a certain furtive cunning. From his earliest years Governor Haines had been engaged in a constant con-stant fight against this man. He had Intruded Into his life, had placed him In invidious positions, had, in general, committed actions which had needed all the governor's ability to nullify. And he had followed him even to the executive chamber, blackmailing him, offering compromises, threatening. The executive mansion was totally unguarded. In that sleepy litle capital town formalities had not come into favor. The double strolled quietly across the lawn, entered the mansion and made hlB way to the Governor's office. of-fice. His secretary, nodding at his desk, bowed to him, unconscious that this could be anybody but the Governor Haines he knew. "Mr. Searles has telephoned that he will be here In half an hour, sir," said the secretary. The double nodded, passed into the executive chamber and sat down at his desk. That he had an intimate knowledge of all the Governor's business was evident, evi-dent, for he began scrutinizing papers and emptying pigeon holes and reading read-ing memoranda. But' he was awalt-l..g awalt-l..g the arrival of Searles, the state boss, with ill-concealed impatience. He knew that the man was interested In the proposed street railroad franchise, fran-chise, that he had been pestering Governor Gov-ernor Haines for weeks to sign the bill now awaiting his decision. And he had not omitted to threaten. It meant the Governor's political future, the decision de-cision which was Impending. The secretary looked In. "Mr. Searles Is waiting to see you, sir," he said. The state boss entered. He was evidently evi-dently ill at ease, for he held his hat tightly ani1. sat down nervously In the "I've Finished With You." chair which the double offered him. The double swung round in his own chair and faced his visitor. "You have called with regard to that railroad franchise bill?" he asked. Searles cleared his throat and nodded. nod-ded. Then, placing his hat down on the Governor's desk, he began: "Now, Governor Haines, we have threshed this matter out, among others, oth-ers, for a long time. I have tried to ally you with the better interests of the state, but I have failed. I have pointed out to you that I may speak plainly?' "Surely," answered the double, smiling, smil-ing, and something In the double's expression ex-pression sent new hope into SearleB' heart. Hitherto he had always been up against an impermeable barrier of character and rectitude. Now this man seemed almost to cringe before him. Searles had not ruled men for thirty years for nothing. He knew that this was the moment to terrorize to bully. These means would succeed suc-ceed where others had failed. "You got my letter. Governor?" he asked, his lips parting "in a wolfish smile. "Well, it amounts to this. If you don't sign that bill you won't have the renomination next year. That, of course, goes without saying. But I'm going to do more than that. I'm going to drive you out of public life altogether. alto-gether. Twenty-five years ago, when you were a young man, you were Involved In-volved in a scandal. You know what I mean. The people of this state won't tau 4 for anything of that kind In their chief magistrate. W1M you sign the bill or will you be exposed?" "The man who was involved in that scandal was not I. It was a double of mine," thought the double; but ol course It was not to his interest to betray be-tray himself. He merely looked at Searles with a faint smile. And Searles understood that smile. "Let us come to the point, Governor," Gover-nor," he said. "It's no use shillyshallying shilly-shallying or beating about the bush." He drew a paper from his pocket bearing bear-ing the Governor's signature. "This ia your obligation for five thousand, dollars," dol-lars," he paid. "May I tear this into pieces and throw them into your waste-basket?" It was strange, the extraordinary re vulsion that came over the double. He had his enemy at his mercy, this Governor Haines who had hated him since their boyhood, and on whom he could now take effective revenge. Suddenly Sud-denly he felt that his whole mental attitude at-titude was changing. He thought ot the man, bravely and silently fighting down the scandal of his past life, of his uncompromising battle for purer politics. He stretched out his hand Impulsively and took his pen, and in large letterB wrote at the bottom of the bill 'vetoed.' He held it out toward to-ward Searles. Searles seemed completely non plussed. For' a whole minute he stared at the vetoed bill. Then he got up and stretched out his hand. "Governor Haines," he said, "I think the world of you. You have won the fight and I'm man enough to recognize it. You'll have the people on your side now and I don't kick against the pricks. You've bested me and youll have the entire Searles organization with you when we offer you the nomination." nomi-nation." He shook Haines by the hand and walked slowly out of the office, shaking shak-ing his head. The double at the desk, however, was even more disconcerted than Searles. W7hy had he done thla thing, he whose whole life had been dominated by hatred of his enemy? He must have dozed, for some minutes min-utes later, when he looked up, he saw his enemy before him. Governor Haines was looking steadily at him, but he evinced no surprise. "Let's fight this thing out right now," he said. "I've finished with you. I shall never temporize with you again. I have compromised and feared you; henceforward It is war between be-tween us for ever." "If you had told me that twenty-flve years ago I should never have troubled you at all," answered the double, humbly, hum-bly, rising. Governor Haines did not answer him, but watched him leave the room. The sleepy secretary outside did not notice him pass. Nor would he hav seen him even had he looked for him. Each man has his double, his worse nature. But when he has conquered him the double becomes a harmless wraith, transparent as a breath of marsh air that is dispersed in the sunlight. sun-light. (Copyright, 1913, by W. Q. Chapr. an.) |