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Show 1 I he Man Who M" I 1 Wasn't Himself JfL I fi W Q. CHAPMAN fHj Q Q "YOUR FIANCEE WAITS." SYNOPSIS. Alighting from a train at Denver a well-dressed traveler trav-eler Is familiarly accosted by a man about hia own age, The traveler trav-eler Ignores the advance. A few minutes later he Is greeted as "Will" by an elderly lady and gentleman, gen-tleman, who stop their auto to apeak. He Imagines It a rase of mistaken Identity and announces himself Ha "Kichard Clinton." on his way to the coast. The couple appear greatly surprised, and learning learn-ing he la to be in town until midnight, mid-night, the lady. Introducing herself as Mrs. Kirkland, and her husband as Doctor Kirkland, Invites him to dinner, explaining the action by his truly remarkable resemblance to a friend of theirs. He accepts. At th& Kirkland home he meets a young tady who greets him as her fiance. She is Ellen Kirkland. and plainly ts greatly hurt by his assertion asser-tion that he is "Richard Clinton." At dinner "Clinton" learns that his host is a medical specialist and that he is believed to be Will Low-ile. Low-ile. a young man who had been Huffrinjj from a nervous breakdown break-down und had gijne east for medical medi-cal treatment. Lxiwrle had had in hi rescission .bonds of the value of iWiHtO. belonging to the bank whei e he was employed, which have disappeared and of which he hns no recollection. With Doctor K irk la nd '"Clinton" goes to the r.owrle home, the doctor being satisfied sat-isfied that Amy I.owrie, Will's sis-. sis-. tor. will convince "Clinton" he is r'liy I.owrie, suffering from Io?s of memory. Amy declares at once he is her broil: er. and insists on trt;uin- him ;is such, to his great em! :rr:iss:yinru. Doctor Kirkland se-i.Is a telegram to the sanitary: sanita-ry: m where T.owrie is undergoing treatment. F!!on t nd Amy try in vi'ln tf- convince "Clinton" he is WiU Lewrie. e c CHAPTER IV Continued. 5 "Stay? Von mean stay here and rob me of my trip?" pouted the girl. "Very sensibly !" exclaimed Mrs. Kh kiiitid. "Unless you drive me mad!" qualified quali-fied Clinton. "I shall stay in Denver, hut on condition that Doctor Kirkland shall at once telegraph to inquire a In Hit Mr. Lowrie." "The telegram shall be sent tonight," to-night," said Doctor Kirkland. "No doubt we shall hear from the sanitarium sanita-rium some time tomorrow." "Very well. I suppose I can keep sane that long. May I ask you to send telegrams for me to No, that will not be necessary. The answer to your telegram will prove that I cannot can-not be Mr. Lowrie." "Mr. Lowrie'" chuckled Beram. Clinton flushed and almost snatched out a wallet, which he opened so hurriedly hur-riedly that the contents fell from it. Among them was a bank draft and a yard-long railroad ticket. As he caught these from his lap to hand to Doctor Kirkland Bemm stooped to pick up the baggage check that had fallen on the floor. With them lay a numbered brass piece such as Is given out as a receipt at checking counters. When Bemm. handed Clinton the paper pa-per baggage check the metal check was not with them nor was it on the rug. The owner did not notice Its absence. He was pointing to the name on the ticket and draft. "There is clear proof of my Identity," Iden-tity," he said. "Stupid of me not to have thought of it before. Draft drwn In my favor; my signature on the ticket." Bemm glanced at the signature and said a trifle sharply: "That's not your writing." "You mean it Is not Will Lowrie's," corrected Clinton. "It is my name, 'Richard Clinton,' and my signature." "One of the results of dissociation is t change of handwriting," observed Doctor Kirkland In Ills most cocksure tone. "Tliere is the bank draft," brgued Clinton. "It Is drawn on San I'rai-elsco. I'rai-elsco. I shall cash It tomorrow." Bemm shot a quick glance at the physician and lightly remarked : "You'll need to be identified. I'll be glad to Introduce you to your bank." "Mine?" "Your other self's bank," chuckled Bemm. "As Will Lowrie, you know, you were roulidential agent and broker of the Fourth National," explained Doctor Kirkland. "Charlie and I have our accounts there, so it will be less awkward awk-ward for you to present your draft where he and I cau explain the situation." situ-ation." "Explain!" muttered Clinton. "Well, 1 suppose I must make the best of It. Now If you'll kindly give me your of-fce of-fce card and the address of the bank and direct me to the nearest hotel." "Listen to Win!" cried Amy. "Hotel! "Ho-tel! when he's at home! That comes of traveling for months." "Miss Lowrie," he gravely replied, "your mother Is away. I can no more, slay here than I could have agreed to your traveling alone with me." "Isn't he the silliest !" "I mean It." "Mamma, wb'it If Amy should ask ns to stay tonight?" suggested Ellen. Clinton looked about him with the alarm of the lord under the deseend- lag net of I he fowler. "Mrs. Kirkland, I iiiii beg y ii! " he protested. The lady smiled reassuringly. "El-leu "El-leu has solved the difficulty. We may call It a house party, and you a guest as well as she and I." "Leaving me out of it," complained Bemm. "Why shouldn't he put up at my lodgings for the night?" "Just the thing," agreed Clinton. "Very good of you, Mr. Bemm. It will will save Miss Lowrie the trouble of" "Botheration !" exclaimed Amy. "If Charlie takes you away he need never show his face here again. Besides he's not going to, because you're going to stay home." "That settles it," declared Doctor Kirkland. "When Toodlums puts her foot down Come, Charlie. Good night, my dear. Girls, don't let him escape you." "Don't worry," replied Amy. "Ellen "El-len and I shall treat him so nice thtir he won't want to leave." "I'd be glad to stay even If you beat me," suggested Beium. "That would make It quite a house party," observed Ellen with a wistful glance at Clinton. Amy laughed outright. "She and Charlie are going into horticulture. They think two peaches will make two pairs, If provided with the correct cor-rect accessories." "Is there a man in town more correct cor-rect than yours most devotedly?' queried Bemm. "The only gentlemen invited to this house party are brothers," bantered the little hostess. "Do join us!" "Thanks, no! Good evening, everybody. every-body. Meet you at the bank, Will," Bemm covered his hasty retreat. "I'm coming, doctor. Leave the door open." Even Clinton smiled at the precipitate precipi-tate tlight of the young elegant. "Trust Tillle -to have his room all ready," said Amy. "I'll put him to bed right away. Come, brotherkins, else the sandman will catch you. It's time you toddled off to slumberland." Clinton looked to Mrs. Kirkland for succor. The lady smiled and graciously gra-ciously wished him. 'Tleasant dreams!" "Good night !" murmured Ellen. She impulsively rose and started toward ! v' iff "If It Wasn't for These Dirty Old Gloves" him, only to stop In sudden remembrance remem-brance and stand blushing between dismay and half-hearted expectancy. "Good night 1 excuse me good night !" he stammered, and he hurried out past Amy Into the hall. She darted after him, but did not overtake him until he paused in the upper hall before the door of a deil-ciously deil-ciously dainty pink and ivory boudoir. She placed a caressing hand on his shoulder when, at the sight of the feminine furnishings of the room, he would have stepped back. "Aren't you going to tell me how much prettier It Is than It was?" she reproached. "You forget this is the first time I ever It is very pretty, though. Far too exquisite for a man." "Horrors!" she cried. "You must be half asleep. Go on to your own room." He looked at the closed doors of the other rooms as If In doubt. She cut short his hesitation by leading him to the end of the hal! and into a large, simply furnished bedroom. "Didn't I tell you?" she said. "Tll-'lie "Tll-'lie has everything neat as a pin." She darted ahead Into a closet and came out with an armful of garments. "Yes. Tillle has hung up your lounging robe and pajamas. Here they are. You'll want a good hot balh after your trip; and there's Ellon and her mamma so I'll not stop to talk. Good night." "Good night," he replied, trying to avoid her affectionate ga.e. "We must not keep them waiting," she said, upturning her Cupid's bow lips to him. To have altogether refused that Invitation In-vitation would have been an Impossibility, Impossi-bility, llu caught her small head be tween iiis hands and Dent down to kiss her forehead. "Little sister little sister 1" he half whispered. "Now go, please go I" "Will :" she ecstatically gasped. "You do do remember me 1" "No, It's not that," he hastened to curb her joy. "Please go at once." She went out dejected. He bolted the door and looked about the room with an abstracted gaze. The almost ascetic simplicity of the decorations and furniture gave marked prominence promi-nence to the two large photographs on the dresser. The young man went across to study the faces that the photographer pho-tographer had represented with unusual un-usual fidelity. Though so dissimilar they were alike in being lovely. He smiled whimsically and murmured mur-mured : "Two darlings my fiancee and my little sister !" CHAPTER V. Early Bird. At sunrise Clinton was wakened by the dazzling rays that streamed In at his open window. He hastened to where he had left his clothes. They were arranged in a different manner from that in which he left them they had au odd look the suit was not his own. Though not unlike in color, the pattern and texture tex-ture were dissimilar. On the dresser lay all the articles that hud been In his suit except the handkerchiefs. Fresh linen and underwear were laid out in the place of what he had worn. His shoes set where he had left them, but they had been carefully polished. It was easy to divine that while he slept someone had come into the room through the rear door or the passage that led to the bathroom. Accustomed to hotels, he glanced along the walls in search of a bell push button. On the side near the rear was a round contrivance. He went over and recognized It as the mouthpiece of an oid-fasliioned speaking speak-ing tube. lie stooped to it and called irritably: "Hello, hello. Is this the kitchen? Hello " "Yes. yes, I'm here, Mr. Will," came hak the voice of old Tillie. "My! but ft does sound' natural to hear you ginning gin-ning me up " "It's my clothes," broke In Clinton. "I want my suit." "Suit?" was the astonished reply. "Why, I laid out the very best everyday every-day one you left." "No, no. I mean my own suit ; the one I wore last evening." "That? But you can't have It until I get the pants pressed and the coat cleaned. There's a grease spot 'most as big as " Clinton slammed down the cover of the mouthpiece and returned to glower at the changeling suit. But he did not long remain inactive. Cp through the open window floated a clear, sweet hail: "O-ho-o ! O-ho-o, lazybones! Aren't you coming down?" He leaped Into the fresh costume and dashed to the bathroom without stopping to examine the fit of the garments. gar-ments. That he was able to get Into them at all was sufficient to satisfy him for the time being. With hair half brushed he hurried out into the hall, fastening his tie. "You are?" she Incredulously questioned. ques-tioned. "Well, if you mean it " "How could I help It when you called me?" he asked. "But I know how much you like to lie nbed. If it wasn't for these dirty old gloves I'd give you a big hug for it." He looked quickly aside and replied in a tone of brotherly banter: "Like the Mikado, you make the punishment fit the crime." "Meanie !" she pouted. "You wouldn't say that if Ellen offered to hug you." "How do you know? Anyway, I mean precisely " He stopped short and pointed at the spots on her big apron where she had knelt In the damp soil. "You've been working hard." "The early bird has been catching the worm. . . . Those nnsty cutworms!" cut-worms!" she complained. "I catch them and give them to Teddy Jones for his fishing. I'oor things! It's too bad they nave to be such a nuisance. Come and see the roses." To avoid bruising the flowers that drooped or thrust out over the path on either side he had to walk behind her. She danced ahead of him, rapturously rap-turously calling his attention to her especial favorites nmong the blossoms. He agreed wtlh all her praises, evidently evi-dently willing to accept her Judgment, since he never shifted his gaze away from her dainty head and graceful, girlish form. She had on a crisp gingham ging-ham dress, and her abundant hair hung down her straight little hack In a thick braid. There was excuse for even a brother to consider her adorable, ador-able, particularly a brother who could not realize that she was his sister. She glanced about and caught his rapt expression. "(Hi. Will, what is It?" she asked. "You look so so as If you've been moonstruck!" "I am trying to compose a poem." he said. "How Is this? "Tllp Prillf-Pss of Pnlffl, Anil'Nt her hriKlit ri'i.-.s, A I. is! me sni'pusi -s Her brelhi'i- In lc!" "No wonder you look daft, If that Ih the way yon feel," she remarked. "Maybe so much beauty on an empty stomach has upset you." "It Is not the lack of breakfast," he asserted. "Well, then Oh! there's Ellen coming out of the pergola." He colored aud looked toward Ellen, who was eagerly approaching. As he caught her gaze his flush deepened. "We're waiting for you, dear," said Amy. "Really?" breathlessly murmured Ellen. Amy tugged at Clinton's arm. "Don't be a dummy. Speak to her." He bowed hastily to the other girl In a futile attempt to avoid her tender gaze. 'Tardon me. Miss Kirkland. I" "Miss Kirkland !' the Idea!" admonished ad-monished Amy, and she sang meaningly: mean-ingly: "The maiden's standing by, sir; "Tla yours to do or die. sir." "Amy !" murmured the stately Miss Kirkland, her cheeks scarlet with blissful bliss-ful shame. . "M'lord, your fiancee waits," announced an-nounced the little tease. Clinton drew back, stiff with embarrassment. embar-rassment. "Miss Lowrie," he replied, "you aud Miss Kirkland alike forget that I am not" "Please, please, Will !" broke in Ellen. El-len. "Do not say that do not !" "He only means not himself," suggested sug-gested Amy. She smiled at the young man hopefully. "Perhaps you might remember, if you made believe. Don't mind me. I'll turn my back." The young man gave over the unequal un-equal contest. "Have it your own way, If you must; only please remember aud spare me when Doctor Kirkland receives the answering telegram with regard to Mr. Lowrie." "When you know and must believe that you are you!" sighed Ellen. "But we won't starve you while you wait," added Amy. "Come in to breakfast. break-fast. I smell bacon !" Breakfast at Amy Lowrie's usual hour was far too early for Mrs. Kirkland. Kirk-land. Clinton remained at the mercy of the young ladies. But he was quite submissive. He drank his cup of near-coffee near-coffee without protest, and even went so far as to ask the dainty server for a second cup. In return the girls limited lim-ited their demonstrations of affection to tender glances. After the meal he at once excused himself on the plea of letter writing and withdrew to his room. He did not come out until midmoruing, when, as had been agreed, Doctor Kirkland called to take him down to the bank. "Good morning, sir," he returned the physician's cordial greeting. "May I ask If you have telegraphed for news of Mr. Lowrie?" "The message was sent last night." "Then you will probably receive the reply this morning?" "Not nearly so soon no. We shall hear not later than this evening, however." how-ever." Clinton looked gravely at Amy. "In that event please do not rxpeot me for lunch. I shall wait until the telegram tele-gram comes and you know I urn not your brother. After that, if I may have the privilege " "What if the telegram is delayed until un-til tomorrow?" she objected. 'You promised to stay. You must come home for dinner at least, else we shall be frightened." "Very well." He bowed, and before Ellen or her mother could speak he was out of the room. A drive of a few minutes brought the car down to that solid and conservative con-servative bank, the Fourth National of Denver. As Clinton followed Doctor Doc-tor Kirkland In through the screen door an outhurrying business man paused to clap him on the shoulder and tell hivh no mid come home looking look-ing tine and fit. Clinton nodded aud passed on Into the hank. The big hawk-eyed guard, who was wandering about through the crowd, glanced at him and. bowed. Again he nodded. On all sides men were recognizing rec-ognizing him by smiles and nods. Some would have detained him with words of welcome and inquiries as to his long holiday. Doctor Kirkland saved him from the embarrassment of coherent answers by leading him briskly brisk-ly across to the desk of the cashier. Bemm, as fastidiously dressed as ever, was sitting within the Inclosure. At sight of Clinton he sprang to open the pate, with a cordial: "Ah. here you are! Come right in. You, too, Doctor Doc-tor Kirkland." "Must go back to my ofilce." replied the physician. "Can stop only to Indorse In-dorse Mr. Clinton's draft If that is necessary." nec-essary." "Not at all," said Bemm. "I've explained ex-plained Mr. Clinton's odd resemblance to Mr. Lowrie. The draft will be cashed all right." Clinton drew out his draft and Indorsed In-dorsed It under the sharp gaze of the cashier without the slightest trace of hesitancy. The cashier glanced at the ticket, handed It hack to hlin, and turned to another customer. "The money will be sent In to you," he said In a brusque tone. "That clinches !t. He certainly cer-tainly is Will Lowrie.' CIO UK CONTINL'KU.) |