."

He stepped to a sideboard, drank a glass of brandy, and then resuming
his former seat, said in a perfectly cool tone:

"This is a very remarkable piece of acting, Mr. Alvarez. Who is this
person?"

"My twin brother and my aid."

"And what does this all mean?"

"It is a test of identification."

"You are a wonderful man."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"In being able from memory and imagination to create such a wonderful
resemblance. You have the clothes and appearance of the man who visited
me counterfeited to perfection. How you could have had those clothes
made is a mystery to me; I am dumfounded. No wonder you asked me if I
was sound of heart; otherwise you would have killed me."

"And the counterfeit was perfect?"

"Yes."

"The identification would have been perfect?"

"Yes."

"Well, sir, I have a remarkable disclosure to make."

"I cannot be more surprised than I have been. I tell you your dummy is
perfect."

"Then permit me to inform you that the apparition was not all acting.
Those are the clothes worn by the man on the day he visited you and
deposited the fortune with you--yes, sir, the very clothes the strange
man wore on that occasion."

"Then, sir, I will admit that you have a wonderful disclosure to make."

"Yes, sir, I have."

CHAPTER VI.

ON A NEW "LAY"--DOWN IN MONMOUTH COUNTY--AN APPARENT
DEFEAT--A SINGULAR CLUE--TWO COINCIDENT DATES--OLD
BERWICK--STRIKING SUGGESTIONS--ONCE AGAIN A CHANCE.

After what had occurred Mr. Townsend was prepared for anything. He had
regained his self-possession. He was a brave, nervy old gentleman; his
bravery was like that which always attends honesty.

"Please do not keep me in suspense."

"I have said those are the clothes worn by the strange man who visited
you forty years ago?"

"Yes."

"And you have not seen or heard from him since?"

"I have not."

"It is not strange."

"You can explain why?"

"I can."

"Within three hours after his visit to you he was a dead man."

"A dead man?"

"Yes."

"Did he commit suicide?"

"It is possible he did, not probable."

"Explain."

Our hero proceeded and told all the thrilling incidents of his
phenomenal "shadow," and proceeding said:

"I have proved the identity of the man now beyond all question."

"You have; but what was his name?"

"That I have not learned; I will in time; but I have learned one fact:
he came from Monmouth County, New Jersey. That is what he was tryi