Part 3 (1/2)

_Q._ What! Impossible! That would make you a hundred and eighty years old.

How do you account for that?

_A._ I don't account for it at all.

_Q._ But you said at first you were only nineteen, and now you make yourself out to be one hundred and eighty. It is an awful discrepancy.

_A._ Why, have you noticed that? (_Shaking hands._) Many a time it has seemed to me like a discrepancy; but somehow I couldn't make up my mind.

How quick you notice a thing!

_Q._ Thank you for the compliment, as far as it goes. Had you, or have you, any brothers or sisters?

_A._ Eh! I--I--I think so,--yes--but I don't remember.

_Q._ Well, that is the most extraordinary statement I ever heard.

_A._ Why, what makes you think that?

_Q._ How could I think otherwise? Why, look here! Who is this a picture of on the wall? Isn't that a brother of yours?

_A._ Oh, yes, yes, yes! Now you remind me of it, that _was_ a brother of mine. That's William, _Bill_ we called him. Poor old Bill!

_Q._ Why, is he dead, then?

_A._ Ah, well, I suppose so. We never could tell. There was a great mystery about it.

_Q._ That is sad, very sad. He disappeared, then?

_A._ Well, yes, in a sort of general way. We buried him.

_Q._ _Buried_ him! Buried him without knowing whether he was dead or not?

_A._ Oh, no! Not that. He was dead enough.

_Q._ Well, I confess that I can't understand this. If you buried him, and you knew he was dead----

_A._ No, no! We only thought he was.

_Q._ Oh, I see! He came to life again?

_A._ I bet he didn't.

_Q._ Well. I never heard anything like this. _Somebody_ was dead. Somebody was buried. Now, where was the mystery?

_A._ Ah, that's just it! That's it exactly! You see we were twins,--defunct and I; and we got mixed in the bathtub when we were only two weeks old, and one of us was drowned. But we didn't know which. Some think it was Bill; and some think it was me.