Produced by Michael Kolodny THE DOUBLE LIFE OF MR. ALFRED BURTON BY E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE FRUIT OF THE TREE II. A TRANSFORMATION III. MR. ALFRED BURTON'S FAMILY IV. A SHOCK TO MR. WADDINGTON V. BURTON'S NEW LIFE VI. A MEETING WITH ELLEN VII. LIE TRUTHFUL AUCTIONEER VIII. HESITATION IX. THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT X. NO RECONCILIATION XI. THE GATE INTO PARADISE XII. A BOLT FROM THE BLUE XIII. PROOF POSITIVE XIV. THE LEGEND OF THE PERFECT FOOD XV. THE PROFESSOR INSISTS XVI. ENTER MR. BOMFORD! XVII. BURTON DECLINES XVIII. THE END OP A DREAM XIX. A BAD HALF-HOUR XX. ANOTHER COMPLICATION XXI. AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION XXII. DOUBTS XXIII. CONDEMNED! XXIV. MENATOGEN, THE MIND FOOD XXV. DISCONTENT XXVI. THE END OF A WONDERFUL WORLD XXVII. MR. WADDINGTON ALSO XXVIII. THE REAL ALFRED BURTON XXIX. RICHES AND REPENTANCE XXX. A MAN'S SOUL THE DOUBLE LIFE OF MR. ALFRED BURTON CHAPTER I THE FRUIT OF THE TREE Mr. Alfred Burton, although he was blissfully and completely ignorant of the fact, stood at the door of Fate. He was a little out of breath and his silk hat was reclining at the back of his head. In his mouth was a large cigar which he felt certain was going to disagree with him, but he smoked it because it had been presented to him a few minutes ago by the client upon whom he was in attendance. He had rather deep-set blue eyes, which might have been attractive but for a certain keenness in their outlook, which was in a sense indicative of the methods and character of the young man himself; a pale, characterless face, a straggling, sandy moustache, and an earnest, not to say convincing, manner. He was dressed in such garments as the head-clerk of Messrs. Waddington & Forbes, third-rate auctioneers and house agents, might have been expected to select. He dangled a bunch of keys in his hand.