The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-06-08
The TCO ChICnIs.
BY JAMES MAURICE THOMPSON.

By JAMES MAURICE THOMPsON'
Tom Baker and l were better friends
! than most twin brothers are, yet we
were not akin to each other any more
than YOU or,I. We ehunted together, we
fished together, we rOOmed together,
we slept together, we ate together, and
l am ashamed to say that once in a
while we drank together a bottle of
/ Port or Sherry.
Tom and / were lOafers, yes, regular
built loafers. We had nothing to do
and didn't like to do that any Oftener
| than we could help it. Some folks
don't like loafers. Well, / never liked
/ but one, that was Tom Baker. ] Low.
ed him. He was my partner in every
thing, my other self, my shadow
/ You know Pm not much account for
anything; well, neither was TOm.-
| We had been to California together
and got enough gold to live off the in
! terest, and that's how it happened
/ that we always had good duds on and
/ kept ourselves spruce like
l own up that Tom played poker a
/ good deal in California, and as TOR me,
| / took a game or two at seyen-up.-
But that's been a long time ago, and
needn't be mentioned at all.
Tom and / were just of an age to a
/ day-just of one size, and somewhat
alike i'm the face. Don't know but
Tom was rather the best looking of
the two, likely he was.
Many's the time we've been in dam
ger together, Tom and /, and it so
happened that he saved my life twice
or three times. o, well, we were all
wrapped up in each other, all bound
together by cords of affection that
breaks but with breaking hearts,
/ Strange how two great rough men
should love one another as Tom and
did.
We had our bachelor quarters over
Beckman's bank, just opposite Mrs.
Il MalOne's clearinghouse. Our win
dows were a little higher from the
ground than those of the boarding
house, and it so happened that we Of
ten sat smoking, with our feet eleyat-
ed, looking over at the lady bOarders
and making remarks about them.
remember that one of them was a
slim old maid, of whom Tom never
tired talking about, in his dry way,
often reminding me that she looked
like a ward of calico wrapped around
bundle of fishing-rods. But this
doesn't belong to my story; l am al
ways getting off the subject.
One day Tom satat one window and
at the other. 1 recOllect that we had
got fresh box of cigars that day
good ones as ever l set my teeth on. =
Tom was gazing dreamily through hi:
smoke out across the street and | was
gazing just as dreamily at Tom. L
was an August morning, hot a:
fire, and not breath Of air that wOulC
, stir a feather. We had off our coat
and vests, our shirt-sleeves rolled NJ
and our collars thrown open. All wa
still down on the street. o, it wa
red hot out doors, and still 4 heating
Suddenly Tom started a little.
, thought he had burned his finger, 70
he was knocking the ashes from hi
cigar, but slowly a look of wOnde
spread over his big, gOOd-humOre'
face. His eyes dilated pleasantly, h
/, stroked his beard and smiled, gain
: steadily across the little sea OF smolI
rolling off before him.
"I,OOk, Ned, look ~ said he, in
half-whisper, mOtioning see if not il
tbe direction he was looking.
I turned and saw, over in one q
Mrs. Malone's windows, the lOveies
Urls that ever did live. Yes, sir,
Stick to it, she was sweeter and NOR
beautiful tnan anybOdy's angel
y twice as pretty as two angels, Tor
n used to say, but Tom would joke 70
know.
0, "a new boarder, reckon" said
le feeling 4 curious shiVer OF admiratio
n 90 over me from toe TO crown.
'S'pose so.'i added Tom. '.Isn'tsl
\. a neat one though"
thought she was, and said so
le Tom. But the girl happened to !,
y. her great hazel eyes wander over
our windows, and, seeing Us, she oil
We appeared like a jack-O'- lantern.
d "Crackee-eep cried Tom, "what
bird she is! Must ha' got away froI
some menagerie, Ned"