Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-20
A Chicago Romance.
A Tale of Love and Twins, but specially
 of Twins.
[Fron n the Chicago Inter- Ocean]

of Twins.
 From the Chicago Inter- ocean.l
 t'How are the twins?" said serene West
 Sider to a complacent EastSider on Thursday.
 They meet by chance, with a hearty hand shake, where many loung0rs, well filled with
 the midday lunch, were contendingly drift
 ing with anchors loose along the sunny side of Madison street. The answer was: "They are fourishing," delivered by smile colored little by the suspicion of fl ush. 'And the
 wife; how is she?'' was asked. with more than
 suspicion of mischief in the questioner's eyes. ''She is well and happy" And the South
 Sider walked away with another smile that | hinted at mystery. ''His twins are they?"
 asked. "Great Scott, no; he hasn't been married a month"; "His wife's then?" I persisted. No, no, no. His wife was Miss | Blank, of the North Side, and, as have said
 they have been married not more than 8 l month" This didn't shed much light on | the question and another listsner burst out with: t'Whose twins are you talking about then, and what has this newly married man ! to do with them, ,anyhow2" The West Sider' r eyes took on look in which hesitation to erapple with personal matters and inclined | to contide secret struggled for mastery, and then he said: ''Thereby hangs story. Sev- ersl years ago the favorite- sister of my South Side friend married reckless, good hearted, flashing sort of a genteel vagabond. The marriage was vehemently opposed by
 the young lady's family, and most of all by her brother, who has just left us. In the ] end the marriage took place, and then the brother took up the cause of his sister against the other members of the family, and secretly did her and her husband much ser vice. He believed that he had such influence over his brother-in-laW that he had insugu rated deep-seated reform, and he pointed
 with a good deal of honest pride to the re- 1 suits of his work. An affectionate woman's l influence was in fact doing great deal for her young roue, but the day his wife had l twins he became SO elated in his old way, that | he lost his moorings and, despite all restrict i i've measures, went off on spree that took him as low as 8 man can so, and which
 lasted a week. When he came to himself his
 wife was dead, and he found that her family and friends regarded him as little less than ! her murderer. His staunch friend the bro | ther of his wife, who stood by him for so l long time, gave him up as hopeless case, | and deserted bim. He took to his bed and | in less than two weeks died of @ broken
 heart. Almost at the very last he sent for his | brother-in law and asked him to bring the
 babies to him. They were taken to his l room and formally consigned to his brother | in-laW's care, with the specific declaration | that neither his mother-in-law or sister l in-law should have anything to do with the care, training, or education of the | children. This request was emphasized
 and solemnized by the fact that the words were the last spoken by the invalid. This 1 dying request placed my friend in an awk- | ward predicament, but he extricated himself | in way that reflected great credit upon him. | self He placed the twins in care of an aunt, and from the very first he, bachelor as he was
 took the main charge of them. I have often
 found them both asleep among the papers
 and documents on his office table, and scores of times have found them building play houses with his law books. They grew up strangely responsive and coniding, and the l clerks at Field and Letters came to count the little blonde and brunette their special acouaintences and pets The three-years-old girls had way when they entered the store of making themselves at home, and building
 play houses of any materials that come to
 hand. At Ovington's, too, they parceled cer-
 tain departments out between them, and their gleeful, confd1ng way of taking possession
 created great amusement. Enough of their
 story was known to throw about them little
 glamour, and among the people attracted
 to them was North Side young lady with
 much sympathy and pretty face On her
 first visit to the lady in charge of the twins
 she made friends with the little toddlers.
 They were then not two years old. The young man arrived in the hall as she was
 saying good bye and just as she had caught
 one of the babies up to give it 8 kiss. The
 young man caught up the other and gave it : kiss and with it in his arms he shook hands , with the young lady. The baby on her arm caught his whiskers and pulled his head down to give him 8 kiss. Then without let ] ting go the little thing turned and kissed , with rare heartiness the young lady. Then
 she kissed the man again, and again the } young lady. By this time the other baby, jealous and reckless, came into the skirmish,
 and the party got tout of the tangle with con siderable difficulty. That was the beginning of an acquaintance which in the course ol
 years ripened into marriage. That H
 why asked my friend about the tWins.'s