The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-10

L
was exquisitely furnished and served,
while ali were pleased with their rooms
and with each other. We acted char
ades. played progressive euchre !,
read aloud, sang and, in fact, did
everything but quarrel.
| The rooms Cettie had reserved for
our use opened into the square"
from the left, those OF the Dicksons
from the right, and this proximity
served to cement more closely our old
\ friendship. Day after day the little
women talked, sewed and dreamed
| together, as women will, and many OF
the tiny articles they made were cut
from the same material and fashioned
after the same patterns, while Will
and came and went like brothers.
1t was a bit of Eden descended to the
nineteenth century-but alas. alas!-
for the serpent!
1t was day OF unusual chill and
gloom for the season-October-
the two heirs OF the Dickson and Tup.
per families arrived, and that, too,
within an hour OF each other, both
great healthy boys of much the same
size, weight and general uncertainty of
outline and feature. A bright fire
! burned in the square" and Mrs.
Dickson's nurse hastened there with
| her young charge which, after dressing
she left swathed in blankets and calm.
Fly sleeping in an armchair. A little
later Cettie's nurse entered, and, going
through the same ceremony, deposited
| our treasure IN q comfortable chair,
which happened to be exactly like the
other.
Still later, the two doctors, with the
| new made papas, came in for look
| at the wonderful little creatures, and,
| the better to see them, wheeled the
chairs close to the fire, talked them
over bit. and pushed them back
| again, after the usual careless fashion
OF mankind, then left the room.
When !, shortly after, returned
alone, it was to find Mrs. Dickson's
| nurse standing irresolute between the
a perplexed, almost wild, look upon
| her face, which grew into actual con-
sternation rs / entered.
What could have happened!
| asked the question breathlessly,
and she answered with q nervous
laugh.
| Inc bab!eS--SomebOdy has chang
ed the chairs, think. Which one
this is yours, isn't it?"
why, yes, I--that isl echoed her
nervous laugh where did you put
your baby, anyhow"
"Thats what | can't seem to re
member; you see, these chairs are ex-
actly alike, and was in such a hurry!
Besides, both have been moved from
where they stood"
A strange thrill crept down my back.
stepped closer, and, uncovering the
wee faces, gazed at them intently.
| Would no lurking likeness, no family
| feature, no fatherly instinct avail me
now? Not one!-to me they seemed
as much alike us two leaves on q bush
and looked up helplessly, only to
meet her brows contracted in a per.
picked frown.
1 Then a bright thought came to me.
"Why OF course; you can tell them
| by the clc thes, Mrs. Hart!'
She shook her head and explained.
Alas! those misguided little mothers,
thinking it would be $50 cute" had
made their first clothes precisely alike,
from shirt to blankets.
| | dropped into q chair; cold perspir-
alton started from every pore.
Here was case where even mother
love could not avail, for neither OF
the new mothers hnd yet seen her
child. What could we do?
Don't" / gasped, "don't for the
love OF heaven! tell our wives 'twould
kill them!" Then | rushed out to
find Will and impart the awful intel.
ligence.
Meanwhile Mrs. Hart had summon.
ed Cettie's nurse and the four of us
soon stood over those helpless babies
vainly endeavoring to settle their fu-
ture fate
/ Hooked at Will, and he looked at
me; he was pale, and l felt so. One
of those Infants was his; one was mine
! but which? We stepped aside and
talked it over, while the nurses whis.
pered by the freside Neither of us
are gamesters, or betting men. Yet
here was q case that we must decide
by chance.
| Revolving as it may seem to all who
have never been in like dilemma, we
agreed to settle it by lot
Will, always fertile in expedients,
proposed the manner OF it, and with
faces solemn enough for a funeral we
went through the strange ceremony.
l wrote the numbers, nine and seven,
upon slips OF paper and handed them
to Mrs. Hart; then Will and left the
room, and drawing the portieres
close behind our backs, waited while
she pinned them upon the sleeping in
fants.
She then called us in, when Will, as
the older, made his choice.
81 will take" he began, then stopped
, and I'll never forget the expression or
, his face as he added in low, intense
, voice, Number nine"
His wife's nurse stepped forward
and raising the nearest infant, laid il
solemnly in his arms; Cettie's nurse
placed the other child in mine.
Tracy" said Will, II swear I'll b,
good to it, whosoever it is {"
"And swear the same" I respond
!; ed, with bowed head. Now, remem
, ber," l added after u pause, this
must be dead secret between us-tht
mothers must never know" and thai
, strange quartet there took an iron
clad oath OF invincible secrecy.
} Life flowed on after that without {
ripple for awhile. The young mother!
fondled their babies, compared notes
sung their praises and almo 81
quarreled over their respective merit:
! day by day. Will and looked on
maintaining a reserve that hurt oul
, respective spouses--somethmg ap
} preaching GOODNESS had arisen be
tween US; we dreaded being left tete-a
} tete-for the sudden silence that fel