Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-11-16
TIE TWINS, EscArApe.
NJ HOLLIS W. FIELD.


A-woosh, a-woosh, a-wooshi
Farmer Minturn's wife was washing in
( the shady square OF the house, there was
dinner To get for harvesters, and the
washboard was giving vent to exception
ally vicious snarls.
sYou youngsters keep inside this
yard, cautioned the good woman In q
wasl-day toae. ..l've got no time 10 run
after you this morning." and the wash
board snarled again.
TIE twins looked at one another lugu.
hriously. Lonesome, amt itf' whined
Ralph.
Awful" echoed Ray, digging q bare
toe into the ground.
swish was IA frogl" for want of a
better comparison.
"Guess I'd stone you If you was," re-
turned Ray, with grave, unconscious
| humor.
Mistress Mlnturn shouldn't have gone
Just then with basket of clothes 10 the
clolhes-line, and why, OF all things,
J should that tub oil riusing water have
been standing there SO temptingly full
and ciearl
"O.o.ohi" cried one of the twins, 81
know-boatsl" and when Mrs. Minturn
came back the twins were on their knees
with the tub between them and Ralph
was crying;
Here she goes 10 Chi" and would
have probably added the syllable "na,"
ii lie hadn't looked up.
"You- mii us-litlle--wreichesW
and two sqnirming little bodies were
wriggling In Mamma Minturn's outraged
grasp. "Ltaye here, now-den't let me
see you again this morning." aud the
twins sought refuge under the big maple
In far corner OF tho yard.
'Ain't she awfuli' queried Ray, with
u trcmor Of his under lip.
"Dre'lulp assented Ralph; "wonder
how she'd feel If we's to die-or ruined
away"
"0h, lets" and Rays chubby little
face wore an innocently desperate look as
lie started up.
AS the little ones turned away from the
gate, old lobe rose from his iayorite rest
ing place by the front stoop. and started
alter them, with aquestioling look in his
brown eyes.
go back, Tobe!-go back, sir" Kissed
Ralph in low, menacing tone, and In
obedience to his small dictator, the old
dog lay down again with an uneasy
whine.
Down the long lane, over the stony hill.
1 hIA dItbco buC iAblO bAtthh uhD-
bled contentedly over the stones, pa
tiently cleansing itself from the passage
of every cart wheel, the little feet plodded
sturdily on In the hot July sun.
Wee most ruined away now, hasn't
WEI queried Ray, plainttvely.
mo- returned Ralph, doggedlv.
can we Amt goin' back, nowi" ques-
toned Ray.
"NowH' repeated Ralph, scorniully.
"Why, we ain't evsr goin' back"
"ls awful tired, Ralphie," protested
Ray, piteously.
Lets rest then" returned Rslph,
and they sought the shade of cluster oil
hazels growing in corner oil the fence.
At that moment q rustlipg among the
bushes Of the field adjoining caused them
to stand up in alright. A scratching,
! .orambling through the old rail fence, q
: few bounds OF some heavy body, and
tits Tobei-it's TobeW screamed
i Ralph In the intensity OF his relief, but
/ there YVES a perceptihle tremble of til,
; little hands as they stroked his shaggy
coat, and encouraged him In his demon
/ strations o. delight.
"YUu can run away, too, Tobe," sale
Ralph, Al las If understanding the word
be bounded off, and the tired feet one
more C Innenc6d their weary marc
along the dusty roadside.
The top OF tho next long hill wa
reached, and far below them lay th
little market town, with its roofs ballin
in the Afternoon sunlight. Up the lou
lane q carriage was Whirling tOwRr
them in cloud OF dust. AS 1t nearei
!, the dusty wayiarers, the drive drew u
'e his horses with sharp "whoAW and
l. smoott-faced, kindly old man looked GU
l fnF no. rfs.ss xata a.
"Why, God bless my soulp
{, Then motherly old woman look Il
= GU. through gold-rlmmed speetacles an
, calculated:
( Twins, too, as livc!"
"John's, lll bet Il shoestr ngW erie
the old man, Jumping hastily Gu
'what's your name, my little man."
"Im Ralphie, and we's rum, d" hi
l. he didn't say any more, Tor Grsndiath
Parlln had them both In his arms, an
D his black broadcloth was fast assuming
a. dusty gray. Even Grandmother Parlin
black alpaca, OF which she had 10 Ion
taken such scrupulous care, didn't loo
any better than grandfather's coat at tn
nm end Of five minutes, and the pepitenii
M tears of Que of the twins we fast lei
90 dering certain points ineradicable.
o As the carriage from the station DIRE
90 up at Farmer Minturn's trout gate Il
w w old couple were met by an almost irant
oo daughter. The reaper was standing ID
90 in the field and the haryesters engaged
90 friutless search over the neghboriu
90 hills.
Quiet came 10 the farm house with Il
90 summer dusk, and as Mamma Mintul
ny Rugged two little drowsy, whit -cl,
wv forms at the bedside, a sleepy voice mu
INJURED:
I'd eve ruined away, but we foul
10 gran ma"
~ TO which the other twin added, "A
gran pa"