The morning call., 1890-09-10

| to mother nurse and visitors that she had
misplaced the infant souls by the time the
! children were six months old. When they
were grown it was standing jest in the
community just then addicted to -" Pima
| FORE" thar the facetious mother of us all
| had mixed these maidens up.
Their twinship seemed absurd. even to cas-
uai acouaintans es Not a feature or trick OF
| tone or manner betrayed it. Lucy was a
| tall brunette and Junosque III build Inc
| curl of the short upper lip was pride incar-
nate. her deep, gray eyes had black shadows
| in their depths; she bore her head alo1t and
| walked us queens should; her contraito voice
| had a sub-tone of repre- ssed passion, so H.
| consistent with the trite proprety OF her
| speech. that PEG pie were SUPP Sed ana pro
| voked when they could elicit noth ing else.
| She looked like Il Medea, whose very Gains
| were deadly and portended tempest her
| family knew her as an aniabie pack-horse,
| her friends as the meekest ana Shye't OF
! social lay figures, conscientious 10 Idult'
| patient to a miracle.
| You have no more character than bowl
| of vanilla junket!" said Sara, fercely, to
| her one morning, as they talked over party
| they bad attended the previous evening
Most people spoke OF Lucy as sara 5
| sister," despite her superiority IN Slze ana the
| fact that she had preceded her twln INTO the
|
| larger, as Titania ruled Peascod and Cobweb
| Sarah was the faireSt of blondes, and petite.
| Her hair would have been HaXeu out Tor
| the golden glints upon the waves; her eyes
| were wide and pure blue; her ilps cherry
| rIpa. her cheeks had the violet Hush, al once
| soit and clear one reyels over IN the heart
| of a X therue Mermlt rose. FROM sunny pou
| to tNiuk king toes, she was alive and electric
| the Saucest, dalntieSt, darlngeSt sprile that
| ever turned a lovers head anu shocked a
| dueuua. ,..
While Lucy sewed upon long white seam,
! her eXoui,iieIy nodded hand drawing the
| thread out IN slow lengths with rhythmic
regularity. her sister and sovereign peIclle9
| upon the head OF lounge close Dy, t"lVIeIeu
| like Sun-blrached llnnet.
Milk and water is sauce tartare by com
parisun," she continned, nlpplng anu reno,
| inc with her pink nails water lily Snatched
| froul Oowliul on Lucy's washstand
Dan HYDE had sent them, an hour before,
and the present TRADE sprang up from THIS
cirruu stance
"Whv. | lust couldn't keep it to myself
another minute. Dan would muTuer me IL
he knew | had let out his secret. lie
charged me not to breathe it to anybody
least Of all to you-you, unsrate9IIuI, mo- o.
still. pale angelica don't believe angels
veins run iced glycerine. Lucy hnlght! II
Won don't blush, or prick your niger, or
break your needle or do something aO-
normally like other people, shlii fall upon
| Won and tear you limb from limb! verify
| neiieye this flower has more human feeling
! than you. You take the news that one OF
| the finest fellows in town loves you TO dis
traction rs coolly as if | had said: Lucy,
do you know that water lilies have yellow
centerS?
Lncy did not lit her eyes, or intermit the
setting of minute stitches Of uniform length.
Il d. nOt see that there Is anything Tor me
to saw" she answered IN deep monotone
that never more Than limited at leashe1 1eeI,
ing. You are very kind. am sure, TO Ten
me all the pleasant things Mr.. Hyde SAID TO-
van Of me. and he was very kind to say them.
In wrath thai would not wait for words TO
convey it, Sara flung the maltreated lily AT
her. 1t hit Lucy's cheek anu fell upon her
white work" She picked 1t up, loo&ed at
il as If To see whether or not II could be re-
paired, and apparently deciding that 1t was
hopeless " injured, dropped 1t into the waste
paper basket ana went on setting minute
stitches. Sara swung her toe against CHAIR
and upset II.
~ don't see what he sees in such a CEN
| structiop of starch and plaster to care Tor,
| she ierked out. at did not seem so prepos-
| ferrous while he was telling me IN the c0ns
servatury-and the band was playing soft
| love muSic-huw he had loved you Tor three
| wears and could never get near enough to
| you 10 intimate the truth. he looked 50
| miserable and tragic and nice that couldn't
help saving what a perfectly lovely dlSp0-
sjtion you have, and how helpful aud I'M
selfish YOU are AID how devoted L am TO
You, and that nothing would please me more
than to have him for brother. There! 1
am glad OF it, in savage sincerity.
Luck had run the point of the needle un-
der her nail. Her browS contracted and her
whitening lips were pressed closely together
as size dipped the wounded member in the
bowl Of water aud then stancheu Inc piood
with her handkerchief.
1T ices bleed, doesn'tisw remarked Sara,
cool and malicious. THAT does surprise me
somewhat"
In the next second she collapsed into
an unexpected bunch of blue foulard and
burying her tearfal face in Lucy menu, Deg
| ged her to forgive her for all the desplcable
abomnable things she had said"
Lucy fondIed her silently, as she might
| hurt kitten OF frightened rabbit
know you don't mean all you say, dear,
| she said, with unm0ved gentleness. And
| it is awkwardness, not lngratltude, that
| makes me seem ungracious. / am not quick
| of speech as you are. Or of wits, either.
| fer that matter. You must bear with what
| can't be cured.
| And YOU will be kind to Dan when he
| asks you to marry him. wont you? ?" pleaded
the ether, with wet eyes and trembling
| mouth. = He win at the first opportunity.
lie said so. And he is so doubtful Of yonr
feelings that slight rebuff will drive him
|
| never had an offer and don't understand
how much encouragement a modest man
needs in such circumstances. You must dc
your part, or you'll lose him to dead GER
| tainty.
a wave of color, so faint that Sara could
not guess how ii scorched the dark, still
face, flickered over Lucy's forehead.
"Since he did not mean for you to speak
of it to any one, wouldn't it be honorable
for US to let the matter drop here and try
| l. Of. Voir chr oil i'll -
level tones as she picked up the white work
and gave il a little shake to get out the
| creases Sara's weight had left in 1t.
sara stared at her in intensrst scorn.
"If | say another word FL be sorry for
it." she uttered in desperate comp0sure,
and flung herself out of the room.
At 9 O'Clock that evening the girls were in
the drawing-rOom. Amitv was completely
restored, and Lucy was playing diligently
correct accompaniment to Saras singing
when Dan Hyde entered. Both sisters saw
| him and his courteous gesture OF entreaty
that they should finish the song. Sara
smiled with her eyes and nodded, uarblng
spiritedly all the while. Grave Lucy's
fingers were as obedient as in stitch setting.
Her playing was ike her voice in speaking
mechanical, yet holding vague limitations
of an Imprisoned soul.
The brilliant little blonde had an inspra-
ton, and a bit of swift teiegraphy went on
behind Lucy's back. Neither of the respond
| entS though oil the mirror, I'D which the
dumb show was repeated.
Within fifteen minutes after the three sat
down together Dan had asked sara for a
book he had lent her, and she had flown up
stairs to get it before Lucy could offer to do
the eTrand.
The elder sister sat down again on the
opposite side of the fire from the visitor
with an articulate nluFmur of embarrass-
ment he niiStOok for dissatisfaction. HeI
face was as fine and cool as marble Mi
nerya's She leaned back in her chair, her
beautiful hands overlapping one another
at the wrists, and relieved artistically by
the maroon of her velvet gown. She
looked altogether composed and trifie
weary. Heavy rain had come on with the
night, and in the dead, brief silence sue
ceeding Sara's flight they heard the wash
| and thud OF the wind-driven flood against
wall and window.
Dan Hyde might not be a confident lover
! bat his was not the faint heart that never
| wins. He led off toerably we'll
How costly delightful home and fireside
| IN an MINT Ike tbizV' he hepan in n