The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-10-01

wretched sot, having spent the earn
ings of his family and the larger part
of his pNtrimony for drink and all the
costly dissipations it leads TO. For
tunately these boys did not inherit
their fathers vices, but were so en-
bittered against him on account of his
disgusting habits that they solemnly
vowed that they would not take the
initial step in sucha life of infamy and
disgrace, and religiously kept their
vow. Though so much alike in
general appearance that the stranger
could not distinguish them, the ma
lures of these boys were as different as
those of the Laplander and Patagonian,
Jordan was mild, even-tempered, frank
and honest Lindsay was fiery, shy,
treacherous and unprincipled. The
twinship was mingling of June
zephyr and December blast. They
were the pride of the country side for
splendid physique, athletic strength
and handsome appearance, and kept
the envies and jealousies of the neigh
borhood lasses in a continual ferment
Unfortunately for all three, the
brothers loved the same girl-a 1.-THE,
graceful, winsome creature just bloom
ing into beautiful womanhood. Each
pressed his suit ardently and persist
emily without open rupture of fraterral
affection. Jordan in an open and
manly way and Lindsay with strate-
gies and deceptions. Whilst Lindsay
may have had few underlined charms
for the rustic queen, she secretly re-
turned Jordan's devotions with all the
love-wealth of her tender and suscepti-
bic heart, when urged and pressed to
do so, she refused to choose between
them. Jordan knew he was first in her
affections, but in fear of the impetu-
Gus wrath of his brother, whom he
loved with an affection intensified by
their bereavements, he kept the secret
to himself. To settle the matter, Jor-
dan, in the true Abrahamic spirit of
self-sacrifce, proposed that they should
run mile race along a level river road,
the loser to withdraw his suit in favor
OF the other After much entreaty and
persuasion Lindsay acceded, anu
so did the girl. Well matched in
powers of endurance and speed the
result was uncertain. Jordan won the
lace and the prize. To all appearances
Lindsay gracefully "subsided," but
when undiscovered that the result was
to the girls liking, all the furies of his
savage nature rose within him and in
his inmost soul he vowed revenge, yet
most artfully did he hide the foul Sc
cret of his premeditated crime under
placid exterior. The marriage cere.
mony soon took place, attended from
far and near, and in the crowded
throng no swain seemingly looked up
on the marriage Of rose and lily
under which stood the radiant beauty
and his Joyous brother, with fondel
admiration and more thorough salts
faction with himself than did Lind
slay Croker. While the tide of hap
piness was at its highest making AZ
inseparable unity of dual lives
, and hearts, the unnatural brothe,
was maturing deep scheme for Jor
dams ruin and woe and for his OWE
: fiendish qualification.
The war had become fragrant anC
the Croker boys were on the Unio1
| side. The Confederacy, of necessity
t had become II despotism, and thu
movements of the Union men uer,
closely watched. Suspicion restet
) upon every man who was not outspok
Ell for the Southern cause. Terror hat
{ spread among the unionists, many O
} OF them were hiding out and larg
, number were "refugeeing" to Ken
g lucky. This was Lindslay's oppol
2 tunity. He went to Jordan with tn
i, falsehood that the Confederate author
> tiles had ordered his arrest for harbol
a ing bushwhackers, spies and refugee
= and squad Of soldiers were the.
/ in search of him. Lindsay so wrough
i upon his fears that he agreed to leav
b his home and his wife at once and g
;, to Kentucky. In ten days from thi
J. time, after most fatiguing tramp an
r two encounters with Confederat
It scouting parties, in both Of whic
Jordan came near losing his life, the
Il entered the Federal lines and both eI
r, listed IN the same company in Tel
nessee regiment organizing at Cam
V Dick Robinson. In a few month
v they were down South on the fror
d fighting every day, and in the spriu
II of 'G3 both brothers were capture