The herald., 1894-09-16

navo been taken as "hcartrrol1en
Nor was this tho only error that MasO
made. He offended the twins sense 0.
decorum, eupersensi;ivo in its entirety.
by joculc.' reference to their intimac,
with Paul
II detest thar IIr Wcllcs, said So
plironia frigidly.
''Ilo is abhorrent to all ideas Of dc
ceroy," agreed Abigail
III fated Mason, not to have applied
/ discrimination to his own easel If
such was their united Judgment what
might not be their individual impulse:
But no man while digging a pit ever
whistled more merrily than he. "When
we get there, :" he meditated, "I'll man
age to separate the girls, and it will be
hard if l can't arrange to have Dupont
como across one of them while pretty
Alice is looking on. And them
So settled was Mason i'll the certainty
of laughing last that he regarded with
composure the way in which the party
took seats in the great mountain wagon,
though it was hardly in accord with his
desire, for Paul and Alice were side by
side, like Darby and Joan, with the
Mantel sisters as prim and demuro
neighbors. 'The return will be slightly
different. "he mused, with triumphant
smile, 'and it will be dark then too. "
Compunction for two unintended
wrongs had drawn Paul to Alice. Be-
lated appreciation and poignant regret
had dragged Alice close to Paul To the
infinite repugnance of the twins, this
couple incontinently INDUCED i'll soft
and cooing phrases, and more than once
on the drive We're undeniably holding
hands And, still worse, when there
was heavy Jolt Paul embraced Alice
with exaggerated tenderness, although
she was safe and secure in an interior
corner, and the unprotected maidens
who should have been his care were
bobbing up and down like electric balls.
Ere the destination was reached that
respectful admiration which the Man
tell girls had shared for Paul Dupont
had faded away, its place permanently
retained by Indifferent contempt
''Sappy!" whispered Sophronia.
"Spoonsr' concurred Abigail.
But hapless Mason Welles was un-
aware of these changes Of sentiment;
otherwise when the cloth was spread On
the ground and the hampers were in
process of unlading he would not have
been so intent on sending Paul hither
and thither and on employing the Man
tell girls with distinctive errands. His
eagerness, too, prevented him from per-
ceiving that Alice was studying his
maneuvers with doubt and aversion.
Everything seemed to be working Just
to perfection. Paul was engrossed with
a kettle, some damp kindlings and
broken match down in the ravine, hid
from the sight of every one excepting
his wife. Sophronia had been inveigled
on the heights aftor berries and Abigail
down the road to the farmhouse for
milk, each sister believing that the 9TH
er was close by.
"I'll take shy at Sophronia first"
Mason resolved ''There's more Of the
March hare about her, think. 4" And
he clambered up the rocks to her side
''Look down there, " he said, pointing
to Paul. ''There is your darling quite
alone. -
sophronia glared. "What, you empty
pated fop!" she screamed. "Do you
think you can insult me with impunity?
Take thatv' and she cast the pail of
berries full in his face.
Mason did not await further ecoen-
tricities. He sped like chamois down
the mountain side until he came upon
Abigail.
'Your sisterv' he exclaimed. "Look
our for her! She's crazier than loonr'
''Insolent puppyP' retorted Abigail,
and the milk blended with the berries.
Mason turned and fed, in fear of
other singularities; but, alas, where
could he find shelter? Down the path
was stalking the vengeful Sophronia;
close behind him painted the indomita-
BILE Abigail. In furry of terror he
bounded to Alice's side. "Save me,
Alice, from these harridansl' he i'm
plored.
Really, Mr.. Welles," said Mrs. Du-
pont scornfully, 'you are quite as ridicu-
lous as you look Wait moment, and
my husband will take care of you and
of me too"
But Mason did not wait. Far down
the roadway he saw the Mantell twins
soberly ploddiug to the hotel, and he
realized that in their union lay his
strength He followed, but at dis
tance. and when they had reached the
destination he hurried to the railway
station and took the train for a distant
one. And Paul never consulted Hodges,
the proprietor, about the sanity Of the
twins. They ignored him, pursuing
their studies with unity that no sur
geon's knife could eradicate. Neither
does he reply as formerly to Alice's gen
tie questions, for, in a proper apprecia-
ton Of felicity, he has lost all presump-
tion. New York Times
An Infant Phenomenon.
A real infant phenomenon keeps all
| the medical mon and nadaroprea of the