The record-union., 1894-02-10

turned over to the law"
From 125 came the irascible rejoinder:
Yes. Wish L hadn't. Upstart. Went
o Madras forty years ago. Dead. Bah!'
"H our brother, ah-iS alive at this mo-
ment, sir" shouted the two old men at
opposite keyholes. slapping their trem-
bling knees in recovered valor and glee:
Hut! Don't believe it," from 123.
From 125; "Too gauzy. Bahn'
1--WE have proofs, Mr.. Pipperchirp,"
urged the old gentlemen, solemnly wink
ing at their excited audiences at either
side. ''What is your Christian name, II
you please Mr.. Pipperchirp?"
Hut! Samuel" piped l23.
"Lemuel. Bah!'' swapping 125.
"Blow my buttons" gasped the disor--
dered chamberlain, ''if th' Other an
Tother aren't twinsl"
At the word twins the bolts of 123
and 125 were suddenly drawn. Then the
door knobs were softly turned. Two
red and heated faces in a mist OF tousled
silvery locks stealthly appeared at oppo-
site doors. Two thin, little old, halt-clad
bodies followed the faces. But the Other
and Tother Pipperchirp were not to be
caught mapping. One hand of each cum
ningly grasped it's owners respective
door. In the hand of Other was tre-
mendously long and rusty Indian sword.
Stoutly clutched in Tother's hand was a
huge, gnarled Australian walking stick.
AS the valiant old fellows glided warily
into the hallway, all the other little old
men of the dormitory fell back with
God bless mes" and kindred ejacula-
tions of dismay, while the clerk of the
Slavistork sprang nimbly behind the dis
ordered cham berlain.
1t was moment of dread suspense.
The two little old men sidled around each
other one way, and then sidled back the
other. Each seemed quivering with eag-
erness for conflict. Round and round up
and down the hallway they sidled and
ambled, silent, furtiVe and watchtul, the
startled groups giving way and closing
in about them IN turn, as they came and
went. Suddenly there was crash III the
air of stick and sword, and the Onlookers
closed their eyes and shuddered. But 1t
was not crash of conflict. A little gurg-
ling cry came from Tother's lips.
''Samuel!-Samuel!"
Almost thrilling was the eshrilly-pitched,
piping response:
"Lemuel!-Lemuelv
"Samuel!' = "Lemuei!" "Lemuell-
'Samuel!' BLESS me. bless me- bless
me!' with Dear dear, dear!' sm0thered
and choked by embraces and hand
wringings between the Other and Tother
Plpperchlrp, now came so fast and furi-
Gus that the most wonderful stenographer
the world ever knew could not have set
them rightly down for printing, and all
the other little old men of the dormitory
fell a Misunderstanding, embracing, calling
each other by their Christian names, and
wriggling about the Pipperchirps to get q
kindly hand upon them, or a word OF
blessing in their happy ears, while hand
kerchiefS waved and tear-ducts, closed
for half a century, flooded copjous mists
into unused eyes, and even the disordered
cham berlain. burying his face in corner
OF Others door frame. 1illiped solitary
tear from the tip Of his quivering nose
and hoarsely murmured to himself:
blow my buttons, but this 'ere's th
wettest 60 since hever th' Flood an th
Hark."
From this moment the ancient twins,
''the Other and Tother Pipperchirp, as
the smoking-room tradition hath it to
this day, became the mild and gentle
lions OF the SlavistOrk. They fitted
around town like pair OF lovers, as
they were, arm in arm together. They
trundled about the ancient bookstalls,
haunted the Tower and Monument,
''Hutted'' and ''Tutted'' from the Strang-
ers' Gallery at obnoxious measures in
Parliament, wandered at Epping and
Hampstead like boys unloosed from
school, chatfed with the costers and pea
shelters OF Covent Garden, basked like
read to each other from 1.-The Newcomes''
by the huge fireplace in the reading-room
or beside the CHEEKY CRATES in their own
apartments.
One was never at his ease without the
other. Ii one was late at breakfast, din
ner or tea, the other fidgeted and fumed
until the cause was ascertained. If one
was aillng the other fretted himself i'll in
his curing. Like lovers still they quar-
la6. olkalr Il
society for at least an hours time At
last the office bells would ring furiously.
The hall porter always knew what it
meant. 1t made no difference which door
he tapped at first. When opened Other
or Tother always stood there with note
and tip IN his sshand. Turning to the
opposite door the porter would always
find the other little old man waiting be-
hind it, with q note and tip in his hand.
Before the servant could exchange the
notes, clap his tips into his pocket and
turn his back considerably upon them,
they were in each others arms, for bless
them, neither had need to read what the
other was sure to write.
For many years they ambled on in this
way together. But one morning they did
not come TO their accustomed breakfast
in the coffee-room. Then the other little
old men who met them there were
troubled. They waited long, and many
left their breakfast untouched. Then
they gathered in anxious groups in the
smoking-room. in the office, and in the
hallway of the dormitory. They finally
knocked at one of the doors. There was
no response. They opened it and it was
vacant. Then they entered the opposite
door. For a moment they felt they had
intruded There sat the brothers in their
easy chairs at opposite sides of their little
table. an open volume of "The New
comes" between them, upon which laid
two hands closed softly together. The
old men were as if in slumber, peaceful
and resting. For Death had come still as
the moonlight to that little chamber and
gently beckoned the Other and Tother
Pinnarchirn AWAY.