The Winslow mail., 1897-09-25
CH o you thing two girls ought
to be born so exactly alikeE

twisting up clgaret.
The other man laughed.
care you talking of those two Dennl-
son girls? They're not exactly alike"
"It's all very we'll for you, but l
haven't your long sight, and l declare
to you if l see either of them at little
distance, or in a bad light, 1 can't tell
which is which. l am going to a party
tonight, given by the respected parents
of my pennison, and l positively dread
it,"
perhaps they play tricks on you"
said Ballantyne. lone of them is rath-
er skittish.'
Charlie got himself up that night with
extraordinary care, and as he was a
good-looking fellow he presented a
rather striking appearance as he enter
ed Mrs. Dennison's drawing rooms. He
had been detained, so that most of the
guests Lad arrived when he came, and
his inamorata was nowhere to be seen.
But shortly after he had paid his re-
Spects to the host and hostess the
daughter of the house, prettily dressed
in white and blue, came up. Dacre
begged for a dance-twO dances.
I'm SO sorry" said she, ''but I've
nothing vacant till the lancers. You're
little late, Mr.. Dacre, you see," with a
slight accent of reproach as she gave
him her card. Charlie apologized in the
humblest terms, and the girl bestowed
a smile on him as she was led away.
Dacre went to seek her in good time
for his lancers. She sat on an ottoman
in a distant part of the room, where
the dropping folds of a curtain formed
shade from the glare of the lights.
The blue and white of her filmy gown
stood out against the dark background.
Dacre hastened across the room to her.
"Miss Dennison, my Dance he said,
eagerly. "May I?'
She turned her pretty face and arch
ed her eyebrows in surprise.
eyes" said Charlie, "the lancers-yOu
promised-O. l beg your pardon. You're
your cousin-I mean, the other Miss
DennisOn-and, of course, l haven't
seen you before"
Then, recovering from his confusion
before the young lady could speak, he
added:
81 hope I'm not too late to get Il
dance, Miss DennisonW
Having secured this, he sought the
other Isabel.
"Why in the fiend's name do they
dress alike?" he muttered, in nervous
fear of another mistake. He might
be continually coming across the one
he didn't want, like recruiting deci-
NAL. Several times he bore down on
a fair girl in blue and white, but turn
ed away, deciding that he had only
come on an Isabel in another place. The
lancers had begun-it was in full swing
before lie came suddenly on a sofa
where sat the Isabel.
Miss Dennison,' he stammered, I'm
so sorry"
"Pray don't apologize" said she cold
ly; Il assure you the delay is not of the
slightest moment"
Indeed, it was quite unintentional, y
said the unfortunate Charlie in de-
spair. Il have been looking for you
81 have been sitting here the last ten
minutes, and you passed me just now"
Il saw a blue and white Dress" ac-
knowledged Charlie, "but some people
came between it and me. Won't you
forgive me and dance this? 1t isn't too
late'
81 think my mother wants me- said
Isabel, rising with dignity.
MAY l take you to herr" =.
mo, thank YOU
Charlie only got pardoned when ev-
erybody was going. He was mad with
himself, but could not bring himself to
acknowledge the real reason of his APP
parent neglect. He was sensitive about
these constant mistakes. They went
on happening, of course, the one Isabel
laughing at him, which he dreaded; the
other turning naughty and offended.
He offered some flowers to DennisOn
girl one day and she said demurely,
Are You sure they were meant for
me"
Whom else could they be meant
for?" said Charlie, sentimentally.
MY cousin, perhaps-she's over
there" said the girl, merrily. Dacre
flushed in unutterable confusion, and
took back the flowers scarcely knowing
what he did. And when he turned away
he met the ScOrnful eyes of a girl who
must be the Isabel he wanted, because
the girl he had left wasn't she. II was
quite impossible to present the flowers,
and he made a crestfallPn escape as
soon as he could.
Hang it! I'll end all this' he said,
angrily, one day. But l shall have to
be careful, if l am happily successful,
that | marry the right girl. 1t would
be awfully awkward if l didn't"
His opportunity seemed thrown into
his hands, for he was invited to spend
a week at country house where the
Isabel was also going with her mother.
He sat next her at dinner, and to his
great delight saw no other Isabel.
I'VE shall be a larger party to-mor-
row." said the young lady; my cousins
are coming
''The-the DennisOns| Charlie al
most gasped
Not all of them-only Isabel and
Lucy"
This was comforting. And both lsa-
bells had such an odious habit of dress
ing in the same cOlorS. Why didn
they wear different colored ribbons, like