The herald., 1898-08-21

where was yer today. Billr'

where was yer today. BiIlf''
Laid on for rest"
The latter speaker was . tall, lank.
-boned specimen, with q Grecian
nose Of noble dimensions. The person
who sat opposite him at the table In tha
cheap restaurant where they were taking
| their evening meal. and who next spoke.
might have been his reflection in a glass.
IF had Bills luck I'd lay on half
year."
Whats happened now. Joef" asked
one Of the two other occupants Of the
table.
Struck the China lottery today for
hundred n seventy dollars"
THAT so, Bill? Well, I'll be hanged"
Tell yer what I've known Bill to do"
said Joe. in tone Of mingled pride and
river and come up dry as q bone, with
his pockets full Of fish,"
Eyes," drawled Bill, In the tone Of one
receiving homage due. IAN Joe put thu
fish in the kettle ter boil. and left them
SO long they all boiled to glue and spilled
the kettle"
Only feeble laugh saluted these
passes, as all the hearers knew the pro-
verbal good luck of Bill and the equally
certain Ill luck OF his twin brother Joe.
So unvarying were these characteristics
in the two brothers that Bill always
spoke of Joe, in his absence, as the hoo
doc, and Joe called Bill the mascot, and
they were pretty generally known by
these terms. Joe's i'll luck made him SIM
ulate tone Of pessimfsm In his CONVEX
sation, while Bills confidence In his luck
was the height Of optimism. OF course
this was more often assumed than real,
for both had keen sense of humor and
delighted to exaggerate their own quail
ties. Still, years of following out this
plan could not help but make an impress
sion on them. It was perhaps rAore 50
with Bill than with his brother. for he
had almost grown to believe that for
tune could never fail him, but he would
never have forgiven you ii he had dis
covered that you thought he looked with
pity at times on his less favored brother.
Underlying all this talk and twitting OF
one another was deep affection between
| the two.
The brothers were day laborers, in the
fullest sense of the California term, turn
ing their hands to whatever afforded em-
ployment-at present. carpenters.
| There existed in each Of them fond.
/ tlcSS Luz d CcTtdlH lIttlc uIcSSlIldRCI WE
lived across the street from their lodg-
ings. This fondness was the one subject
the brothers never discussed. The mar.
riage question. though was well-worn
theme, and both agreed that bachelor
Of 80 was a fool to throw up his life Of
ease and independence and bind himself
to the cares and drudging Of q man Of
family. Their fellow workmen. knowing
we'll their views on this subject. used to
twit Joe about Bills attentions to the
little dressmaker, and vice versa, but
the only result would be 'grun bills
fool" or "Joes an HISS"
It would appear that Bill, in the conf
dence born of his title Of mascot, felt as
sured Of the success Of his suit. and II
was doubtless with a sense OF pity for
and a desire not to take any advantage
over Joe that led him to say one night:
Joe, I'm going to ask Mary tomorrow.
That winning made would give me .
start. I always draw an ace. you know.
SO if you want chance you've got to
get ahead of me on the deal.'
Joe cast a look of establishment at Bill.
Going to get married, Ell? Well, I'll be
doggoned!" And he left the room with
a look of supreme contempt and disgust.
Nevertheless he accepted Bills challenge
to try his fortune first, and that night
offered himself to the dressmaker.
| Somehow the boys found out what was
going on, and waited with interest for
| Bill to make his proposal on the follow
| ing night.
| Joe did not show up that day, nor the
| next and the boys, wishing to get some
| particulars of the result Of the double
counting. approached Bill with, well.
what luck'd hoodoo have with the Dress
maker?"
Usual luck, poor cuss."
"S'pose you'll invite us to your we'd
ding, then?"
Wedding be hanged"
"Why, what's the matter? She didn't
throw you over, too. did she?"
Don't s'pose I'm such a darned idiot
as to go'n get married, too, do yer?
Guess I've got more sense'n that fool
Joel"
The boys had sense enough to shut up
at once, but in spite of his carriage they
felt that the spell of the mascot was
broken. AS for the hoodoo, 1t is not so
certain, for the boys say he never for
gave his wife for refusing Bill.-Elixa-