The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-08-16

name. Adelette! I could stand
Jerusha or Samantha, but Adelette!
| / just hate myself! It's bad enough to
have to see ones own freckles every
| time one looks in the glass, without
| having them duplicated on two other
girls noses. It's bad enough to have
to wear Aunt Harriet's hideous plaids
and huge polka-dots without having to
see them paraded round on two home
ly sisters. It's trying enough to have
red hair wit hout being reminded of it
constantly by having to see two other
red heads all the time.
"Then think" she went on, "of what
I've had to put up with all my life be-
cause of other peoples blunders! They
put singing mustard plaster on my
| chest when it was Adelaide had the
cold; father rushed me off to the den
fist, who wouldn't let me explain, but
pulled my tooth when Adeline had the
| toothache; and the last time grandma
| was here had to take all three doses
| of sulphur and molasses because the
other two victims had escaped in time.
I'm going to do something desperate
some day, see if L don't. I won't be
n miserable triplet all my days"
But the poor girl could think of no
| way out of her dilemma. She ate
pickles, because she had been told
that diet of pickles would make one
thin. Perhaps, thought she, if she
were very thin she would look less like
the other girls; but the pickles, not
having the desired effect, were aban-
doned in favor of a glass of milk at
bedtime each night. Milk taken at
that particular time, she had heard,
was certain to make one fat. Surely
if she was very stout, the resemblance
would not be so marked; but the daily
glass of milk was no more efficacious
than the pickles, and she still re-
NAMED the counterpart of her two sis
tiers.
She had no intimate girl friends,
for who could whisper secrets into
one girls ear when there were two
other pairs of ears just like it? She
was seldom asked to the delightful
small parties given by the other girls,
for there were three of her to be in
vited, and that would have made
large party out of any small one.
Adalette envied her small brother
Johnnie. He was a complete boy all
by himself. His clothes were his own.
his room was his own and his lessons
were his own. He had the satisfaction
of knowing that the jack-knife he
found in his Christmas stocking was
not duplicated in two other stockings,
and when he had his photograph la
ken, he knew he was himself and not
his brother. Best of all he could wear
his own clothes and be certain that
they were his own clothes.
Adalette thought seriously at one
time of running away, but as she
could think of no place to which to
run, she gave up the idea. She could
and she did abandon dolls at an early
age; for the dolls were always trip
let's, too, and she had had enough of
triplets.
The girls were to be graduated in
June. 1t happened that although there
was nothing remarkable about their
voices, they were able to sing rather
well, and it occurred to Miss Brown,
who was arranging the programme for
the commencement exercises. that
trio by the triplets would be unique
and pleasing feature. The idea was
pleasing to Adelaide and Adeline, but
to poor Adalette it was the last straw.
81 won't do it," said she. $50 there!"
''But, my DEAR" said Miss Brown,
persuasively, you sing that song so
we'll! took it for granted that you
would be willing. The programme has
gone to be printed, and it is too late
to make any change. Why should
you mind?"
Because I'm just sick of being a
freak" said Adalette, her eyes snap
ping angrily. Sim sick and tired of
being triplet. I'd rather be Hot
tentot! I'm tired of going round in
thirds. hate the figure three! That's
why I'm always so lame in arithmetic.
1 leave out all the threes. I wish
Adelaide would have smallpox, and
that Adeline would turn purple with
rage or green with envy, and stay SO,
I'm so sick of their everlasting faces"
''Why, Adalette!" exclaimed horri-
fed Miss Brown.
"Well, I do, and I am!"- said Ada
lette, breathlessly. ooh, please say
we needn't sing!"
'I'm afraid" said Miss Brown, sits
too late for that. The arrangements
are all made"
That night Adalette was seized with
an inspiration. She crept out of bed,
found her pocketbook, and counted
the contents as well as she could in
the dark. Then she stole quietly into
the spare room, closed the door after
her, lighted the gas and turned down
the white counterpart, disclosing a
pink and white striped quilt, tufted
with yarn.
eff there'd been enough of that for
three gowns, it would have been made
up for u.s. said she, ''but as there
wasn't, they made quilt of it, which
was great waste of good material.
It's the only pretty thing Aunt Har-
riet ever bought. I've always wanted
a pink dress with a nice full skirt.
Ours have always been skinny"
Then the midnight marauder, sat