The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22

really named William. Night after
night / saw them. sitting side by side
at the dinner table, but 1 never knew
which was which. for the one who came
to table first always took the chair
upon the right, though I should never
have known it If the landlady hadn't
told me. They dressed precisely alike,
they were growing gray in exactly the
same degree and bald in precisely
even their dentist knew Uncle Billy
from Uncle Willie
"Oh, 1 say, Hilyard," exclaimed Abb
bolt. You are so terribly-er-imag-
inative."
Il am telling you the frozen truth"
responded Hiiyard Moreover, these
brothers excited my interest in the
subject to such an extent that inyes-
tigated several cases of resemblance
which they themselves happened to
know of. and found among other Gu
riosities three sisters who were as
much alike as three impressions from
the same page of type, and an uncle
and nephew who were not only the
precise images of each other. but wrote
exactly the same hand. This is a very
trivial matter. Brother Abbott, but il
contains a lesson for you. There are
more things in this world that you
won't believe than would fill your mag
azine with good stuff for a hundred
years. Go outside your Office and find
some of them"
I'm afraid that I lack your enthusi-
asm," said Abbott. You go out and
see what you wish TO see, while / see
only what is real and tangible. But
about this story, Miss Leigh
IF you say another word about it"
cried the girl. II shall go into Mysteries.
And you wouldn't like that; / know you
wouldn't. Mysteries are so dreadfully
realistici''
You are making fun of me-" replied
Abbott. And yet he couldn't help per-
ceiving that Miss Leigh was Iaboring
under considerable excitement.
No. no." she exclaimed. II am as
serious as l can be. 1t is only with the
greatest difficulty that 1 can bring my
self to speak of that story at ALL
Abbott was sincerely affected and not
a little fiattered in the more selfish re-
gions of his soul.
1T is a great grief to me-" he said,
that I should have done anything to
discourage you"
He paused and glanced toward Hill
yard, who had strolled to the piano
and was turning over the pages of
some music
Il wish that might help you" Alb
bott continued in a lower tone. Il
have thought about you-reaily, l
would not dare to tell you how much;
the interest of the artist and of the
friend also. If 1 may be so bold as to
say so. l am sure that you have a
great future under the proper infiu-
ences. and, confidentially. / must tell
you that Mr. Hilyard's influence does
not fall within that definition. If it
were permissible. / would venture to
say that 1 am sorry that you know
him. He is an apostle of strenuous lit
erature; his stories are feverish; he
seems determined to hunt up something
that nobody else ever heard of. You
must not be like him in any way. 1t
will wreck your literary future"
Bless my soul" exclaimed the girl.
with an intensity that really suggested
hysterical laughter. Il have no liter
airy future nor present nor past /
can't write worth a cent. I've tried.
and / can't do it"
1T isn't possible" said he. looking
grieved upon one side of his face and
pleased upon the other. that my crit