Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-12-14
BETWEEN HIS TWIN swEErHEARrs.
Robert Farrngdon's Puzzle, Which After
All Worked out In a Perfectly Salts
factorv Nav

idStOIy way
"oh, say, colonel, I'm in devil of a
mess"
Robert harrington leaned on his elbows
on the little polished table before him and
screwed his face into a whimsical ex-
preston of woe.
The kindly eyes Of the wording
twinlSled with amusement Regularly up
against 1t, en- Bobbie7" leased the
colonel, sitting down stifiy in the chair
opposite.
Il am that" Bobbie sighed so hard
that the mirror-lilte surface of the table
became blurred. do you mind listening
to my prattle for few moments, sir7'
He squeezed out an apology for a smile
Faint as 1t was. 1t lighted the boys face
into loveableness.
Fire away, Bobbie," said Col worces-
ter, lighting a long black cigar and as
Stunning a judicial expression. Need
money!"
mo, sir" said the boy with positive
shake Of the head.
The colonel looked at him admiringly-
not wanting money was beyond his COM
prehension.
"Sick2" he hazarded.
mot that l know Of, SIR"
"A-er-woman?" he drawled quiz
ideally.
That's itl exclaimed Bobbie eagerly.
mot quite IL, though. It's two OF EN-"
.
eyes danced merrily beneath a wicked
scowl.
you see, sir, / want to marry and
need your advice. I'm so slad you came
into the club this afternoon. Now let's
talk 1t over"
The full force Of the charm OF Bobbie's
personality was always let loose imme-
dlately after his Now let's'-something
or other. He invariably drawled out the
first two words and then shot out the rest
of the sentence all at once; giving you
very vague impression Of just what he
wanted-and it was a hundred to one shot
| that you'd say, "All right"
80 there are two women" unused the
| colonel; lone that you want to marry,
and one that you consider in the light Of
| duty? Old, old storyl"
mo, no-thats not it at ALL" said Bob
| bic so loudly that waiter in the billiard
room considered it a call for drinks.
There are two women, and i want to
marry EN- both" he continued, not heed
| ing the waiter, who turned back. Wont
| you help me, sir?"
| ''Never!" said the colonel dramatically.
THAT Henry Farringdon's son should ask
his guardian to aid and abet the crime
| OF bigamy!'
"oh, bigamy nothing" said Bobbie,
| calming down. 81 didn't mean both;
meant either. 1 can't decide, and / want
your help"
my guidance can only be negative"
said the colonel. with some slight sem
blance of gravity. IF you choose for
| your wife a girl that l don't approve OF
| I'll veto the choce-and you'll have to
stand by my decision, young man. Re
| member that! But when 1t comes TO my
| chasing around among the myriads Of
debutantes in this town to pick out "a"
THAT won't be necessary" interrupted
| Bobbie. LAS I've said before, I've narrow
| Cd IN whom / want
marry"
"There you go again with your double
| matrimonial intention" exclaimed the COL
onel testify. "Who the deuce are the two
favored ones, anyway"
1.-The Duane girls"
"Phew!"
"There do you wonder that I consider
myself up against it? Do you wonder
that 1 came to my kind guardian for ad-
vice?"
II throw up my hands," said the col
onel At can't help you out"
Pm hard hit" walled Bobbie. Life
| wouldn't be worth living without her
them, / mean love them to destruction.
Why, sir, I'd be willing to die for her
confound itl-them!
Don't know that blame you, Bobbie.
| I've been in love with them myself ever
since 1 held one on either knee and won
| dered which was which. That was In
49," The colonel shook his head in
| perplexity. You couldn't get over it?
he suggested tentatively
ITS TOO serious-I couldn't. 1t hap
pened this way I've known Mabel and
Polly all my life and never gave them q
thought until last summer. They were
| at the Wyliess for August, and so was
l. 1t began then We drove and walked
and boated and golfed, and-and every
| thing, together"
what! party of three! thought you
| had better tastei
ut was never a party of three" said
Bobbie, fretfully. In the morning II
would be Mabel, and in the afternoon
Polly-or vice versa-I couldn't tell the
, difference. don't know whether spent
August with one girl or with two. / JUS
fell in love with the type, and couldn'
tell 'em apart. Oh twins are the very
! devil!'
And how did they take your attenr
, tions?" prodded the colonel.
'They were perfectly sweet about 1t.
Bobbie became enthusiastic. "They seem
/ ed to like me lot-they must have be
cause they were willing to spend thei
whole time with me- BY Jove, the!
didn't, though-there are two of them ant
only one of me-so they spent only hal
: | their time. Oh, get all balled up whei
. think, and worse when l talk about 1t
But, anyway, the night before / CAM
| away Mabel and ran away by ourselves
I down TO the beach, and / told her how
I | hated to leave. put 1t good and strong
? and Mabel, she-say, colonel, that WASH
: | Mabel at all! had date with her, blu
she had a headache, and Polly took he
place. Just remembered, and, oh Lord
.. ] told Polly the same thing the night be
! | fore! Well, 1 guess / didn't put 1t s
strong the last night when Polly HneN
| that / thought that she"
= Bobbie was interrupted by heartrend
ing groan. The colonel, his face purpl
with suppressed laughter, implored him
: desist: "Bobbie, stop it-give me
L chance to get my breath" he gaspec
\ holding his sides.
ut may seem funny to you, sir, but It
: very real to me-" said Bobbie with dig
nitW "Why / don't even know what I
cali them when I'm with them 1 ca
Mabel P-Po-Ma-Paebel and Polly, M
Ma-Po-Molly."
'Cut it out" reared the colonel. II
dying. Waiter, another black and white!
The colonel drank a deep draugf
| which revived him sufficiently for &C
| herent speech,
Now look here youngster," he salt
setting his glass down sharply and leanin
: forward Il don't know whether or nC
Il you're trying to chaff old fogy-"
''Do look as though ] were in the moo
Il to jolly any one?" lamented Bobbie, mis-
4 erably.
| "You don't that's a fact" muttere