Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-21
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By Cecilia A. Loizeaux
Copyright, 1906. BY Homer spruo.se

NER. JARED BARTON leaned
j M his gray head YEARLY on his
EaR&3 There they 60 again." he
said aloud IN distressed tone. And
before she came here they were thicker
than thieves. I wish l could find a
way out of this pess."
The angry voices which had been the
cause OF this soliloquy became angrier
and nearer:
"And If l ever see you looking at
her again with that sick cat expression
on your mug I'll injure 1t SO you can't
grin for Il week"
"That's Dick" said the father, laugh
ing in spite of himself at this threat.
"Bess says she's bully nurse" said
the other voice. I'D have good care"
Bert always gets ahead. He's just
what L was when was his age"
chuckled the old man in the library.
"Great Scott! They'll kill each other
yet! Here, you young hounds" he
yelled, rushing out into the hall. You
pick yourself up and get out of this.
If you've got to fight. you go out be-
hind the barn and fight till one or the
other of you gets killed. Look out
there, Dick"
Dick had his brother down and was
sitting on him. He had just raised his
arm to administer good blow on the
upturned face of Bert when his father
caught his arm and dragged him off.
Bert did not take the trouble to get
up, but lay nat on his back, looking up
at his brother with wicked one sided
grin.
Get up Bert" ordered his father.
and he shuffled to his feet. Very sud
denly Mr.. Barton's patience gave out.
Catching Bert by the collar and retain
ing his grip on Dicks arm, he shook
both boys until his face grew purple,
and, letting them go, he leaned against
the banisters gasping for breath. The
boys made no attempt to resist; they
merely grew utterly limp. They were
twins, about seventeen, and small for
their age, with fair hair and dreamy
gray eyes. All Of the mischief perpe-
trated in the particular suburb In
which they lived was sooner or later
tracked to their door or to the doors OF
their innocent accomplices. They had
one redeeming feature; until a few
months before this they had chung to-
gether through thick and thin. When
one was punished the other was punish
ed before the rest of the family could
live with him. 1t seemed sometimes,
to their anguished parents as II the
twins could read each others mind.
While their mother was alive she had
been able to control them to some ex-
tent, and her last words were, Keep
the twins together" At that time they
were SO thick "a knife blade couldn't
be slid between them," as Mr.. Barton
remarked. But that was some time
ago. Now
"I'm ashamed Of you" he said wea-
rily and went back into his library,
leaving the twins glaring at each other.
Presently they began to look sheepish.
and then they lgrinned and stuck out
thei. hands at the same time. The ar
gurrent was understood to be closed
for the present.
Mr.. Barton watched them go down
the street together, arm in arm, and
gave sigh of relief. He knew he
would have an hour or two Of peace.
While he stood musing at the win
dow his little daughter Bess and her
governess came around the corner and
in at the gate.
THERE'S the bone of contention now"
he said. "What does she mean by en-
couraging those young whelps to fall
in love with herr"
His daughter Bess bounced into the
room waving an envelope in her hand.
Letter from Bob" she whooped.
"Hurry up and read 'er!'
Quietly, Bessie!' said Miss Gray,
who had entered behind the little girl.
"W'hen you have finished visiting with
yol1r father, come upstairs and will
help you with your French for tomor-
row."
ldr. Barton took Bess on his knee
u