Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-10-22
Short Stories For Evening Hours
THE DANGER OF BENIGN TWIN


my twin brother. Gregoirc. who wa.
some minuts younger, was put to bed
with the same complaint.
What misfortune" exclaimed
our mother, that Silvestre is no soon
.er convalescent than Gregoire falls
ill.".'
The doctor answered. NJ aston
ishes me that yon we're not prepared
Tor II, Madame Lapalme--since the
children are twins, the thing was to
be foreseen, when the elder throws
the malady of, the younger naturally
contracts 1t. Among twins 1t is near.
ly always So"
And II always proved to be So with
Gregoire and mo. No a0oNer did
throw off whoolAns cough than Greg.
DIRE began to whoop, though I was
at home In Vernon and he was stay.
ing with our grandmother IN Tours.
" | had to he taken to a dentist, Greg.
oire would soon afterward be bowling
with toothachc; as often as indulg.
cd In the pleasures of the table, Greg.
DIRE had a bilious attack. The In.
nuence ! exercised upon him was so
remarkable that once when my bicy.
Gle ran away with me aud broke MY
arm, our mother consulted three
medical men AZ 10 whether Gregoire's
bicycle was bound to run away with
him, too. Indeed. my brother was
distinctly apprehensiye of 1t him.
self
Again at college. shall not pre-.
tend that ! was bookworm, or that
| shared Gregoire's ambitions: on
the contrary, the world beyond the
walls looked such a jolly place to mo
that the mere sight of a classroom
would something's ill me with abhor.
renee. But, mon Dieu! II other fel.
lows were wild occasionally. they &C.
cepted the penalties. and the affair
was finished: on me rested a respUu.
sibllity-my wildness was communi.
Gated to Gregoire. Scarcely had
resigned myself to dun routine again
than Gregoire, the industrious. would
find himself unable to study page,
and would commit freaks for which
he rebuked me most sternly.
So far as ! had any serious aspira.
tons at all, aspired to be a painter
and, after combating my family's oh.
iections, | entered an art school in
Paris. Gregoire, on the other hand
inclined strongly to the law. During
the next few years we met infrequent.
ly, but that my brother continued to
be affected by any unusual conditions
Of my body and mind | knew by his
letters, which seldom failed to con
tain expostulations and entreaties
Can you blame me II ! had no love
for this correspondent?
My Brother-The circumstances OF
Our Birth: Your attention Is direct
ed to my preceding communications
on this subject. desire to protest
against the revelry from which you
recovered either on the 18th or 18th
inst. On the afternoon of the latter
date, while engaged In conference
OF the first magnitude, was seized
with an overwhelming desire to dance
a quadrille at public ball. ! found
tention on the case concerning which
| was consulted; could no longer eX.
press myself with lucidity.
Outwardly sedate, reliable, sat at
my desk dizzied by such visions as
pursued st. Anthony to his cell. No
sooner was | free than fed from
Vernon, dined In Paris, bought a
false beard and plunged wildlyg into
the vortex of dancing hall. Scound,
rel! This is past pardon, My sen.
sibilities revolt and my prudence
shudders. Who shall say but that
one night | may, be recognized? Who
can foretell to what blackmail you
may expose me? |. Maitre Lapalme,
forbid your pronigacies, which de-
yolve upon me; / forbid-etc.
Our mother still lived In Vernon,
where she contemplated her favorite
sons success with the profoundest
pride. Occasionally spent a few
days with her, sometimes more.
One summer when visited her
mot Mademoiselle Leuillet. ! know
very we'll that no description of a
girl ever painted her to anybody yet.
Suffice it that she was beautiful AS
an angel, that her voice was like the
music of the spheres-more than all,
that one felt all the time, How good
she Is, how good, how good"
Never since | was boy had | stay.
ed in Vernon for so long as now !:
never had repented so bite ~ as
now the error OF my ways. loved,
and II seemed to me that m, attach
ment was reciprocated, yet my post.
ion forbade me to go to Monsieur
Lerllet and ask boldly for his
daughters hand. While | had re-
NAMED obscure, artists whose talent
was no more remarkable than my
own, had raised themselves from boz
hemia into prosperity. was an idler,
a good.for.nothing. And then-well,
| owned to Berthe that | loved her!
| owned that | loved her-and when I
left for Paris we were secretly en-.
gagged.
Mon Dieu! Now worked indeed |!
To win this girl for my own, to show
myself worthy of her innocent faith,
supplied me with the most powerful
incentive in life. In the Quarter they
regarded me first with ridicule, then
with wonder, and, finally, with res
pect. For my enthusiasm did not
fade. "He has turned over new
leaf" they say, he means to be
famous" II was understood No