The San Francisco call., 1908-12-05
By Lillian Cone

T.. ONNE BARsTOw agreed with
himself and afterward with his
II rwin that The boys were grossly
T.: unfair when they gave the girls
The slip At halloween. He furthermore
conceded that Il never would have
happened had he taken determined
stand IN the matter.
BY himself Lonny would never have
imagined q better time without girls
Khan with them Few and far between
were the enjoyable occasions he could
remember. unshared BY his twin sister
Lucille.
WIZ Einsdale was responsible for his
change OF opinion VIII was Il. two
years more than Lonny could boast, and
was somewhat OF a power among the
boys. So IL happened that when VIII
remarked. with the lordly air he had,
that he did not see how one could have
any fun on halloween with z half a
dozen girls tagging after. every boy
c-twarclT agreed heartily with his sen
ri-ents. al the time knowing in their
own minds that no iollier crowd OF
girls could be found than this same
half dozen
r IS not my purpose 10 tell a hal
~loween story, SO what the boys did
and how they Jared does not concern
us. except that Lonuy. from the noble
army OF pumpkins that sprawled among
the denuded cOrnstalks OF his fathers
ranch, selected one. small. beautifully
round. celfcately yellow. This he car
ried 70 the toOlshOp behind the barn
and there lsbored over il with knife
brush and ink pot, and biting pangs Of
remOrse The result was surprisingly
good. even for Lonny. who was an
adept at such things The long slant
eyes. squat nose, dropping mouth and
black lines for smoothly parted hair
90 made the resemblance 10 a demure
.ftrle Chinese maiden wonderfully life
like.
when he presented this as a peace
Offering 70 Lucille he first thought she
INTENDED 20 refuse il. but after a mo-
-uomencary hesitation she took 81 and
sst FL upon the top Of z fat nosed vase
that adorned the sideboard-
7 didn't need z reminder that I had
r score 10 even Up with you. Lonny.'
serve 10 mark the time. Before your
Chinese lady has shriveled away / VIII
square our account
Not for an instant did Lonny doubt
that his twin would keep her word.
Was she not his second seIf2 For days
and weeks he took the first sip Of his
morning coffee with due caution, ran
E careful hand over the sheet before
getting into bed at night. and was
generally watchful against all possible
surprises.
However. nothing came Of ii and he
might have thought Lucille had decided
. 70 overlook her score but for an in
scrutable smile that she occasionally
bestowed upon the little yellow head
that still perched upon the vase.
All through November and the
greater part Of December the small
pumpkin held its place OF honor. and
I,onnr. taking note OF the crows feet
gathering about the eyehoies and the
sr5Il farther droop Of the downcas st
mouth. reflected that II his twin kept
faith his day OF reckoning was not far
Of
Now az Carsdale corner Christmas s
was a period when sex. age and color
.1ine were laid aside and the district
=: bodily united for the good and glory
Of its school Christmas tree. Had the
little Chinese head upon its pedestal
been endowed with intellect il would
have marveled greatly IN the later days
% its reign 10 account for the popping
Of corn. cracking Of nuts and boiling Of
delfciously odored confections. for the
Bristow ranch. being central. most
often Witnessed the gathering Of the
clans