The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-03-07

%E-AT seemed at all times more or less un-
3eSsL " fortunate that Tom and Tim Trotter
RGSE Z should have been born twins for 10 be
EENE - B precisely like each other they were,
H1z9Aza1sai was palpaby violation OF natures sane
ESlSMSM0R intention. bringing upon innocence those
ES21Sta4 awkward and unmerited penalties insep-
arabic from broken natural law.
Though il promised hardship there was the glaring
ineffaceabe fact or course the twins were not to
blame but nature couldn't help that or at least 1t
was now too late help il, since beyond cavil man
cannot be born again. except in the spiritual sense
As with one born with a pumpkin on his neck in lieu
Of serviceabe head they simply to bear it, that
all
For the part the fact that the Trotter twins
were as like two peas not notably incon-
veE.ent-in truth, the condition had certain saving
aspects since the hats and clothing Of had only
TO be duplics other and ~ one fell III the
other could be Installed in his position without any
being the wiser
But there arose occasions when the extreme sim
uaTity of Tom i'm was dIstractfng For instance
If Tom achieved punishable nfraction Of pa-
rental law and to be whipped. he would declare
that he was Tim. and when Tim approached and
commanded to take off his coat" he would aver that
ne was Tom and such condition of doubt would
develop that often both culprlts escaped
However. the father OF Tom Tim solved this
difficulty at an early date for whenever ne found
expedient 20 lick the twins ssutely licked
them both and thus made mistake about getting
the right
This ingenious but painful policy had its inau-
guraton upon making Of a notable piece of neigh
borhood hstory-that occasion when the Troter twins
went with their father to a religious camp meeting
in the and, the shouting" fervor being
at its warmest flow, Of them climbed a tree and
finding hornets hanging directly over the con-
<regation. it loose and let it like satanic
bomb among the people.
Naturally the meeting adjourned in a most
startngly informal fashion. and properly maledie-
to-s were heaped upon the offending twin. It being
apparent that the logging Of a single small twin
totally inadequate the onense. both of them
were castigsted This proved satisfying to the
w+uT
against the escape of guilt thereafter the cudgel
ing OF both twins upon every occasion when punish
ment seemed necessary for either OF them became
his fixed habit
But all of this might have been borne with
equanimity. many insignificant gnats vexing
the face Of life. had not Tom and Tim ultimately
fallen neck deep in love with the same darling girl
with the further amentsble fact that the darling girl
fell deeply in love with both Of them. At first
glance this greedy weakness the part Of Miss
Susan Shysmle their rainbow, seems remarkable. IT,
indeed not actually reprehensible. But when fairly
considered it is to be not at all inconsistent for
obviously those qualities form and face which
drew her to Tom being practically the in Tim,
attracted her with equal to the latter Then
certainly she not to blame.
Still the fact that was really in error did
not mend or relieve the situation, and time pro-
gressed It became Iamentaby apparent the sit
uaton must find relief or. to put It clearly. suffer
explosion
So. after many quarreIs and rnisunde-stanlings
had been composed, and had as often broken out
afresh Tim and Tom agreed that the other OF
them Of necessity would have to shoulder his burden
Of disappointment and seek other fields OF life In
order to reach decision which one should go
they agreed to submit to the of tossing I'D
COIN letting the verdict with turning heads
tails Accordingly friend tossed the piece
OF silver for them Tim choosing heads and Tom tails
but TO their amazement and secret relief the
its edge and stood upright in crevice Then
they prepared long and short straw and the friend
held those while they drew But when they hal
drawn they found that the long straw had broken
of and both straws exactly the same length
They then divided apple in two parts but found
the number OF seeds in each half
4" II begins to look II we both would have to
marry her" said Tom.
Thereupon the twins shook hands and agreed that
both should go away. Tim to San Francisco AMI Tom
20 New York. and thus leave Susan TO some
lover who fortunately had not been born double In
pursuance Of this resolve they forth into
the world at nearly the hour. the train
going east and the other by train going west from
this town the Mississippi where they had been
born to such unhappy fortune But curiously enough
each twin arrived at the station too late his