Norwich bulletin., 1910-05-13
THE BULLETINS DAILY STORY
THE DELAYED DECISION

They came down the path together,
conversing merrily-FTed Maynard and
the Durham twins, Grace and Mar
fon- How many many times they had
passed down this very path together.
How familiar everything looked-the
river-the wide untitled f1edS stretch
ing into the distance-the close clip
ped shrubbery near at hand-aH was
unchanged And how fragrant the
llacs. My. but it was good to be
backl It seemed only yesterday they
had played together, as children, in
the adjacent garden-FTed and the two
girls. Actually, it was nearly six
years ago and now they were women
grown, and he, half way through col
lege. How time ffiesi
Fred was home for vacation. Truth
to tell, he had been home scarcely 80
ninues, so had sped his desire to see
the twins. The same .told zirls''-flow
questions they asked. hardly waiting
for the anSweT-so anxious were they
to learn what he had been doing since
he went away year ago. And the
morrow's plans already were being dis
cuSSed. Time passed all too swiftly
ere it was time for Fred to leave and
renew ten hastily interrupted embraces
of his family.
AS Fred walked homeward he
thought mostly of the twins THEY'RE
good girls, he nurmured, "and I like
Them Yes. one as well as the 9TH
err he added, struck by sudden
thought. Somehow he had never
thought of them separate-always as
the twins, one and insepara,ble. Not
once had the shadow of partially en-
tered his actions toward either. Yet
the thought that they were really two
distinct persons was somewhat dis
quieting. His affection for the twins
was something more than brothsrly
affection-something less than love.
He liked them both, immensely-nor
was he content to be alone with one
he EA
presence of both the girls.
Grace and Marion were strangely
alike, even for twins. Alike in person
and temperament-beau and ami
able. Never. so it was said, had i'll
word or deed disturbed the happy Sc
ren1ty of their companionship They
loved each other as themselves, and
what one regarded with favor the 9th
er favored with like regard. Never
were twins SO uited in thought and
action Brotherless, they lavished all
their affection on Fred His pleasure,
when in their company was their
single aim. His holidays were their
holidays. He was with them always,
on the river or in the fields when the
days were fair, or on the big veranda
when the weather was inclement. The
twain twain were as inseparalble as children.
Thus passed the balmy. summer days,
in a ceaSeleSs round of pleasure.
Somehow, this vacation seemed to
Fred unlike other vacations His last
year AT COIeSe mad Deen a year to
develop the man in him; his DISPOSE
tions were more settled and he saw
the future in more vivid light. Life
was really q serious undertaking.
Again and again, as he gazed at the
twins, his thoughts went forward to
the future. What had it in store for
hfm-and them? What would the
coming year bring forth? They were
women now, and he, a man, almost
ready to go into the world and battle.
w RI a7-T-xy he
was away? That could hardly be-of
course-but the thought was unp4eas-
ant.
Divert himself as he would-he
could not shake off the thought that
this happy companionship must soon
err OF later come to end. Yet,
alyze his feelings, as often as he did,
he could not define regard stronger
for one sister than the other. Was it
love that made them both so necessary
to his happiness, or was it-purely a
brotherly INTEREST,"
Fate interviewed. apparently, to de-