The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-04
THE EVENING STORY
Man to Man.
(By Joanna Single.)

she did not look the part. She was lit
tie and plump and rosy, with dimples
dimpling at her every movement.
Her hands were dimpled. her cheeks
and her chin.
The worst part of it. the solemn
and serious part. is that the two es-
pecial men were. and presumably
still are. brothers. Not merely broth
ers in misery. but sons of one father
and mother-and twins at that. And,
! moreover, they were old enough to
know better. Nothing in the world is
SO foolish about things in general
especially a pretty girl-as- the man
who knows better. They were &c
years old apiece, which adds up to 81,
and plainly shows that between them,
| they should have been able to read
Tessie'S intentions.
Before her advent as an all-sum-
mer visitor at the Farleys', next neigh
bors to the Martin bachelor hall. all
Henry Martin. home from their work
one late spring afternoon, went out to
potter in their toy garden and com
mune with nature and each other
| They had been devoted from boyhood,
and were never seen apart save when
| their work separated them. They
made dates with each other like girls,
big, strong, manly young fellows as
they were. Tessie declares to this day
that she had actually seen them hold
ing hands like lovers.
One day they went into their gar
den and saw. suddenly thrust up over
the vine covered division wall. a
saucy yellow head looking like a
strange and lovely flower above the
green. They stared moment. and
| then remembered their gentlemen's
manners. Having no hats on their
dark shocks of hair. they could not
| raise them, but they straightway for
got the onion patch and bowed beau
tifully. They happened to do it in
| unison, which struck the girl as ride
ulous. She laughed outright and they
flushed. One such young man close
at hand was joy enough to the girls
love of battle. But two-and just
alike!
So that was what the FarleYs had
joked about mysteriously, casting
hints on her ability to make indenta-
tions on the hearts of at least two
had not said which two. But these
were certainly the ones. The idea
brought an amazing brightness to the
blue eyes which were already bright
enough for all good purposes.
ct don't mean to disturb YOU" said
her silver bell voice. ct stuck my head
up to see what lay beyond the Farley
boundaries. only arrived last night,
and want to get the lay of the land.
1 am sorry to embarrass you so. so
III go away Q1r6cLly.
But she didn't-theY would not let
her They told her who they were,
and it became necessary for them to
come much closer. in order that she
might hear them and that they might
see her better. She plainly enjoyed
herself. And they declared that they
were family pets at the Farleys and
were going to invite themselves over
for the evening, if she didn't mind.
She had nothing else in mind, being
utterly idle and on her mettle. She
had heard about the inseparable
twins who hunted in couples and
fought shy of love lest it take them
from each other. That was the begin
ming.
That night they watched for and
caught Farley on his way home, and,
according to their threat, invited them
selves over for the evening.
The next evening they went without
out invitations. and the next after
they had the Farleys-and the girl
over to a picnic supper on their be-
lowered lawn. Their one little Jap
servant grinned and served 1t was not
often his masters had a lady for him
to wait upon. They sat one on each
side of her, and her dimples and her
eyes twinkled at them impartially.
The Farleys were content to watch the
play unhindered-then and for two
weeks thereafter. They were amused
and a little nervous. They figured
it out with unerring mathematical cor
rectness that finally the girl would
have to choose, and If one was taken
the other would be left. Two men in
love with the same woman cannot
abide in, peace after one has married
her.
Florence Farley was a born match
maker, and match makers are seers.
They know what will happen by what
has happened. They have themselves,
49,, = 4,-;
monial experience, but John and Hen
~ Martin became familiar spirits at
their neighbors. And when various
other young men added themselves to
the summers gayety, and the girl
played with them all impartially. it
the game.
1t was full six weeks before any
trouble began. Then each of the
twins woke to the consciousness that
his brother was not always welcome
in his enthusiastically at moon
light picnics, and things of the sort
why on earth, thought Henry could
not good old John see that he was
boring the girl. She certainly had
been perfectly willing to go off for
a long stroll with himself, but John
had blindly gone along, too. Of
course, she had from sheer politeness
been impartial But it was plain to
see which she preferred And it is
RIDICULOUS TACT I1dL JOnn ndQ al
most the identical idea with regard
to Henry.
In two months the brothers began
to be a little irritated with each other.
one evening John suddenly stopped
his elaborate toilet, and said he didn't
believe he'd go over that evening.
He was tired. Henry was anxious,
protested family, but was secretly
delighted. He went alone-and John
was furious Henry had her to him.
self, and for once in his life forgot
he had a brother. Tessie marked the
absence of John, and thought she
saw a rift in the lutte. She did not
intend real mischief-but she did
want to see what she could do as a