Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1914-01-29
FLOWER or ROMANCE
BY MARY L. BRAY.

The twins were just past twenty,
lonely, as just past twenty should
not be. Day after day from their
windows on the top floor of small
apartment building, they saw young
people passing BY on their way to
play golf or tennis in the park. In
the evening they watched many
carriage drew u" to ne.Ghboring doors
end go Gathering awIy with a fair
and frivolous burden
q Thu aunt and uncle who had rear
ed them from infancy had come in
middle life to the great western city,
where they neither had nor made eff
fol-, 10 form friendly ties The girls
had been torn from school friendships
at an age when these could not be
supplanted. The one or two neigh
bors in the building vino had been
kind enough to call were not inter-
esting socially.
They knew better than to make
themselves unhappy by envy or COM
planning to unsympathetic ears; but
as the uneventful days dragged by,
over and over they sighed to each
other: 81 do viGh we knew some
body"
The tenant across the hall let two
furnished rooms. whose large win
dows opened upon the aircourt. Della
and Bella had for their personal use
the two opposite communicating
rooms in their apartment, opening
upon the same court, diamond-shaped
aperture, not more than ten feet
across its widest dimensions.
One evening as Della leaned out for
a farewell glimpse of the stars, pre-
paratory to drawing the curtains for
the night. she almost touched a head
projecting from the opposite window,
and started back violently. 1t was a
mani
81 beg your rprdon!" a deep voice
exclaimed, as the head was instantly
withdrawn.
Bella, vino had half heard the
words, in hurried curiosity looked out
of her window, ana at the same mo-
ment fourth person appeared oppo-
site her, again 4 man. 1t was her
turn to disappear in confusion as a
second masculine voice crayed par
don.
1t was clear that there were new
occupants across the way, equally
clear that they ~ere college boys. The
twins exchanged these observations
with excited embarrassment. Mean
while, the two young men were spec
ulating animateG.y upon the pleasing
possibilities of their discovery.
Matters progressed rapidly, and
naturally. and in the due course of
time there was to be dance given
by one of the college societies, a
dance at which each member was ex-
pected to bring his particular best
girl. Delaney OGorman and Ned
Clark, the aforesaid college boys,
were both resolved to escort the
twins, or not to go at all. Every
art Of persuasion they brought into
play, and after days of timid refusal,
Bella and Della finally gave reck-
less consent.
Bella's room had a door opening
into the outer hall. The girls plan
ned to retire estensibIy as early as
usual on the fateful night, dress for
the dance, and at $3.50, when their
aunt and uncle would be sleeping,
steal from the apartment. Morning
would mad them peaceful and unsus-
peoted IA their beds. At the appoint
ed h0r the twins, their hearts beat
ing lisse Vair Of trfp-hammers, made
successful escape.
Perhaps In the triumphant moment
the carriage door was slammed with
unusual violence. At any rate, Aunt
Louisa stirred In her sleep. With me-
chanicaI vigilance she called Della!
Bellal" There was no answer. What
possessed her to remain awake she
never knew. After an interval OF rest
lessness she arose for drink of wa
ter, stopped ON the way to glance into
Delia's room, saw the bed empty,
rushed into BeHa's room, aud col
lapsed upon the second unoccupied
bed.
A hundred terrifying thoughts seiz-
ed her. A hundred self-accusations
and reproofs fer undue sternness she
poured out upon her astonished hus-
band. After the first outburst of an
ger and Indignation against her
nieces, she could only repeat over
and over. THEY have eloped! We
drove them to- it! Why didn't we re
aliEe?"
Hours later, when the aunt and
uncle WaRa trying to formulate a
course of aetieu, they were startled
by soft ruatAng sounds In the hall