The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-17
A Sketch Of
Twin Brothers
By F. A. Mitchell

how happy we shOulu nave "ceH.
was one of twins, Tom and JIM
I was Tom. When Jim and l were
between fifteen and sixteen we were
like one person. And yet one seeing
us together would never have consul
cred US as such. We were always
quarreling or seemed 10 be quarrellh5
With others it would have really been
ouarreling; with Us there was II" quar-
rel at all. We were speaking IN
language we both understood perfectly
| remember waking up one morning
and seeing Jim at the dresser putting
on a shirt that had kept laundered 10
wear ON an especial occasion.
What In thunder are you doingF
yelled.
No answer.
You blankety-blank robbcr if you
don't put that shirt back in the drawer
I'll get up aud break every bone in
your body
Jim had the Shirt on and was tying
my best cravat around his neck.
| launched auathcmas and threats
without numher. but they availed
nothing. Jim went out with my al
propriatcd tog4rry. and | turned over
for another nap.
When we were about sixteen Jim be-
came cnamored of girl exactly our
age. | remember that she wore her
hair in a number OF beautiful cm lS
/ There was something bewitching in
her tossing them aside when they got
In her way. Just rs soon as Jim lost
his heart 10 her my wardrobe became
especially subject to his depredations.
had n weakness for jewelry. had
saved my money aud bought a gold
locket, which | used for a fob. The
! watch at the other end of the ribbon
was an old one In a silver case. Ii was
OF no use except for an excuse to dis
] play the trinket at the other end. One
| day missed my locket. | didn't see
| how Il could have been stolen, because
nothing else In the house had been
missed.
The next time | saw Jim's girl what
! was my astonishment to see my locket
suspended to her neck. Jim had
stolen 1t? No; he had simply appro-
priated 1t as common property between
brothers He knew very well that
would see 1t on his girl and would
know that he had taken It, There Is
nothing like stealing about that. II
is simply claiming ones own.
There must have been the dawn OF
manhood In me, for when | was about
to blurt out that the locket belonged
to me | restrained myself. ! took u
much more honorable way-so | con
sldered Ito repossess myself Of my
| property. | asked to be permitted Il
examine the locket, and when 1t was
handed to me | declined to return It.
Lucy-that was her name-upbraidet
me and called upon Jim, who was pres
ent, to secure the return Of her treas
ure. Jim was in n fix He took IN,
aside and offered me scarfpin and {
plated gold chain If | would let the
matter stand for awhile as his gift t
Lucy told him that II he would ado
red cravat of his that | coveted
would condone his offense and leav,
the lockct in his girls possession
Making a virtue OF necessity. he yield
ed to my flinty terms. and l returned
the locket to Lucy.
That was many years ago. | hav,
forgotten what became of the locket
but 1t is my impression that 1t neve
came back to me, though Jim change,
his girl very soon after his stoppin,
my mouth with his pinchbeck jewelr,
and well worn nccktie
Then came my turn TO get girl.
wish l could feel toward a woman to
day as felt toward that girl. Phoeb,
was her name. and considered he
radiantly beautiful. have since see
! picture OF her taken Mt that time
and | have been surprised to see tina
she was red headed. freckled and snuI
nosed
l Invited my girl to go to ride wit
me. Unfortunately | did not keep m
intention from Jim, and the day droy
up to the house of my ladylove b
drove up there. too, with a chum of hi
In rattletrap two wheeled gig.
Go away" l said to him.
He laughed at me.
l threatened and begged. He wa
not to be moved. l went into the hons
, and brought out Phoebe. This bein
the first time l had ever taken a gi,
: to ride. ! suffered with painful en-
barrassment, but the presence of III,
! and his friend was positively horrible
, Phoebe saw them and realized wins
, they were up TO, but pretended not
/ notice them. When l drove away the
! followed me, but after awhile the
turned on a different road.
I l inwardly resolved that when I r
| turned would kill Jim. Yes. | woul
: Kill him! If were hanged for mur,l,
j | would die in a good cause. But iii
knew well enough the storm that wouI
burst npon him and kept out of m
? way till my rage had cooled. When
+ saw him next he was sitting on :,
e porch under our bedroom window. q
I Ing to the bathroom. | filed a buek,
Of water. carried it to the window ar
. dropped the contents on my recent -
mentor