Evening star., 1935-04-17
CHAPTER XVII.
THE TWINS.

Of pudding ana their rouno,
pink faces and round blue eyes,
whenever they guessed that
they we're being watched, were
rs completely devoid OF expression aS
figures Of porcelain.
They were silent children, silent at
least In the presence Of their elders,
but carried on a never-ending ana
elaborate system Of communication
by almost imperceptible winks, jerks
Of the head, twirls of the thumb and
similar manifestations.
They were almost never heard
criticizing grown-ups, yet the latter
were always conscious when the twins
we're near of being watched and per-
haps made fun of. Indeed, their con-
tinued presence, except when they
were actively employed in absorbing
food, so embarrassed their father
that he had as little to do with them
as possible, and even their mother was
often uneasy under their combined
impassive stares.
Jane and the twins usually main
tanned an armed neutrality. James
II years seniority and her fathers
open favoritism gave her an apparent
advantage over her brothers.
She was able, for instance, to have
their pocket money curtailed If they
offended her. At times, when the Of
fense was serious enough, she could
get them punished in the gold old
fashioned way; and when Mr.. North
rup's secret irritation against his
sons crystallized into whippings, they
were occasions to be remembered
shudderingly.
But Jane had learned that many
an unpleasantness, usually impossible
to trace, happened consistently when
ever she interfered with her brothers;
she found 1t wiser to leave them
severely alone. Unfortunately for
Jane, the twins had recently eaten
the four under layers of her gorgeous
box of birthday candy leaving the
top layer untouched, and been soundly
whipped for it.
For days they made no move to pay
Jane back. Now when she was most
unhappy, fretting, as she thought,
in secret over James preference for
the despiSed and detested Leslie, Jane
found that the twins had neither for
given nor forgotten.
Jane took her breakfasts in bed
The twins, passing her door in the
mornings, would sing in falsettc
voices, "Only a bird with a wounded
heart" over and over, and then laugh
stridently.
stop that horrible noise" Jane
commanded daily, but the noise
went on. Once they fingered and de-
bated loudly whether it was bird
with wounded heart or a wounded
wing.
The evidence points to wound
ed heart" Norris snickered. Yeah
you bet it's wounded heart, all
right, all rightey," Nate added, ano
convulSed with their own wit.
Jane appealed to her mother te
stop the outrage. But you sing il
yourself" the twins answered ir
ehorous. I'VE learned it from you.'
IT'S a silly song" their mother
said firmly, "but if you must sing it
sing it outdoors and sing it correctly
It goes like this, Only bird in g
gilded cage >" She sang the
chorous through, and made the twins
repeat it after her.
Thank you," her sons said gravely
and bowed. AS one man they turned
and walked out of the front door, down
the porch steps and around the yard
till they stood below James window.
"Only a bird in gilded cage
Nate caroled at the top of his lungs
"Only a bird with a wounded
heart" Norris doomed. Then togeth.
er, "Only q bird a bird, a bird :.
a bird wounded to the heart tc
the heart :. in a gilded cage" until
their mother descended on them ano
jerked them inside.
IF you ever do that again, If
ever hear you, if Jane hears you sc
much as hum that tune I'll see that
your father gives you such whip
ping as you've never had yet" Mrs
Northrup threatened furiously ano
her sons knew that she meant it
They stared at her blankly.
Anything else?" Nate inquired
blandly.
Nothing. But remember your
fathers bought new carriage whip
and If you don't want him to use
it"
At that moment the voice of the
Irish cook was heard in the kitchen
uplifted in song, "Only bird, in a
gilded cage" caroled honest Ellen
O'Flaherty.
While Mrs. Northrup fled toward
the kitchen the twins rolled on the
floor, shrieking and gasping and
pounding the floor and each other.
Only too we'll they knew that Jane
was hanging over the banister. For
days that memory was sweet.
The singing ceased, but except in
the presence of their parents Jane
never encountered her brothers but
that one or both Of them emitted
faint little cheeps that exasperated