The Terrible Twins

lly discussing the question who had hit Stubb's bull-terrier wi

nced that dense, but irritated, quadruped that his master's interests did not really demand his presence in the orchard; and of these some thirty had hit him. Violet Anastasia Dangerfield, who always took the most favorable view of her experience, claimed

discussion; he said firmly, "I tell you what:

, bulging with booty, which hung from his sho

iably. They went swiftly down the r

geful and piquant a face, for the cousin, much less for the twin-sister, of Hyacinth Wolfram Dangerfield, so fair-skinned, fair-haired, blue-eyed, on whose firmly chiseled features rested so per

the night Of cloudless

ecause, he said, the ill-fated Sir John Franklin h

ther never called them by their proper pretty na

resently, as he threw away the core of h

grateful tone--"worth all the

we'd had our catapults and bullets. It was hard luck being made

!" said Erebus bitterly. could easily have put slates in the place

ry not to have catapults," said Erebus, gazing with mourn

e of the game laws. Keepers and farmers had made no secret of their suspicions that this was the case: but the careful Twins never afforded them the pleasure of adducing evidence in support of those suspicions. Then a heavy thunderstorm revealed the fact that they h

ily have put slates in the place of the sheet of le

ry not to have catapults," said Erebus, gazing with mourn

s. Keepers and farmers had made no secret of their suspicions that this was the case: but the careful Twins never afforded them the pleasure of adducing evidence in support of those suspicions. Then a heavy thunderstorm revealed the fact that they had removed a sheet of lead, which

ved. In a bitter and vindictive spirit the Twins set themselves to become the finest stone-throwers who ever graced a countryside; and since they had every natural aptitude in the way of muscle and keenness of eye, th

t (for the Twins it was always simpler to vault or climb over a gate than to unlatch it and walk through) and took their way along a narrow pat

n rifle on his shoulder, a smile of proud triumph on his richly freckled face. He stood

will bleach in the pathless forest while their scalps han

tattered and dirty note-book, an inconceivable note-book (it was the only thing to curb the exuberant imagin

ere three," sai

id Wiggins; firmly; and his br

ternoon getting well ahead of you again,

at they had already passed their thirteenth birthday, it was a great condescension on their part to play with a b

common. Wiggins was one of those who spurn the earth. Now and again, for obscure but p

overtake him, he said, "The game is

evel," said the

ior astuteness," sa

ou use!" said Erebus in

her; you see, he has a European

what is a European reputation?"

ws him," said Wiggins; a

to them a name both affected and ostentatious. Besides, crop

roader rutted cart-track to see two figur

m," said

behind her, slipped off the bag of b

her!" cried Erebus in a tone i

cher!" cried the Terror, echoing her d

heir way with gloomy faces

failed to win their young hearts was Captain Baster of the Twenty-fourth Hussars; and they calle

Wiggins said in a tone of superi

d the Terr

o marry your moth

voice, one look of blank conste

lly thing like that?"

otested Wiggins. "Mrs

old gossip!"

one of those rich ones from Springer's at Rowington. And they said it would be such a good thing for both of you because he's so a

I should hate it

said the faithful reporter. "And they didn't seem to thin

ream of it-a bounder lik

good for us-she'd do anything for us-you know she wo

square chin stuck out in dogged resolution; a deep

ped," he said thro

w?" sai

. It's war!" said

"I'm on your side," he said. "I'm a

he Terror. "We'd

they drew near, the Terror's face recovered its

hearty voice: "How's Terebus and the Error; and how's Freckle

ous politeness; Wiggins shook hands with Mrs. Da

iggins," said Mrs. Dangerfield with her delightf

said Wiggins somewhat glumly; and of a su

to have it this time I'm here," said Captain B

her clenched teeth; and she gaz

erfield said, "You'll come

s he alighted on it once more, he added. "Tea at other people's

mehow," said the Terr

e, neatly rounded off in a little knob forever shiny. The son of the famous pickle millionaire, he had enjoyed every advantage which great wealth can bestow, and was now enjoying heartily a brave career in a crack regiment. The crack regiment, cold, phlegmatic, unappreciative, was not enjoying it. To his brother officers he was known as Pallyba

ful frown. The Terror, serene, impassive, showed no sign of hearing him; his mind was hard at work on this very serious problem with which he had been so suddenly confronted. More than once Erebus countered a witticism with a sharp retort, but with none sharp enough to

ineteenth century, seemed abashed in the presence of his floridness. It seemed to demand the setting of spacious, ornately glittering hotels. Mrs. Dangerfield liked him less in her own drawing-ro

ous of the shabby furniture. In a high good humor he went on shining and shining all through tea; and though at the end of it his luster was for a while dimmed by the discovery that h

calm autumn evening wit

can't let Mum marry him! We

what Mum is: if she thinks a thing is for our

onsults us-never

a bit doubtful,

w. She hasn't said a word t

e up her mind already; and if she has, it's no use

ved expectantly backward and forward from one to th

to Mum," said Erebus prese

f it and just squash the Crunc

quash the Crunch

other people, haven't we?

thick-skinned as

d look here: I've been thinking all tea-time: if stepchildren don't like

, though it's no fault

f he saw the kind of stepchildren he was in f

n see we hate him

isn't to show him how we feel, but to show him what we can do, if we

zling smile illumined her charming face; and she cried

y!" cried Wiggins; and he spurned

and intent, cudgeling their brains for some

make him an apple-pie bed. They'r

th an air o

-pie bed?" said

ng his hea

proving tone; and he added with the air of a philoso

to break his leg; but I c

the Terror; and he led the way swiftly out of

we going?"

ng. We shall think of heaps of other things. If we don't worry about them, they'll

r was staying, and went in through the front door which stood open. At the sound of their footsteps i

politely. "We've come for Captain Baster's ciga

he look of favor with which her eyes had rested on the fair guileless face of the Terror, changed to a fr

e bedroom," said the Terror with ready ami

said Mrs. Pittaway, bu

and their intelligent eyes were eagerly scanning the hapless unprotected bedroom. Erebus sprang to the shaving-brush on the mantelpiece and t

him not to be

filled one of Captain Baster's inviting dress-

e! Why don't you do someth

: "A clothes-brush in bed is very annoy

t firmly, bristles outward, against the bottom of the folded sheet of the apple-pie bed, where one or th

he cigarette-case from the dressing-table; they

ngeful triumph: "There! you see things do occur to us." Then with his u

ckles," said Wiggins vengefully; a

st thickly overhead, they came to a patch of deepish mud which was

aid Erebus, mindful of his

e of it and said: "It wouldn't be a n

hort, laughed a hard, sinister little lau

t is it now?" sa

o for you and Wiggins to have a hand i

wear?" sa

and Wiggins is too young to hea

rebus sharply. "T

or shook

to help-I always do," cried Ere

or shook

tupid thing like that? But all the same you'll go a

nd see," said the Terr

darkly about piggishness

middle, indeed, of a long story illustrating his prowess in a game of polo, on two three-hundred-guinea

d, the Terror gave hi

e of the thoughtfulness of her offspr

ity: "Thank you, Error-thank you. But why didn't you bring it to me

ous eyes, and said in a siniste