A Solitary Twin

The " Pat Contributor " furmshes the [Jtica Obierver the following strange story of' a " twin :" " There was a woman out West who gave birth to one twin - just one, that's all there was of him. She never had another solitary twin so long as she lived. ïe was a inelanoholy child from the first, and wore such a lonesome look. He always seemed to be watching and listenng for somebody who never came. He appeared to realize that he waan't altojether - that he was a kind of human parenthesis with onebracketgone animated dumb-bell, missing - a ' pair ' that couldn't beat dauces and hardly worth drawing to. He used to moan in his sleep and paw around on his pillow for :he missing brother. When that boy grew up he was different from any boy I ever knew - that is to say, any one boy. 3e seemed more like two boys - at least ie was altogether two boys-terous for one. '.f he had a fight it was with a boy twice as big as he was, for he seemed to feel, somehow, as though there were two of ïim, or ought to be. He always managed to get two pieces of pie at the table, ust as if one was for the other of him who wasn't there, and there was a thin iretense of taking care of it for him, but ie always took care to eat it, I noticed. ïe only half learned his lessons, and double-entry book-keeping nigh about set him crazy, because, as I told you, there wasn't but half of him there, and he could n't double-entry. He wouldn't sleep wirti any other boy beoause, he said, it crowded 'era. He grew up, but he never got married. Once or twice he attempted to coutt a girl, but left her when it was lalf done, as though that other twin of ii# would be along and court the other ïalf. I don't know what became of him. ! heard that he died from sheer loneliness, but I only believe half I hear about that boy, anyhow. If he be dead, you can bet he is only half dead."