To see the hilarious Reddy mulping was very odd. About the only
subject in or out of books that seemed to interest him in the
slightest degree was the mention of the name of his twin brother,
Heady; and that, too, in spite of the fact that the two of them had
quarreled and bickered so much that their despairing parents had
finally sent them to different schools. But now Reddy seemed to be
inconsolable, grieving for the other half of his twin heart.
Finally the boy's blues grew so blue that no one was much surprised
when he announced his desperate determination to journey to the town
where Heady was at school, and visit him. Reddy got permission from
the Principal to leave on Friday night and return on Monday. He had
been saving up his spending-money for many a dismal week, and now he
went about borrowing the spending-money of all his friends.
One Friday evening, then, after class hours, all the Lakerimmers went
in a body down to the railroad-station to bid Reddy a short good-by.
Jumbo felt inclined to crack a few jokes upon Reddy's inconsistency in
struggling so hard to get away from his brother, and then struggling
so hard to go back to him, but Tug told Jumbo that the subject was too
tender for any of his flippancy.
On reaching the depot they found that Reddy's train was half an hour
late, and that a train from the opposite direction would get in first.
So they all stood solemnly around and waited. When this train pulled
into the station you can imagine the feelings of all when the first
one to descend was--