The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-05-31
Matching the Banner.

ST never was SO disappointed in my
life" said old Miss Beskley, letting her
eyeglasses drop hopelessly at her side
Are you quite sure, Belinda ?"
''l've been everywhere" said Miss
Belinda Beckley, the younger of the
two ancient maiden ladies. "Every.
wherel And there's nothing that CORE.
spends with it in the least degree"
The two Misses Beckley looked at
each other despairinply And if one
had been gifted with fertile imagina-
tion, it would have been easy to fancy
them pair OF elderly enchantresses in
the midst of magic palace. For the
quaint, low-ceiled drawing rooms were
filled with iointed bamboo screens,
carved masses OF ivory, hideous painted
ware, and tiny cups and saucers as
transparent as so many egg shells.
And, by way of finishing up the har-
monious whole, they had hung their
walls with draperies and banners in
wrinkled Grape encircled with gold
thread, lustrous satin, brocaded tapes
try, even strips OF giloed paper, where
Oriental plants blossomed, and phe-
nomenal birds set all ones preconceived
ideas OF perspective at defiance. And
faint perfume a teak and sandalwood
hung on the air, and dingy rugs blotted
out the harvest roses and tulips of the
carpet, which had been good enough
for the half-p captain who had once
been uncle to the two Misses Beckley,
and it only required a coffee colored
native with wooden shoes and braided
queue to make one believe ones self in
the Flowery Land.
" Japanese, you see," the two old Ia
dies world say, booking complacently
at the astonished guest who had STUN
bled from an atmosphere of newly
fallen snow and New York sunshine
into this half lighted, strangely scented
mosaic of the East" entirely Jap
anese."
But life is not without its shadows,
and upon this especial evening, as the
nephew and heir-apparent of the old
ladies, one Frapk Franklyn, sauntered
in, just ss the daffodil gold of the Feb
ruary twilight was turning to hazy pur-
pie, he found both his aunts plunged
in the deepest abysses of gloom.
Mr.. Franklyn looked from one to the
other of the weird and agitated faces.
He knew that Aunt Miranda's cap was
never tipped at that particular angle
over her false front except when mat
ters we're very bad indeed ; and Aunt
Belinda leaned against the mantel in an
attitude Of limp despair.
"What is the matter9" he asked, setting
his hat on lacquered tripod in one
corner, and balancing his cane in the
angle OF the wall behind a stuffed ibis,
whose speculative eyes seemed to glare
at him from the partial shadow after a
most uncomfortable fashion.
"Look there, Frank" solemnly uttered
Miss Beckley, pointing with her crooked
gold-headedl cane to the opposite
wall,
s'Beautiful |" said Frank Franklyn, al
q venture. For he saw only long and
narrow parallelogram of black satin
mounted in a border of glimmerine
gold brocade, with a roller of cream
white ivory, and background on which
q pensive stork wandered through
waves of lead .colored silk embroidery
and beneath the silver green shadow o.
sacred palms.
'Tsn't it p said Miss Belinda, hel
venerable face lighting up with mo
mentary satisfaction, only to darker
again into gloom. "But, oh Frank
we haven't got match for it.
"Not got match for it ?,
"There's nothing-nothing," cried
Miss Beckley, tragically lifting hel
hands, Sin all this room that is fit Il
hang on the other side of my deal
Rrandfathers portrait"
:"Why," said this reckless iconoclast I
should think that almost anythini
would do"
The two old ladies uttered a simul
faneoRs cry of dismay and horror,