Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-12-18
THE PARLOR MATCH.

1t is about s 80 o'clock on June eve
ming, and the dusk is beginning to gather
thickly about the Mott country house
the dense trees which oversbadov the
place increasing the gloom. Miss Ethel
who has been for half An hour enter
tanning Bob Tracy on the broad piazza
she opportune absence of the family
having thrust that duty upon her. sud-
denly starts up exclaimins:
Did you think you saw light hat
going by the syringa bush thsnf'
No. / didu't think anything of the
kind Bob retorted, with rather unne-
eessary severity. Who'd you expectY
oh. nobody. Dc you like those very
light hats they wear Dow?
No, | hale 'em'
Il don't think l should express so
strong an opinion just about hat
'Humphl 1t isn't the hat so much as 1t
is the dudes that wear them
'I don't see why yon need call a man a
dude just because be dresses better than
other fellows and happens to have q dog
carl.'
oh, that vas the light hat you ex-
pected. was ii 2
Il don't know what you are talking
about. Who said l expected anybodyT
The young man replied by a cOmpre-
hensive exclamation, half snort of
contempt and half sneer of inerdulity
There follows silence of some minutes,
broken only by the mellow eroaking of
the distant frogs and the nearer, shriller
and far less soothing hum Of the mos
quitoes.
How cross you are tonight, Miss
Ethel observes at length, feeling that the
duties of hospitality require her to re-
open the conversation, but by no means
prepared to descend at once to amiabIl>
ity; perhaps it is the mosquitoes
.Yes.I think it may be- Tracy responds
with great dignity. L won't keep you
out here any longer to suffer martyrdOm.
He rises with a stateliness the effect
Of which is unfortunately lost in the
darkness, and stands glaring in the di-
rectiOn where he knows pretty Miss
Ethel to be sitting
Don't be goose come into the house.
Perhaps your temper II be better In
there. It's worth trying anyway.
with such an example I'll own it
ought TO be- Bob returns with crushing
sarcasm But you couldn't watch for
light hats if we went ia
How hard you try to get up quarrel
when I'd just made up my mind to be
very amiabie.
How long after you've made up your
mind snail | have to wait for the resO-
luton to take effectY
Come ia. Music hath charms, you
know. What shall play to youy
Can you play in the darkY
Il can, but on the whole, | think
won't; because mammals on on ride,
and 1 doubt if its proper anyway.
Since when were you 80 particular? =
We'll, if l play, you see. Mira. Hunt
would know you were here in the dark /;
she's such spy
Don't play then. We can. ait in the
dark and talk, can't we?
No, thank you; I'd rather be proper.
Shall l ring or have you matchT
Il ought to have one. BotherP
The exclamation was caused by q
stumble over one of these minor pieces
of furniture the whole object Of whose
existence is to get under unwary feet
and to render otherwise tranquil lives a
burden. He regains his equilibrium,
swallows his wrath and feels in his
pocket for his match safe. Finding, TO
his disappointment, that it was well
nigh full, ne recklessly tosses the con
t nts out of the window by which he
had Just entered, and calmly remarks:
My match safe is as empty as fools
head. There isn't single stick in it.
There's a new kind of Matches Ethel
observes in tone of disinterested in
structiveneSs. Jim was explaining them
to me; a latent kind, yoa know. There's
something comes down like cap
"A cap doesn't come down. Bob inter-
rupts. stumbling over more furniture IN
a fresh attempt to follow his hostess,
who, more familiar with the arrange
ments of the room, has safely crossed TO
a distant corner, dexterously avoiding
obstacles. 'Jehu! How many foOt-stOols
are there in this roomT
IF you don't want to know about the
matches
'Ob, do
Then don't interrupt. There's kind
OF cap C0uleS uOWU-
Comes down from whereY
Il shall positively not tell you about
those matches.
'But I'm dying to know
Did you think somebody came up the
walk thenp'
is there any connection between
matches and somebody's coming up the
walk p
There might be-
.Hunphl You'd better go on about
the patent match. "A light hat comes
down. think you said; over fools
head, l suppose. Go on
He had by this time made his way to
the sofa upon which Miss Mott ia seat>
cd. and without apology takes place by
her ride.
Bob. this positively is not proper. If
you can't be agreeable, we will at least
be proper
You seem to intimate a strange and
vicious familiarity with the delights of |
Bob Tracyl You know if mother |
were here, you wouldn't dare to speak in
that way
IF your mother were here there |
be any occasion
Somehow, Robert. going into the navy |
seems to have spoiled YOU, just rs Aust
Jane said it would
Your Aunt Jane Is an old prude'
My Aunt Jane is my fathers sister,
'Indeedl How singularl You're sure
she isn't his cousiny'
81 navar like vn,l lass than ,phan van