Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-02-05

of malicious old age. Just then tw,
carriages drew up before the door an,
the rews spread that Lady Pounce ho'
arrived, bag and baggage
The departing and incoming guests
met on the threshold little old lad,
in rusty black, unattended, and a splen
did creature, all velvet, furs and per
fumes, accompanied by companion. {
man servant, pert French maid, anC
two dogs. The Misses Brown hovereC
on the stairway; even Arnolfe lost hi
head. Mrs. Sandilands paused, survey
ed the newcomer through her eyeglas'
with cynical scrutiny. and passed on
The companion said. THAT was old Mrs
Saddilands."
"Is she looking up her grandson ?" re
torted Lady Pounee.
Then she nodded curtly to Miss Brown
whistled to the dogs and ascended the
stairs Thus was her ladyship installed
Events crowded quickly on the four
spinters after that. Lady Pounce may
have been said to have upset the orderly
habits of the household in half an hour
She declined to lunch before o'clock,
and seoffed at Miss Browns timOrous
objections. She scolded Arnolfo with
surprising iuency; then tipped him with
an insolent generosity. She flung AL
gerian wraps over the prim furniture of
the state-rooms, and established Turk
ish pipe on the best table. In appear
ance she was tall, masculine. and with
a suppleness of muscle perceptible even
beneath silken feminine attire. Her fea-
lures, trife hard and fatigued, were
still handsome after the first freshness
of yOuth had passed. The Misses Brown
quailed before the indomitable authority
of her fine gray eyes. In the afternoon
she rode out in an open landau with red
wheels, the companion with her, and the
two dogs established On the opposite
seat. Her ladyship's costume was strip
ed like the coat of tiger. while sky
blue feathers waved above her mustard
yellow hair.
"Do you think she can be a-little
fast? ?" ventured Miss Selma, peering
through closed shutter at this brill
liant eQuipage.
Her three sisters remained gloomily
silont. The smart man servant estab'
lished agreeable relations with the cook
in the kitchen of the entresol, and the
maid servant coquetted with the entire
street from the balcony. To increase
the discontinue of the Misses Brown,
old Mrs. Smithilands appeared at win
dow of the rival pension, q seemingly
.mocking SPECTATOR of the scene.
Lady Pounce went to the theatre that
evening without asking leave of the
houshod authorities, and returned in
the small hours, just rs the old gentle>
man, driven to seek the sedative climate
of Rome by obstinate insomnia, had
fallen into a DOSE The old gentleman
left next day at the moment when .
family party drove up, demanding TO
know if Mrs. Sandilands was stopping
there, and on learning the contrary,
went over to the enemy in guiss of smi-
ling Mrs. Brown.
"Her dutiful relatives must be looking
her up. She is old, you know" This
remark emanated from Lady Pounce,
standing in gentlemanly attitude. with
a cigarette between her lips, and caused
the very hair to bristle on the respect
i've heads of the Misses Brown. The
poor ladies felt that they had committed
a fatal error in alightiDg the eccentric
Mrs. Sandilands in favor of a title. They
bethought them of all spiritual and tenn
poral advisers within their reach, but
Lady Pounce remained scornfully in
different to their disapproval, and, in
deed, seldom noticed them at all. Some4
thing must be done, and solemn con-
cIaves were held. A note was written
the distinguished strangers to
seek more congenial quarters at some
hotel. -
"FidlesticksT said Lady Peunce, tear+
ing up the note after careless perusal of
contents. "Tell your mistress will pay
her higher price for her beggarly room
if she is not satisfied.
Corks popped at all hours, and many
visitors dropped in of sport
ing aspect Laughter was audible at
unseemly moments, when the clear
metallic tones of her ladyship domina~
ted those of her companions. The es>
tablishment of the select gentle woman
became the center of an undesirable Gu
riosity. Groups of loungers, the straws
caught in the eddy of public interest in
all cities, paused to stare at the windows
and doors of the pension. This public
homage was manifestly gratifying to
Lady Pounce. She hung over balcony,
in scarlet burnooSe, the usu-
al cigarette in her mouth, and compla>
Gently. slipped the adulations of the
crowd. The carriage was replaced by a
superb saddle horse, with an attendant
groom in grass green livery and top
boots. Thus mounted, the beautiful
woman looked her best. She touched
the horse with her whip, and the noble
animal bounded and stood on his hind
legs, without unseating the intrepid ri-
der. What sound reached the scandal
lied ears of the Misses Brown, spying
out the land from the casementp Sure
Iy it was ripple of applause.
"Oh, what does it mesnp" cried Ethel,
wildly.
1T means we shall be ruined by the