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

rebellion had greeted this sacrifice on
the altar of righteous indignation
Indeed the household was firm
and the espionage particular. Pos
sibly the undisputsd sovereignty of SO
many years had rendered these gentle
women domineering, and they were
therefore the less prepared for the blow
which was to strike them.
The sisters were tall and genteel,
while their family resenblances was
enhanced by similarity of raiment. The
bony angularity of Miss Brown was still
a supple slendsrnsss in Miss Selma.
They affected washy grsys or crumped
browns in attire of morning, with NIT
tens, usually red at noon, and lace net at
nightfall. when they invariably appear
ed in long black silk dresses, with bibs
and collars of wondrous construction,
decked with bows and f1owers-the dou+
bic turret miniature headgear of British
middle age. The Misses Brown liked to
be nicely dressed for evening. and at
tanned the gratifying result with the aid
of the wrought needle work aforenen-
toned. In the matter of hats they we're
undeniably skittish in taste, ,shewiDa ten
dency to the turbaH, and even the jocks
ey cap with visor, usually appertain>
ing to extreme youth.
"The rooms will be needed, and the
old lady must be told" suggested Miss
Ethel, finishing her tea.
LADY Pounce may arrive at any hour.
She evidently considered reply unne-
cessary," added Miss Selma.
"Yes," said Miss Brown, who took the
lead by reason of her seniority.
The old lady had arrivee the previous
evening. She had come by omnibus
from the railway statinn, and she had
held shrill argument over payment with
the porter who had brought he modest
luggage. She was a little old woman,
shriveled and bent, clad in rustic black.
A wintry bloom still tinged her cheeks,
her blue eyes were shrewd and keen,
while the fiaxen eurls of false front
| framed her face beneath bounet of ser
viceable pone pattern. From whence
did she Gomez The Misses Brown did
not know She was one of those waits
so frequently encountered on the high
way of continental travel. Eccentricity
marked her speech and movements while
suspicion of others masked her own ret
iceAce She was alone, and evidently in
tended TO give no account of herself.
These peculiarities might have been
..ssyerlooked had she been less grudging
OF .-<,,.>,5 .s.u =Iiae
Misses Brown evinced 4 degree Of werld
ly -mindedness in drawiHg most unfavor-
able auguTy from that arrival in the
public omnibus. The old lady had taken
possession of one of the rooms of the
first floor, and refused to pay more for
it than the price exacted for the third
story 1t is true she had announced her
willingness to abdicate should a more
extravagant tenant appear.
Miss Brown sailed away majestically
to adjust this little matter.
The old lady stood on the landing,
wagging her head angrily at a flushed
cabman, while the waiter Arnslfo how
cred near. with that neutral aspect pc
culiar to italian house+servaDts when
alterations arise with the dangerously
revengeful class of street Jehus. Ar
nolfo impaired to the pension that ele-
ment of grace lacking in the prosaic
boarding houses of other lands He car
ried jugs of hot water and polished boots
with chesrfulness in the forenoon, bat
toward evaning appeared in the broad
cloth and spotless linen of msjordomO
with considerable display of jewelry
about the waistcoast and suspicion of
pink toilet powder on the naughty eoun-
tenanoe. 1t was then that the camer>
iere conducted ladies to classic ruins il
luminatod with electric light, and sang
outside the drawing room door, to the
accompaniment of the mandolin, those |
impassioned melodies which possibly |
breathed hope of captivating an heir
ess among the number, and earning that
elysium of ease which should enable him
to turn to bully bis own menials.
"Not another soldoP' piped the old
lady.
Miss Brown interfered, adjusted the
difficulty, and made the necessary com>
munication concerning the change Of |
room, The old lady listened with an
odd smile.
Next morning Miss Mary looked out
of the window and. exclaimed, "Whatev-
er does that mean?"
She indicated door on the opposite
side of the thoroughfare. to which
small brass plate has been affixed, with
this inscription: "Private Family Home
Kept by Mrs. Brown" At the same
moment lady appeared at the window
of suite of five rooms above and nod
ded to the amazed spectators. She was
a stout and elderly person, with a round
good humored face and double chin.
"Sbe is that odious MIS-. Brown from
Dublin" cried Miss Selma.
The sisters gazed at each other in con-
sternatien. For twelve years their own
door had borne polished brass plate,
with the advertisement: "Private Fam
lily Home. Kept by the Misses Brown"
Was this rivalry?
"She intends to supplant us" said Miss
Brown, In a voice tremulous with anger
"She knew our SYSTEM groaned Miss
Ethel. "Sha lived with Ms an enfire /