St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-04

large extent, interspersed with q few cur
sorry bits of hit and misplay with the
racquets. There were no chaperones at all
at this game. and il amounted TO q merry
sort of frolic for two hours i'm the middle
of the day. Ii was amusing TO listen TO
the talk, for the English accent, which is
affected so laborouSly by some of the So
ciety people, was picked up and dropped
precisely as fancy dictated by the gor-
geOusly attired people who made badmin-
ton an excuse for meeting without
being oppressed by the pres
ence of chaperone duennas. But just
let me show you how superior bellies are to
beaus when il comes 10 sightliness at play.
The biggest swell of the dandieS arrived an
hour before time. He was small man
with prominent teeth. rather a pallid face,
and a pair of shadowy side whiskers. He
pranced up to the door of the himsy frame
structure, and nodded carelessly to stolid
Englishman who stood by the door with a
straw in his mouth and his hands in his
pockets.
Good mawnin', FOwbes." said the new
conner, screwing single glass into one of
his weak eyes, and glaring hard at the at
tendant; lis any one heah?"
Not yet, sir, " said the attendant, respect
fully.
''Aw," muttered the young man compla-
cen ly; II am the first one then" Having
arrived at this deep and logical conclusion,
after
AN ELABORATE COURSE OF THOUGHT,
he cast ghostly and transparent smile at
Forbes and drifted through the doorway
into the barn-like structure. Here he cast
a critical view at net which extended
across the floor, went to one of a series of
IL
quet. Then he assembled the small stair
way to the gallery. where there were a few
dressing-rOoms. and presently emerged in
all the glory of white flannel knickerbock-
ers and shirt, with long red stockings. q
blue and white silk Norfolk jacket, and
blue worsted Tam O'Shanter cap perched
artfully upon his rather peculiar-looking
head. Around one of his slim wrists there
was broad leather band clasped with four
buckles-a scheme by which champion
badminton and tennis players strengthen
wrists that have been strained by everyday.
The single glass now hung over his breast.
He danced about for moment to Timber up
his legs and then, stepping out in the in
closure across which the net was placed,
he slipped off his silk jacket produced
| little cube into which was inserted a rim
of feathers and tossed it in the air. When
it came diving downward, with bullet-like
directness he caught it deity on the end of
| his racquet and sent it into the air again.
&c sun poured through the glass roof Of
building and impaired the still ami ~il
icn look to it that a conservatory 80
midsummer. Occasionally the JIM 90
car bell could be heard but nobody mtfGucd
into the Badminton club. The only signs
of life were supplied by the nimble young
swell who danced caTelessly about in the
sunshine, batting the feathered toy up to-
ward the roof. With the rich colors of his
costume and his nimbleneSs he might have
been mistaken by baloonist peering from
above for a huge tropical bird of some gay
but gawky sort dispOrting itself grotesquely
| in the sun.
THE SOLITARY
young badminton player who was romping
so jOyously was bowling swell of a very
high order. He didn't look like a man of
great Importance but socially his position
is enviable. A man who at the age OF
twenty-eight can boast of membership in
the Summerset club of Boston; the Savage
club. of London; the Jockey club of Paris.
and the Union, KnickerbOcker and Unor
League clubs, of New York; has a racing
stable of his own and spends $50. 900 {
year without earning the reputation OF
being a spendthrift or a fool. must neces
sarily amount to something in the would o.
society. He seemed as happy as a clam a
high tide, batting away there skillfully
when a brougham drove up to the door ant
young woman and her maid hustled in III
gave a yell of greeting that was quite un
dgnitied, and reminded one strongly of
street Arab.
Late again. Miss Agatha" he chirped
happily. "'Pon me soul it is quite heart
rending for a man of my conScentiousnes
and trustful nature TO receive these disap
pointments every play-day."
Indeed, you are a paragon" said tn
girl. smiling brightly, and tossing her wrap
to the maid. 1t was the fault of MANN
this morning. She was desperately blu
when she got out of bed, and so she climbe
back in again. Then she insisted upon m,
reading to her until she felt more composed
and there you are"
She had scarcely finished speaking whe
S there was great chatter and hustle about
= and half a dozen people hurried in. Tw
of the girls We're in full tennis rig. an
e when one of the men slipped off his Ion
| ulster he revealed the fact that he, too, ha
t put on his play-daY toys before startin
from home.
WHAT STRUCK ME HARDEST.
: However, was the fact that the belle
!: were so much more shapely and gracefI
S than the beauX. More than one bony fello'
e had on what believe actors call flats.
That is TO say, their legs were artificial
enlarged and Strengthened by padding. \
: girl was guilty of such deceit. But L don
Il mind telling you just what girls do in the
: line when coStuming for badmnton or tel
= mis-. The fashion is to wear soft woole
II skirts reaching to the ankles, and preSum;
II bly, with no petticoats underneath. The in
}. tention is TO leave the legs clear for the e,
e erciSe-also distinctly outlined as part
Y the general symmetry that constitutes
). much of the pleasant sightliness of ii
5 sport. Well, every player of good sen.
n puts on exactly as many flannel skirts
: will produce the desired bulk. No spect;
J. tor can tell whether there be one or six la,
e ers of the soft fabric; but anyhow he new,
d sees the protuberance of a knee pan or IL
n sharpness of a shinbone.-Clara Belle
V Cincinnati Enquirer.