Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-06

1
miral was in high spirits, for the morning
post had brought good news to his son.
sit is wonderful, Walker" he was say
ing, positively wonderful the way that
boy of mine has gone ahead during the last
three years. We heard from Pearson to-
day. Pearson is the senior partner, you
know, and my boy the junior-Pearson and
Denver the firm. Cunning old dog is Pear
son, as cute and as greedy as Rio shark
Yet he goes off for fortnight's leave, and
puts my boy in full charge, with all that
immense business in his hands, and free
hand to do what he likes with it. How
that for confidence. and he only three years
| upon change? 1 have much to be thank
full for
"And so have L The best two girls that
ever stepped. But hullo, what is this COM
ing along?''
"All drawing and the wind astern ~
| cried the Admiral Fourteen knots if it 5
one. Why. bv George, it is that woman!''
| A rolling cloud of yellow dust had
streamed round the curve of the road. and
from the heart of it had emerged high
tandem tricycle. flying along at break
clad in a heather tweed pea-jacket, skirt
which just passed her knee, and pair of
thick CATERS of the same material. She
had great bundle of red papers under her
| arm, while Charles, who sat behind her clad
| in Norfolk Jacket and kpickerbockers, bore
a similar roll protru1ing from either pocket
Even as they watched, the pair eased up,
the lady sprang of, impaled one Of her
bills upon the garden railing of an empty
house, and then jumping on to her seat
| again was about to hurry onward when her
nephew drew her attention to the two
gentlemen on the footpath.
| r AZ
said she. taking few turns of the treadle
and steering the machine across to them.
! ''1s it not a beautiful morning."
Lovely" answered the doctor. "You
seem to be very busy
81 am very busy She pointed to the
colored paper which still fluttered from the
railing. 1--WE have been pushing our pro-
paganda, you see. Charles and 1 have been
at it since o'clock. 1t is about our meet
ing. 1 wish it to be great success. See"
| She smoothed out one of the bills, and the
doctor read his own name in great black
letters across the bottom.
"We don't forget our chairman, you see.
Everybody is coming. Those two dear lit
tie maids opposite the Williamses held out
for some time; but I have their promise
now. Admiral, am sure that you wish US
we'll"
Hum! wish you no harm, ms'am."
s'You will come on the platform?''
"Fll be- No, 1 don't think I can do
that
''To our meeting, them"
s"No, ma am; don't go out after dinner
ooh yes, you will come. 1 will call in If
I may, and chat it over with you when you
come home. We have not breakfasted yet.
Good-bye"' There was a whirl of wheels,
and the yellow clouds rolled away down the
road again. By some legerdemain the
Admiral found that he was clutching in his
right hand one of the obnoxious bills. He
crumpled it up and threw it into the road
way.
The Admiral had hardly got home, and
had Just seated himself in mis- drawing room,
when the attack upon him was renewed. He
heard a scrunching Of gravel, and, looking
over the top of his paper, saw Mrs. West
macott coming up the garden walk. She
was still dressed in the singular costume
which offended the sailors old-fashioned
notions of propriety, but he could not deny,
as he looked at her, that she was a very fine
woman.
'Mav come in?" said she, framing her
self in the open window, with background
of greensward and blue sky.
81 wish that you would give US your
powerful support at our coming meeting
for the improvement of the condition of
woman"
"No, ma'am; I can't do that" He
pursed up his lips and shook his grizzled
head.
':And WHY not7'
Then for halt an hour she urged the cause
of ''woman' 8 rights
The Admiral jumped out of his chair at
length, with an evil word in his throat.
s'There, there, ma am, he cried. "Drop it
for time. I have heard enough. I will
think it over"
Certainly, Admiral We would not
hurry you up in your decision. But we
still hope to see you on our platform She
culine fashion from one picture to
another, for the walls were thickly covered
with "reminiscences of the Admiral's yoy-
ages.
"Hullov' said she. "Surely this ship
would have furled all her lower canvas
and reefed her topsails if she found her
self on lee shore with the wind on her
quarter"
''Of course she would. The artist was
never past Gravesend, swear. It's the
Penelope as she was on the 14th of June,
1857, in the throat of the Straits of Banca,
with the island of Banca on the starboard
bow and Sumatra on the port. He painted
it from description, but of course. as YOU
very sensibly say, all was snug below and
she carried storm sails and double reefed
topsails, for it was blowing a cyclone from
the sou'east. compliment you, ma'am-I
do, indeed.''
''Oh. 1 have done a little sailoring nv
self-as much as woman can aspire to. you
know. This is the Bay of FunchaL What
lovely frigate"'
'Lovely, you sayl All, she was lovely!
That is the sAndromeda.' was a mate
oh I'd of har hi
now, though like the old name best"
"What lovely rake her masts have, and
what curve to her bows! She must have
been a clipper"
The old sailor rubbed his hands and his
eyes glistened. His old ships bordered
close upon his wife and son in his affection.
Il know Funchal," said the lady, care
lessly. ga couple of years ago 1 had
seven-ton cutter-riggsd yacht, the Ran
shee,' and we ran over to Madeira from FaI-
mouth"
"You. ma'am, in a seven-tonner?"
"With couple of Cornish lads for crew.
Oh, it was glorious! A fortnight right out
in the open, with no worries, no letters, no
grand works of God, the tossing sea and the
great silent sky. They talk of riding-in-
deed am fond of horses, too-but what Is
there to compare with the swoop of little
craft as she pitches down the long steep
side of wave, and then the culver and
spring as she is tossed upward again? Oh,
if our souls could transmigrate I'd be a
seamew above all birds that fv. But keep
you, Admiral. Adieu!'
The old sailor was too transported with
sympathy to say a word. He could only
shake his broad muscular hand She was
half way down the garden path before she
II l.