Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-21
CHAPTER vi.
AN OLD STORY.

But this was not to be the only event
full conversation which Mrs. Westmacott
held that day, nor was the admiral the
only person in The Wilderness who was
destined to find his opinions considerably
changed. Two neighboring families, the
Winslows from Anerley and the Cum
berbatches from Gypsy Hill, had beer
invited to tennis by Mrs. Westmacott
and the lawn was gay in the evening
with the blazers of the young men an6
the bright dresses of the girls. To the
older people sitting round in their wicker
work garden chairs the darting, stoop
ing, springing white figures, the SWEEP
of skirts and twinkle of canvas shoes
the click of the rackets and sharp whiz
of the balls, with the continual "fifteeI
love, fifteen allI' of the marker, made uI
a merry and exhilarating scene. To SEE
their sons and daughters so flushed an6
healthy and happy gave them also re
flected glow, and it was hard to say who
had most pleasure from the game, those
who played or those who watched.
Mrs. Westmacott had just finished 6
set when she caught glimpse of Clara
Walker sitting alone at the farther enc
Of the ground. She ran down the court
cleared the net to the amazement of the
visitors and seated herself beside her
Clara's reserved and refined nature
shrank somewhat from the boisterou:
frankness and strange manners of the
orI har "a
told her that beneath all her peculiari
ties there lay much that was good and
noble. She smiled up at her, therefore
and nodded a greeting.
"Why aren't you playing then? Don't
for goodness sake, begin to be languid
and young ladyishl When you give VI
active sports, you give up youth"
81 have played set, Mrs. Westma
cott."
That's right, my dear" She tapped
her upon the arm with her tennis racket
Il like you, my dear, and am going to
call you Clara. You are not as aggres-
sive as l should wish, Clara, but still ]
like you very much. Self sacrifice is
all very well, you know, but we have
had rather too much of it on our side
and should like to see little ON the
other. What do you think Of my nephew
Charles?"
The question was so sudden and unex.
pected that Clara gave quite jump in
her chair. "I-I-I hardly ever have
thought of your nephew Charles"
mo? Oh, you must think him well
over, for I.want to speak to you about
him."
ITO me? But why?"
"It seemed to me most delicate. You
see, Clara, the matter stands in this way.
It is quite possible that / may soon find
myself in completely new sphere Of
life, which will involve fresh duties and
make it impossible for me to keep up q
household which Charles can share"
Clara stared Did this mean that she
was about to marry again? What else
could it point to?
Therefore Charles must have house
hold of his own. That Is obvious. Now
| don't approve Of bachelor establish.
ments. Do your
Really. Mrs Westmacott, have
never thought of the matter"
"Oh, you little sly puss! Was there
ever a girl who never thought of the
matter9 think that young man oi
six and twenty ought to be married"
Clara felt very uncomfortable. The
awful thought had come upon her that
this embassadress had come to her q
proxy with proposal of marriage. But
how could that be? She had not spoken
more than three or four times with hel
nephew and knew nothing more of him
than he had told her on the evening be-
fore. It was impossible then. And YET
what could his aunt mean by this dis