The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-28
THE POPHAMS At BAR HlRBOR


Hes been lookin' dreadful peeked ever
since last Christmas. and l Just made mp
my mind we'd get HIM oil for rest this
summer He amt been bit like himself.
and the doctor says he just needs
change
.Of course, Certainly. The best thing in
the world"
M sine's his native State, and We hit
on Jar Hsrbor. though Mr. Popham says 1t
di8n't exist in his day."
''Of course not"
lit ought TO be O renl good change from
New York-well. we don't exactly live IN
New York; We live in Boonton. \. j.. but
ats the same thing"
Yes. indeed"
Ard thought we might as well give
the children little taste of fashion "hiie
we. were about it."
"Pm sure that was g very natural feel
Ing"
There was a pause for n minute. and Mrs.
Popham swaying backward and forward
IN q Shaker rocking chair. looked down the
aong vista of the piazza of the North Side
tloteI and seemed TO see before her the SUI
perIor social opportunities that she had
Altered TO her offspring. 1t was rather q
earm afternoon. and having felt that the
pxigencies of b fashionable watering place
required her TO wear her best black silk,
trimmed with black velvet. she was a good
deal oppressed by the temperature. She
famed herself incessantly with a large
palm-leaf and looked somewhat red In the
face.
Lucy Bingham, the person with whom
Eh a Nu raj and w ha nm rrod auPh
qpieseent replies. was. on the other hand.
admirably cool. Lucy wore Dale-tlnted
gown OF some diapEanous fabric. and even
1elt the need OF n soft silk shawl, OF becom-
1Eg hue, which she had wound abont her
shoulders In aesthetic folds. Lucy was
maiden who had spent many. a great many.
.seasons ON the piazzas OF summer hotels.
She owned frankly 80 the age of exactly
twenty-five years. four months and sixteen
days dressed her hair IN a kittenish style.
vaIled her gowns "frocks.' and was cOntiD-
nally alludIng To her chaperon, a tim:d
maiden aunt, whom she now anu
Fhen dragged out of retired COR
aiers and presented with ostentatiOn.
Z here had been those who had hint
Ell. not without malice. that Lucy would
make no poor hand at taking care OF her
self. should fate deprive her of the decorons
protection of her mothers sister. Lucy
WAS certainly not fool She knew num-
Der of things. some or them unpleasantly
true. She aid not for instance, like simple
Mary POpham. delude herself Into beilev-
ing that she had penetrated into the very
cor cordlum of the fashionable world 10y
dint of registering her namo as an inmate
OF q miscellaneously crowded hotel Nc.
one had long ag0-hOw long ago We ara
afraid TO say-cast aside illusions and had
begun to look at life with clear eye. sac
had got down TO hard pan. 10 use vulgar
expression. and she now proceeded 10 act
with all the advantage that one derives
~ ON so secure basis.
MIR. popham." Lucy cooed on. 'is con-
fned To his room Is he motif OF courae 10
1eels the effect of the journey ana the heat"
why. no." SAID Mrs. Popham "th fact
ss."and she ughed q little awkwardly. "Mr.
Popham amt come at all yet. he got de-
tanned ct the last minute 10y some business.
and we just come on ahead. my son Will
aie and Posey and me. You don't know my
son Willie. do youf Why. declare. it seems
es If I'd known you always and Ee never
met till this morning. Willie L want to
make You acquainted with Miss bingham"
hammock swaying across the nearest
corner of the piazza writhed cOnvulsively
aud elected al object which presented IT
self at this summons The object appeared
nt the hrst glance to be all collar and cut;
DO had face with the usual complement of
features but that was the last thing th C
one noticed about It. 1t seemed TO have
retired behind great deal OF stiff linen.
and TO have no more individuality than Il
hsTd-sEel crBb- 1t measured Just five
feet three In its boots, and 10 had re-
Gently celebrated it's nineteenth birthday.
IL had habit of pulling at it's upper lip
before replying TO questions of Importance.
Perhaps the fatuity of it's replies nigh Z
have been pardoned il If one bad consid-
cred the slightness of the support that 10
derived from its mustsche. In short. al
tnouGh Willie Popham satisfied In q gen.
eral way Plates definition of O man. as
beng q tw o-leggeo animal without feath-
ers, he was what In latter days may be
very we'll described as BOBBY.
Before this engaging apparition Lucy
Bingham suddenly glowed into brilliant
vivscIty. She laughed. she chartered, she
ratified her fan and rolled her eyes.
she called Willie MIR. "Popham" with an
accent that was sweet and unfamiliar In
his ears, and which made his mother stare
q little. Lucy was NIL naivete and girlish
Ignorance. She appealed TO Williams
superior masculine Intelligence. She made
dozen errors. and confessed with nervous
Giggles that she knew tely
nothing. She begged the young msu 20
eDIighten her on q variety of subjects. She
listened with Hatterins intensity while he
spoke.
AT the end of half an hour in this genial
atmosphere Willie had blOomed, If not OK
actiy into q man. at least into an humble
apology for one, and we must rememb be,
that during the summer season by the sea
she apology is graciously accepted. When
Lncy had finished. or at least got well un-
der way. the young mans education, she
cdtTlcu nIin OH ID triumph. one leu hin
several times up and do wn the long piazza,
and exhibited him In full view of q numer-
Ous anu principally feminine company, and
at last she vanished with him Into the
mazes Of the hotel ga-aen.
Mrs. Popham, vaguely surprised at this
metamorphosis of her Oldest son, which
had taken place. she knew not how before
her very eyes. watched his receding figure
with open wonder and forgot to close her
mouth upon her last remark. She felt
dImly that her hoy had entered q pom ne W
and important epoch IN HE existence lie
was Willle's first season. and 10 not the
debut of q young ana inexperienced child
ever OF tender interest TO the maternal
mind. But Mrs. Pophsm's mind 10 not of a
kind given TO feeding npon Itself. No. She
generally let the inquIring organ out To-
pasture, so TO speak. Aud Mise Bingham
had no SCORER whisked Willie out OF sight
than WiIlle's mother began To look about
with the human intention of protiting by
another social opportunity" Having So
cured the attention of a pair of ears she
began to ramble on again about Popham,
senior.
My husbands completely run down. ~
she said. Its all on his account that We
calne away. Why. he's as thin as q shad,
He's completely oyerdoDe hImself-that's
what tell him, He hasn't got y speck of
appetite. And as l say-throw patent
medicines away and take rest Myi We
had n time tryin' to get him of, Names
hIs native State. aud so We hit on Bar Har-
bor. ETC.. ETC.. etc.
his time the listener was less sympa-
th~tie than Lucy Bingham. and she con-
tented herself with o dry "Indeedr' now
" nf h4.,