Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-11

"Stoingfng do1rn on the bellrope and
jumping onto the top Of your head"
.'Oh, all will come right" said the
widow reassuringly.
"And Clara is as bad-Clara, who used
to be so good and sweet, the very image
of her poor mother. She insists upon
this preposterous scheme of being a
pilot and will talk of nothing but re-
volving lights, and hidden rocks, and
codes Of signals. and nonsense of the
kind"
But why preposterous% asked his
companion. What nobler occupation
can there be than that of stimulating
commerce and aiding the mariner to
steer safely into port? | should think
your daughter admirably adapted for
such duties"
"Then must beg to differ from you,
madam"
"Still, you are inconsistent"
Excuse me, madam, do not see the
matter in the same light. And l should
be obliged to you if you would use your
influence with my daughter to dissuade
her."
"You wish to make me inconsistent
too"
"Then you refuse%
II am afraid that cannot interfere"
The doctor was very angry. Very
well, madam" said he. In that case
can only saw that I have the honor to
wish You very good morning. lie
raised his broad straw hat and strobe
away up the gravel path while the widow
looked after him with twinkling eyes,
She was surprised herself to find. that
she liked the doctor better the more
masculine and aggressive he became. 1t
was unreasonable and against all prin-
ciple, and yet SO it was. and no argument
could mend the matter.
Very hot and angry the doctor retired
into his room and sat down to read his
paper. Ida had retired, and the distant
walls of her bugle showed that she was
up stairs in her boudoir. Clara sat oppo
site to him with her exasperating charts
and her blue book. The doctor glanced
at her, and his eyes remained fixed in as
tonishment upon the front of her skirt.
"My dear Clara" he cried. you have
torn your skirtr
His daughter laughed and smoothed
out her frock. To his horror he saw the
red plush of the chair where the dress
ought to have been.
at is all torn" he cried. What have
you done?'
my dear papa" said she, what do You
know about the mysteries of ladies' dress?
This is a divided skirt"
Then he saw that it was indeed SO ar
ranged. and that his daughter was clad
in sort of loose, extremely long knick-
erbockers.
SIT will be SO convenient for my sea
boots" she explained.
Her father shook his head sadly. Your
dear mother would not have liked it. |
Clara" said he.
For a moment the conspiracy was |
upon the point of collapsing. There was
something in the gentleness of his re-
buke and in his appeal to her mother |
which brought the tears to her eyes. and
in another instant she would have been |
kneeling beside him with everything
confessed. when the door flew open and
her sister Ida came bounding into the
room. She wore short gray skirt, like
that of Mrs. Westmacott, and she held
it up in each hand and danced about
among the furniture.
81 feel quite the Gaiety girlr' she
cried. How delicious it must be to be
upon the stage! You can't think how
nice this dress is, papa. One feels so free
in it. And isn't Clara charming"
go to your room this instant and take
it off, thundered the doctor II call it
highly improper, and no daughter of
mine shall wear it."
"Papai Improper! Why it is the ex-
act model of Mrs. Westmacott's."
81 say it is improper And yours also.
Clara. Your conduct is really outr;t
geous. You drive me out of the house.
am going to my club in town. | have
no comfort or peace of mind in my own
house. will stand it no longer. | may
be late tonight. shall 90 to the British
medical meeting. But when | return |
shall hope to find that you have recon-
sidered your conduct, and that you have
shaken yourself clear of the pernicious
influences which have recently made
such an alteration in your conduct" He