Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-04
CHAPTER TX.
A FAMILY PLOT.

Little did poor DR.. Walker imagine as
he sat at his breakfast table next morn
ing that the two sweet girls who sat on
either side of him were deep in con-
spiracy, and that he, munching inno-
Gently at his mullins, was the victim
against whom their wiles were planned.
Patiently they waited until at last their
opening came.
"It is beautiful day." he remarked.
1T will do for Mrs. Westmacott. She
was thinking of having spin upon her
tricycle."
"Then we must call early. We both
intended to see her after breakfast"
''Oh, indeedr' The doctor looked
pleased.
"You know, pa," said Ida, ''it seems
to us that we really have very great ad-
vantage in having Mrs. Westmacott iv-
ing SO near"
"Why SO, dear?"
"Well, because she is SO advanced, you
know. If we only study her ways, we
may advance ourselves also"
81 think havc heard you say, papa" :"
remarked Clara, "that she is the type of
the woman of the future"
81 am very pleased to hear you speak
so sensibly, my dears. certainly think
that she is woman whom you may very
well take as your model. The more init
mate you are with her the better pleased
! shall be-"
'Then that is settled" said Clara de-
murely, and the talk drifted to other
matters.
All the morning the two girls sat e1-
tracing from Mrs. Westmacott her most
extreme views as to the duty of the one
sex and the tyranny of the other. Abso-
lutte equality, even in details, was her
ideal. Enough of the parrot cry of un-
womanly and unmaidenly. 1t had been
invented by man to scare woman away
when she poached too nearly upon his
precious preserves. Every woman should
be Independent. Every woman should
learn trade. It was their duty to push
in where they were least welcome. Then
they were martyrs to the cause and pio-
neers to their weaker sisters. Why should
the washtub, the needle and the house
keepers book be eternally theirs? Might
they not reach higher-to the consulting
room, to the bench and even to the pull
uit?
Mrs. Westamott sacrificed her tricycle.
ride in her eagerness over her pet sub
ject, and her two fair disciples drank in
every word and noted her every sugges-
ton for future USE That afternoon they
went shopping in London, and before
evening strange packages began to be
handed in at the doctors door, The plot
was ripe for execution, and one of the
conspirators was merry and jubilant,
while the other was very nervous and
troubled.
When the doctor came down to the
dining room next morning, he was sur
prised to find that his daughters had al
ready been up some time. Ida was in
stalled at one end of the table, with
spirit lamp, curved glass flask and
several bottles in front of her. The con-
tents Of the flask were boiling furiously.
while villainous smell filled the room.
Clara lounged in an armchair with her
feet upon a second one, a blue covered
book in her hand and huge map of the
British islands spread across her lap.
"Hullor' cried the doctor, blinking
and shifting, where's the breakfast
"Oh. didn't you order ity" asked Ida.
"Il No; why should IT. He rang the
bell. why have you not laid the break
fast, Jane?
"If you please, sir, Miss Ida was
a-workin at the table"
"Oh, of course, Jane" said the youn;
lady calmly. II am so sorry. shall
be ready to move in few minutes. :"
But what on earth are you doing,
Ida?" asked the doctor. 1.-THE smell is
most offensive. And, good gracious,
look at the mess which you have made
upon the clothl Why, you have burned
hole right through"
"Oh, that is the acid" Ida answered
contentedly. "Mrs. Westmacott said
that it would burn holes"