Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-08-08
\ EFORE bicycling becamea erase
{ with women there had never been
Y even 40 much an the ahadoH Of 4

EFOnE ulCyciIuB UeCuWeo cEu1o
X with women there had never been
- even so much az the shadow Of .
quarrel between Mr.. and Mrs. Gran
ston. But after Mrs. Cranston bought
. bicycle and learned to ride well there
was a disa greement which came very
near breaking up a happy home. They
had been married three years, and they
had often said that their married LIE
had been one long honeymoon.
Tom had yielded 20 readily to all Of
HE wife's whins that she had uncon.
sciously gained an opinion that her
word was to him like the laws Of the
Modes and the Persians.
But this idea was all knocked to
pieces when one morning a. they sat
ct breakfast Mrs. Cranston said
TON, I'm going to order my dress
maker to make suit Of bloomers for
me to-day. I do 30 much bicycling now
that skirts are too heavy for me-"
"Whatw shouted Tom, dropping his
spoon In the oatmeal and spattering
milk all over his necktie. looking at her
% though she had announced that she
was going to commit suicide.
Mrs. Cranston also dropped her spoon
and looked In surprise at her husband.
II said" she repeated. "that I was go
Ing to get blOomer suit What strikes
youas particularly strange about thatT'
"What strikes me as particularly
stranger repeated. with Wild look
In his eyes. do you think for one In
slant that will allow my wife to race
around town looking like q Autograph
Of variety entertainment Not much"
But. Tom." said Louise. In a tone
that had never failed to persuade her
husband that she was right and that he
was wrong. II don't see why can't
have boomers. Mrs. Kynaston and
Nrs. Bentley and Mrs. Jennings al
wear them and their husbands don't
object, 10 why should your"
ut makes no difference why should"
said Tom, doggedly. II don't intend
10 have my friends on the exchange
coming to me and saying Tom. SEQ
your wife's wearing bloomcrs.' Not II
know IT,
But, Tom she began, e."
"Oh. don't talk any more nonsense,
LOUISE" he broke In. II am sick Of Il.
You sha'n't wear bloomers, 10 that set
ties It." And Mr.. Cranston, whose mp
petite had been entirely taken away by
bic wife's announcement, got up from
the table and started for tho door.
"0ood.by." he called from the hail.
and then the door slammed, and Louise
cat at the breakfast table wondering
how II was that she had never before
known that her husband had q will Of
his own.
Z She had told all Of her friends. only
the day before, that she would be wear.
ing boomers within week. and when
they had suggested that her husband
might object she had said
"what! Tom object? Why, he never
objects to anything"
And now Tom had absolutely refused
to allow her to wear them. with facial
expression which showed that he would
not stop short Of the divorce courts to
prevent II.
Finally she arose from the table and
went to her room.
She had an Idea which she thought. II
properly carried oLt, would gain Toms
,onsent to the wearing Of boomers. She
wrote a hurried notc to her dressmakcr
ordering q blo0mcr suit Of pattern
which she had already selected. and
then donned her old bicycle suit to pay
Q call on Mrs. Kynaston, who had u
husband that did not object to bloom.
erp.
She told her troubles to the vivacious
Mrs. Kynaston. who was not sparing In
her sympathy for the poor friend who
had a narrow. minded husband who OBJ
jected to a convenient bicycle dress.
"Why, how foolish Of him." she said.
" don't believe the poor man has ever
seen o proper bicycling costume. I'll
tell you what we'll do. Well all 20
bicycling this afternoon. and come back
by your house at Just the time your hus.
band gets home, and he will see what
o blo0mer suit looks like"
And 20 the bicycle party was arrang.
ed, aud when Thomas CranstOn arrived
ct his house that evening he saw Ave
women riding In front Of the house and
four Of them were In full bl00mer cos.
tune. The NTH. who wore skirts. was
his wife.
He was not so badly shocked a. he
thought he would be. and he wished
that he had not been SO decided In his
refusal Of his wife's request. but he
made up his mind that It would be un.
manly to yield after his remarks Of the
morning, ana SO with bow to his wife
and her companions he went Indoors
and began to dress for dinner.
That night Louise again preached the
subject Of boomers, but her husband d.
fenced her by saying:
'Now, see here, Louise, don't speak to
me about boomers again. You may 80
In for womens rights II you like. and
you may wear standing collars and
mems waistcoats, but you shall not
wear trousers, even II bicycling does
Justify II In your eyes,"
'TrOusersw cried Louise. Indignantly,
"WhO said anything about trousers?
] was talking about boomers"
II know you were." said Mr.. Gran.
otOn, "and please don't talk about them
any more. I'm tired Of II, and ! won't
hear 1t mentioned again."
The next morning when Mr.. Cranstou
put on his coat to start for his Office bis
wife called him back and said:
"TOm, Ill promise you never to men
ton boomers again. but II you ever
change your mind about them please
tell me, for I'm really very anxious tC