Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-07-30
A PAIR OF BOOMERS.
~ EFOREbicycling becamea craze
X with women there nadine been

q bicycle and learned to ride well ther
was a disagreement which came yer.
near breaking up happy home. The,
had been married three years, and the.
had often said that their married lif
had been one long honeymoon.
Tom had yielded so readily to all o
his wife's whims that she had uncon
sciously gained an opinion that he
word was TO him like the laws of the
Medes and the Persans.
But this idea was all knocked tC
pieces when one morning as they sd'
at breakfast Mrs. CranstOn said
TON, I'm going to order my dress
maker to make a suit of boomers for
me to-day. / do 50 much bicycling now
that skirts are too heavy for me-
what" shouted Tom, dropping his
spoon in the oatmeal and scattering
milk all over his necktie looking at her
as though she had announced that she
was going to commit suicide.
Mrs. Cranston also dropped her spoon
and looked in surprise at her husband.
81 said" she repeated, that | was go
ing to get bloomer suit. What strikes
yOuas particularly strange about that"
what strikes me as particularly
stranger" he repeated, with wild look
In his eyes. "Do you think for one in
stant that will allow my wife to race
around town looking like a lithOgraph
of a 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
Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Jennings all
wear them and their husbands don't
object, so why should you?'
"Itmakes no difference why I should"
said Tom, doggedly. Il don't intend
to have my friends on the exchange
coming TO me and saying Tom, l see
your wife's wearing boomers Not if
! know it,"
But Tom she began, q"
"Oh, don't talk any more nonsense,
Louise" he broke in. Il am sick of it. |
You sha'n't wear boomers, so that set
ties it." And Mr.. Cranston, whose ap-
petite had been entirely taken away by |
his wifes announcement, got up from |
the table and started for the door,
"GoOd-by," he called from the hall. |
and then the door slammed and Louise !
sat at the breakfast table wondering |
how 1t was that she had never before |
known that her husband had a will of |
his own.
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
prevent it.
Finally she arose from the table and
went to her room.
She had an idea which she thought, if
properly arriCd oLt, wodld gain Toms
consent to the wearing of boomers. She
wrote II hurried note to her dreSsmaker
ordering a bloomcr suit of pattern
which she had already selected, and
then donned her old bicycle suit to pay
n call on Mrs. Kynaston, who had n
husband that did not object to bloom
eTS.
She told her troubles to the viyaclous
Mrs. Kynaston, who was not sparing in |
her sympathy for the poor friend who |
had narrow minded husband who OBJ |
jccted to convenient bicycle dress.
"Why, how foolish Of him." she said. |
al don't believe the poor man has ever
seen a proper bicycling costume. I'll
tell you what Wen do. Wen all go
bicycling this afternoon, and come back
by your house at just the time your hus-
Band gets home, and he will see what
II bloomcr suit looks like"
And SO the bicycle party was arrang-
cd, and when Thomas Cranston arrived
nj his house that evening he saw five
women riding In front Of the house and
four of them were In full bloomcr cos
tune. The fifth, who wore skirts was
his wife.
lie was not SO badly shocked as he
Thought he would he, ana he wished
that he had not been SO decided in his
refusal of his wite's request, but he
made up his mind that it would be un-
manly TO yield after his remarks of the
morning, and 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 81
lcnced her 10y saying;
"Now, see here, Louise, don't speak to
me about boomers again. You may so