Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-09-03
CHAPTE !.
The Manageable Daughters.

lish owe their proverbial spleen.
The rain came down, not in honest.
straightforward showers, but in ftful
drizzles; the wind blew in spiteful
gusts, tearing the leaves from the
trees outside and sending the smoke
inside in spiteful puffs; the sort of a
night which drives men to their clubs
and women to quarreling.
1t is bad when such an evening
visits London, it is worse in the coun-
try; it made even the cheerful vii.
lage of Deercombe look wan and
miserable-Deercombe which lies
like a gem between river and sea, and
hilarating air.
AS everybody knows, Deercombe lies
on the Devon coast; it is one OF the
spots beloved by tourists, and scarcely
a year passes but what some magazine
contains an article full of poetry and
illustrated by engravings extoiling
the natural beauties OF the tiny vii
lage.
Until few years ago, quite recent
ly, in fact, Deercombe consisted Of a
few fishermen's cottages clustering up
the hill from the sea, n church, old
and ugly. village inn, and the ances
trail home of the Villiars.
Tourists at that time knew 1t not
and the guide books passed it silently
by; but some enthusiastic though in
discreet newspaper man happened up.
on IT,. wrote an article in his paper
and the deed was done
But though many houses and villas
sprang up about the grassy slopes,
not so much harm was done.
II was too far from London for the
regular speculative builders and most
of the new residences were occupied
by retired and half-pay officers, the
class which seems to have selected
Devonshire as its own peculiar pro
perty,
In the drawing room of one of these
new houses, called THE Elms, "
probably because there wasn't an elm
within a mile sat two young ladies'.
They were the daughters of retired
colonel--Colonel Oliver.
Truth. which should always pose
like an angel upon the historians pen,
compels me to say they were not
young and not very pretty, except by
candle light and after considerable
making up; indeed. at this moment
they were distinctly the reverse OF
the latter. for the chill weather had
bestowed a nipped appearance to their
faces which not even the flush gained
by the fierce argument could dspel
The room in which they sat was fur.
niShvd in the execrable style known as
modern antique; the curtains were
of dullish gray, the carpets to match.
the chairs were hard and unoomfort-
able; an imitation hippendale mirror
stood over badly worked mantel
border. which not even a couple of
framed peacock's feathers could rem.
der aesthetic.
\ dull fire burnt sullenly and smoked
fitfully. and the draught that oozed
from the misfitting doors and win
dows blew the thin tablecloth to and
fro like the sails of boat lacking
across the wind.
On the wall hung some awful oil
paintings which would have given an
artist fit, and about half dozen
water colors. the handiwork of the
two young ladies', which would have
finished him and killed him outright.
On the table and scattered about on
the chairs were motley collection of
dress materials and old frocks, and
the two ladies each held pile of pat
terms in their hands. examining them
frowningly.
"A pink the proper pink. shaded
with blue, the proper blue" said Julia,
the elder, picking out the colors and
putting them together in the lamp
light. lis not bad idea"
No" assented Emmolme. the
younger But 1t wants com
plexion."
Julia, whose complexion was her
weak point and her constant anxiety,
flushed angrlv.
Il was thinking Of dress for my,
self" she retorted, not for YOU"
Eyes, know, dear" responded En-.
incline; that is why | say the comhi
nation wants complexion to carry
IL on"
Julia glanced in the glaSs-the
cheap glass, with the sticky. ill-made
and mock Queen Anne frame-the
reddeped.
AT any rate" she said. biting her
lip. II have some color, am not quite
yellow"
ooh. no. dear, not quite, Who ever
said quite? But blue and pink, Now.
a nice violet"
The refuge of the desolate," re
torted Julia Il shall go In cream; It
always looks nice, and II simplifes
matters"
ut does indeed" remarked EN-.
incline IF there are a hundred ana
fifty women at this ball. I'll be bound
the hundred wear cream. For heavens
sake. let us show that we have some
originality"
Julia flung the pattern on the table