The Weekly Journal. — 1904-06-10 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

TWO MADCAP GIRLS.  BY MRS. EDWARD KENNARD. Author of "The Pretty Little tiorseliresker,". " Crock County," "The Girl in the lirown Habit," etc., etc.  "It is simply preposterous. 1 never in my , life heard of such a wild and outrageous project," exclaimed Mrs. Fergusson indignantly, , dropping three stitches of the woollen stock' lag s'he was engaged in knitting, as she spoke. "True," replied her husband, a small, insignificant-looking, elderly gentleman, with a round, vacuous face and colourless blue eyes that resembled two bits of clouded glass. " But what is one to dot' Both the girls are of age." " More's the pity," responded his better half. " Edna was three-and-twenty on the first of this month, and Clare is only a year younger. They have outgrown an control, unfortunately. "Precisely. flaying come into their fortunes, they are in a position to snap their fingers at us." "What a vulgar way of patting it, Tom I wilds you would enltivate those little refineineate of speech which go so far in this world, and are the index of a delicate mind." •• Bother your refinements, Jane. When a man has something to say. he likes to any it without casting about in his braia for a string of long-winded words. We sleeve that to you women. I was about to remark, with reference to Edna and Clare, that however snack I, as their guardian, may disapprove of the mad and unladylike freak which they have taken into their heads, I hare no legal power to prevent it." "No, but you might exert your moral influence over the girls. Sorely they cannot disregard our opinions altogether. Why not go and see them. Torn, and try the effect of a little judiciout, reasoning? " •• That sort of thing is better done by letter. When one party condemns, but has no right to interfere, and the other party is both obstinate and determined, a quarrel is very apt to result if folk attempt to argue the matter out." " I believe you are afraid of Edna," said I Mr. Fergilium, contempt uouoly. " No, f am not afraid, my dear, as you so kindly insinuate, but I am a pence-loving man. sad have lived long enough in the world to know the folly of giving advice." " People always any that when they don't dare speak out and have no spirit." Mr. Ferguson looked at the partner of his bosom with slumbering wrath. " Upon my soul," lie exclaimed, "I believe it was that tongue of yours which drove Edna and Clare away from home. And I don't wonder at it—l don't wonder at it," be muttered to himself, not venturing to express his indignation more freely. " Nonsense, Thomas. You never can see things in their proper light. Just imagine two youtig ladies, moving in good society, and poem:sing a thousand a year each, wandering about the country, all by thernaelves, without a proper chaperon, or atiyone to look after them, in a common gipsy cart." Mrs. Ferguson spoke the lasi words in a tone of intense disgust. She was indeed thoroughly annoyed with her nieces. She bad offered to take them abroad—to the Paris Exhibition, to Homburg, Norway, or Switserland,ia fact, anywhere they liked to go—but the two foolish creatures had responded that they Lad a plan of their own which they intended putting into execution, and from which they expected to derive far more enjoyment than from a humdrum tour on the Continent. For a tong time, they maintained the profoundest secrecy as to their project; but now the murder was out, and at the expiration of the London season they had started, actually started for the country in a gips), cart, entirely alone, and dressed like quite common women. No wonder Mrs. Ferguson, with whom they Lad resided since their parents' death, felt aggrieved. Every sensible woman would have been the same in her place, for when her friends said to her, "Where are your two pretty pieces" what reply could she possibly maker The whole thing was moat awkward Aid diatrebsing.