The Pursuit of the House-Boat

patra by the unmannerly Kidd, these ladies turned and gazed at those who thronged the stairs behind them in blank amazement,

itude towards her regal self that, having turned, she s

erything! The idea of it! Oh for one hour of my olde

oom and discuss this matter calmly. It is quite evident that something

left her moorings, and is making considerable headway down the stream, and the distinctly masculine voices we have heard are

moment had been forced to assume a position about her forehead which gav

id. "Let us below;

ed Xanthippe, sarcastically.

erious to admit of humor, and in silence they filed back into the billiard-room, a

n very truth chasing each other about the table in an extraordinary fashion. "And I wish I'd

y sea that was adding somewhat to the disquietude of the fair gathering. "If this is merely a joke o

e!" moaned Eli

unmannerly person who slammed the door in your face lying prostrate upon the billiard-table here, you could hit him a square blow in the neck if you had a hundred axes. Delilah might as well cry for her scissors, for all the good it would do us in our predicament. If Cleopatra had her a

alois, whose Gallic spirits were by no means overshadow

Mrs. Lot. "But I'm no

at that dry land was good enough for me, and that I'd never step aboard another boat as long as I lived. If, howev

we are until we know what your experience amounted to. Before relying upon you we ought to know how far that reliance can go-not th

th us so level-headed a person as the lady who has just spoken. She has spoken truly and to the point. If I were to become queen

he House-boat was beginning to roll tremendously with no alleviation save an occasional pitch, which was an alleviation only in the sense that

e fourth day out I and my whole family were in the same condition, except that Noah, my husband, was so very far gone

phelia, "that d

usband," sai

only one cure for the mal de mer, and that is the fun of knowing that somebody else is suffering too. If some of you

mediate response to this appeal, and the unhapp

Ophelia, who, having retired to a comfortable lounge at an end of the room, was evidently improving. "I have no sym

that, and for her own sake to-morrow, I think it would be well if she withdrew the sentiment. There are certain things about a sea-voyage that are more or less beyond the control of man or woman, and any one who c

at," retorted Xanthippe. "Furthermore, the proverb is not as the lady has quoted i

ple who live in glass houses should not take chances. In assuming with such vainglorious positiveness that she will not be seasick, the lady who has just sp

members of the club, we are all right. They will give us our scare, and land us safely again at the pier. In that event it is our womanly duty to manifest no concern, and to seem to be aware of nothing unusual in the proceeding. It would never do to let them think that their joke has been a good one. If, on the other hand, as I fear, we are the victims o

ategy, consisting of Portia and Queen Elizabeth; one on navigation, headed by Mrs. Noah; with a final sub-committee on reconnoitre, with Cassandra to look forward, and Mrs. Lot to look aft-all of these subordinated t

mendment that Madame Recamier be appointed chair

n put. It was carried with an enthusiasti

obscure the moonlight which had been streaming in through the window. The faces of Calpurnia and Cleopatra blanched for an instant, as, imm

ried several of t

ind blowing a woman up, but he'll never blow himself up. We're safe enough

think, but I presume they mean well. Dear me," she added, as, having untied the bundle, she held one of the open papers up before her, "how interesting! All

ra, standing on her tip-toes and looking over Cleopatra'

nder how a Watteau back like th

d Elizabeth. "How

e than Caesar's toga. We had to have

. Lot, her eye catching sight of a V

. "Gorgeous in its foliage, beautiful thing; though I shouldn't have dared wear one

ull effect of an attractive summer gown-"I wonder how that waist would make up in b

ed Madame Recamier. "If you had a few puffs of rich brocade

Mrs. Noah, "but a trifle too light for general

passementerie and jet, with a mousseline de soie ruche

orner, where she and Lucretia Borgia had been having so animated a discussion th

s effective, but I don't like those basque termin

arked Delilah again, raising her

se sleeves, though,"

the use

to get Greeks into T

ami

angered by the absorption of the chairman and others, "ha

ll about our committees. Excuse me, Delilah. I-ah-was absorbed in other ma

that we invite the crew of this vessel to a chafing-dish pa

was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, its instant opening, and

lain to you the situation in which you find

k, but the chairman wa

ded to take the second step in the nefarious plan upon which he and his brother ruffians had ag