Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-09
EVENING STAR.
THE SLIPPER IN THE SNOW


cent Courier des Etats Unis, is SO piquant that
We are tempted to give it the benefit of an
| English dress.
few days since, in one of our most fash
| ionable avenues-it would be indiscreet to say
| in which-an Irishman while walking along
stumbled upon q certain article which he did
not expect to find in the snow. 1t was nall
slipper of yellow leather, embroidered with
| cherry colored silk.
Pat stopped, picked it up, looked all over it,
and immediately commenced a mental calcu-
lation as to its probable value At that mo-
| ment man suddenly approached him, glanced
| quickly at the slipper, and proposed to buy it
| of him.
The bargain was struck. Pat received a
dollar and went off to spend it, while the un-
known purchaser, whose features were entirely
concealed by large cloak and felt hat. dis
| appeared with the slipper as mysteriously as
/ he came.
| This little scene was witnessed by a man,
sitting at the window of the house in front of
which it had occurred. This witness, who
had not allowed the least detail to escape him,
was Mr.. N, the owner of the house.
He remained at the window for long time
after the occurrence, but paid attention no
| longer TO what was going on outside He was
deep in revery, fraught with painful aprre
hensions. Our readers will excuse him, when
| they learn that this Mr.. N, amerchant of
wealth and high standing in New York, mar
rIed a few years young belle in Louisiana,
| about twenty-five years younger than him
| self, and that just month before he had given
his wife pair of slippers embroidered with
| cherry colored silk.
exactly like those of his wife, also existed in
| the house Mr.. N had made fac-simile
present to his wife's sister Miss Louisa
who had come from the banks of the Missis-
| sippi to pass the winter in New York. Miss
Louisa is charming girl, quite spirituelle,
but quite independent in her opinions, and
her frank arOwal of them frequently alarms
her very respectable and very orthodox brother
in-law.
There was rather aggravating circum-
| stance which Miss Louisa IS father had confded
to his son-in-law, when he sent him his second
daughter as vister She had been strongly
suspected of Irritation with Alfred B, a
young gentleman of New Orleans, whose pin
ciples were slightly too Partisan, and it was
consequently deemed dangerous for Louisa to
pass the winter at the South. Thus while he
loved his sisteT-in-law, the worthy Mr.. N
telt an anxious, not to say paternal interest
in her welfare.
As to Mrs. N, he had never suspected
her OF even venial fault But he loved her
dearly, and with the love Of a man past the
meridian of life, who knows Just how many
ySoASl uiOHtuo, udys anu QOurs even, his wife
| is younger than himself So it NAV we'll be
imagined that when he got up from his chair.
after his profound meditation at the window,
he was pale and cold drops of sweat stood
upon his brow, circumstances which could'n
very well be explained by the temperature of
the room in which he sat.
He had recognized the slipper which was
found In the snow, and double and perplex-
ing problem presented itself before him
lst. DCes the slinpar haIono, "a 49,
Louisa?
I'd. How the duece did it get in the snow?
HIS agony was poignant, but it was neces-
sary to conceal it at all hazards, and so with
an heroic cOuntenance he went to the room
where his wife was sitting for the purpose of
ascertaining whether she had her slippers on.
boots.
lie had hardly closed the door on going out.
when he met Louisa, who asked, 'TWhere is
my sister ?"
There" he replied, Gin that ROOM"
he answered IN peculiar tone of voice, for
he noticed that Louisa had on her yellow
leather slippers, embroidered with cherry
colored silk
To conceal his agitation, Mr. N went
to his library and remained their reading and
writing, the greater part of the day. The two
ladies had determined upon a walk, but the
terrible condition Of the streets caused them to
foregO their intention, and as she was TO re-
main at home, Mrs. n had taken off her
boots to put on her slippers, and singular to
say, without any apparent motive, just before
Mrs. N made the change, Miss Louisa had
taken off her SLIPPERS, and put on her BOOTS
Thus they were sitting when Mr. N. en-
tered and took up the first book which his eye
rested upon. 1t was book of French engrav-
ings, recently received from Paris. The title
was FOurbsries des femmes en- matiere de
sentiment, par Gavarni." That title was
enough for him, and he closed the book vio-
lendy. -
whats the matter, my dear? ?" asked Mrs.
N, in pleasant voice.
"Nothing," replied he, with a ferocious
look at the two women, and went out. Hrs.
N looked at her sister, supplied. For
most men there would have been but one
means, simple and expeditions, for ridding
themselves of their anxiety, and that direct |
search. He had thought Of it, but his refec- |
tion had made him recoil at this extremity.
A man of a nature at once violent and timid, |
he felt himself disposed to desperate measures,
in the face Of fragrant insult but the idea
of casting even indirectly q dishonorable sus-
picion upon his wife, overthrow all his resolu-
ton He preferred rather to live in the tor
lures of uncertainty, than to give an offence |
where there could be no excuse.
But the next day at breakfast Mr.. N
from saying,
"You haven't your slippers p" |
NJ" replied she, with a simplicity which |
sounded angelic in her husbands ears
"Louisa has borrowed them of me. -
'And what has she done with hers?'
She lost one of them day before yesterday, |
so she told me-" |
Mr.. N seized his wife with conyulsive |
joy and embraced her tenderly.
"My dear, what's the matter ?' asked she
with the same sweet voice she used when he |
closed the book of French engrayings so vio- |
lently.
=" Nothing" replied he, but with much |
different tone than he uttered the responsive l
negative on the occasion referred to.
Louisa came in at that instant. Her broth |
erin laws manner, she thought, had never
been SO tender md affectionate towards her.
With light step and heart Mr.. N went
to his place Of business. While riding down
in one of the omnibuses, and in Conversation
with friend who sat beside him, New Or |
leans was mentioned, and his friend INQUIRED.
mApr0pos Of New Orleans, have you seen
Alfred B-7n