The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-05-15

..cROCoDLE DROPS. J,

learS, tears, W0manss tears! fsnaW
they never move to pity! Why, Bob, a
woman can weep tears enough to blot out
some of your numerous transgressions, and
never feel heart pang.'' Ee4ga
"Hush, Tom, what scandal! Pm per-
fectly shocked at such, daring ,skepticism
Why, didn't l see you nearly fainting at the
opera scarce a week ago, because pretty
Little Dewdrop's blue eyes glistened mo-
ment with briny pearls p" -
"'Briny pearls!' Yes, did whiten little
I'll acknowledge, and my heart beat pretty
quick tune for a minute or two, for fear she
would 20 off into Mysteries, and then what
should l have done? But, as for pitying
her, little firt-" Words failed, and be
placed his cigar between his lips, WHICH
would have curled had it not been there,
and leaned back in his chair with nm ex-
preston of intense disdain.
"Well, Tom, to silence you and convince
you Of the power of the crocodile drops,
as you term them, III make confession
now don't fall asleep till Pve finished, and
I'll tell it to you;" and tossing the half con-
sumed cigar in the fire, he began:
"When was in B studying law, some
four years ago, had friend, Frank c.
You've heard me speak of him, right good
fellow, but . littler too ss.sePtibla. Why,
Eve known him to break his heart fe.-let
me see-one, two-yes, FIVE ladies, and at
tempt suicide for two. Yes, he was alto
gether too susceptible, inconveniently so.-
Well, one day was in my room writing
buslly VI worked mighty hard that winter,
broug ght on disease Of the brain, and have
never been able to look at a law paper since
what in thunder are you laughing at, Tom?
As sat there on cold winters day, the
door burst open and in rushed Frank G..
knew in a moment that he was in love
again ; saw it in his eye, and the peculiar
way in which he uttered his 'Well, Bob >
and heaving sigh, l prepared to listen to
had enraptured him. Twas not wrong; he
launched forth into rapturous speech, ex-
pressive of the beauty and worth of GER
tain Eleanor Gray, who had just arrived in
town, and had already smitten his too i'm
pressible heart. 60, Bob = he cried, 'she is
beautiful ! SO queenly and majestic, with
such dark, rich waves of hair, such noble
brow, and scornful mouth, with its curling
under lip; but her eyes, 0, Bob!' He sank
into chair, utterly unable to say any more.
l could not refrain from reminding him,
laughingly, of certain damsels, both dark
and fair, azure-eyed and with orbs like
night, sunny, raven, and chestnut-haircd,
whose praises he had spoken in bygone
days. He sprang to his feet exclaiming:
"'Bob Bob! why will you remind fell
low of heart-sorrows he is trying to forget?'
and he paced the room impatiently, then
suddenly cried, 'but, Bob you must see
Eleanor Gray! She's staying at the F.
Hotel, and Pm going to see her this evening.
Pll drop in and tell you about it in the
morning. and he then left.
81 resumed my writing and thought NO
more of Eleanor Gray. In fact did not
place much faith in Franks description of
his lady love. For, many weeks before,
after listening for an hour to his impasson-
ed dissertation upon the loveliness Of far
mer's daughter, perfect Hebe, as he said,
hidden gem which he had discovered,
promised to ride with him to see her. So
we wen. of in snow storm, rode some
miles, and reached an old farm house,
within which dwelt Hebe! Hebe why, she
certainly weighed two hundred. You know
how | detest stout woman. Faugh her
~oSS A0onON AhO a
'But Frank was right for once. That
evening when | went to my boarding house,
! found all the gentlemen talking of the
belle and heiress, Eleanor Gray, and all
agreed that she was very beautiful, very
proud, and very cold-hearted.
""hy,' said Harry Marks, a dashing
young fellow, and somewhat Of an oracle
among US, H've known of scores whom she
has Tilted. She thinks nothing of breaking
a heart. Why, there was Charley Lee, the
best hearted fellow you ever saw-only
nineteen. She led him on by smiles and
f1attery, till he was ready to die for her; and
so he did, for she rejected him coldly and
cruelty when he offered her his hand, and it
killed him. She has no heart herself; if
she had I'd try to break itp and he turned
on his heel and left US. had heard enough
to make me wish for sight of this cold and
naughty beauty. had plan in my head,
which was to find her heart-I did not doubt
her having one--and then wound it, not
break it as Harry Marks had said, but pun
ish her for her many airtations. - & s
''The next morning Frank c. was
early at my room he gave me a glowing
account of his call, and told me what .
sleepless night he had passed, thinking of
Eleanor Gray, and ended, by saying, sOh,
Bob, you we're never in love and cannot
sympathize with me now, nor know the
agony OF hope and fear in my heart. Oh,
boo she is so beautiful!' and he bowed his
head on his hand and sighed. should
nave thought him really in love, and another
victim TO- Eleanor Gray's wiles, had | not
seen him IN precisely the same situation sew
eral times before = 4 vzszsa..as -
Gas It was, l suppressed a yawn, and
said, We'll, Frank, my boy, how shall I zee
this wonderful damsel? p, -
"'Oh, ! forgot; hero are cards for little
party at Miss Eleanor Gray's, my peerless
Eleanor. Will you go9' Nithoo. ws;t;ne
Tor IN answer, he rushed from the room,
ssEvening came, and l found myself al
Monteith's. Now, Tom, DON'T ask me to
describe Eleanor Gray. Ican't do it She
VAS ~ beautiful ~ an angel and before
had conversed with her ten minutes, was
alusnsk pna6v IN fal1 A has fank at 4. :.