The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-11-10
STORY OF A WOMAN. SLIPPER.

STORY OF hoAANS SLtfPEH-
found il q. ia. foo. Of rock, beside a.
old forsaken saw mill; originally the pres
tiess bi, of delicate bronze kid in the world
ornarlen,ed with coaassiish veiyet rcse;te
bu; nox hespatterej and bespangiei viii
cruel clay, snd with sigh. rent on the lef
quarter, q, though the foot it once encasat
had torn itself away hy violence, and ,ef
the little thing to perish. L. vas [. r.e..
appeal to nv chEvairv. and with Quixoti
J valor 6 bed /. oa. of the obstinate mir.
with the ivory eagles beak that tips m,
walking stick, and proceeded to wipe awal
the dis6gurins marks OF its d!shoner viii
my unread morning paper.
I suppose had passed this old mill /
score Of times during the past three weeks
and vet had never given il more than
careless glance until this very serene ana
sultry August morning, when the cool ever
sounds of dropping water invited cln.ei
Investigation of its peculiar beauties. Th.
great mii-wheei was tuftei with yel.os
moss; j. ran up and down the rough boards
! il pcered from between crevices; it over.
hung the roof; it twined itself around tht
stump OF 40 aged elm, playfully determined
10 get the upper hand of everything insight.
y, and 10 cover the traces of decay with it,
tender fingers. There Was also an ai,nn
dauce Of dropping yellow blossoms, lady.
ear-drops the children call .h.m, and Ions
line of stately cardinal flowers, magnificent
10 their robes Of bright crimson. | an
neither artist nor poet and vet experienced
a very agreeable sensation Of inward salts
iac.ion as surveyed the dropping water
the hags mill-whell, the cliuging moss. tn.
gay flowers, and the slipper in my hand.
arn somewhat given TO dreaming in moments
OF IdlenCss, and SO, as | tarned the latter
article over and over it brought forth from
some inner shrine Of nv heart certain
iieai woman, of whom | had been long
enamored, and slipped il on her foot. II
f :ea TO u T. Ny iady-the ideal was q
small creature, Il TItanla in fact, crowned
with sunny hair that rippled and floated
over her dimpled checks and fair shoulders:
she had the softest of b.t,e eyes, the dewcsi
Of lips, the loviiest OF hands; and pictured
her standing beside the old mili-uheel, her
hat hanging by its azure strings, her haiE
in beautiful confusion, her hands full OF
blossoms for of course. the cardinal iiow-
ers had iured her hither,) her cheeks flashed
not 1iowzed-her lips pouting with vexa
tIon ss the mud embedded slipper refused
to return to its allegiance and % vivid was
my fancy | was on the point Of leapine
across the stream 10 her rescue, when \
Shiny, shining, vlllainous snake wrigced
out from the tall grass close to my feet and
restored my scattered senses. | put an
uniime'y end to his existence, tucked the
slipper into the breast pocket OF my coat
AMI gathering bunch of cardinal g. overs
made my way back TO my lodging at the vii.
| lara inn.
Hitherto my observation Mt the table had
been confined to my immediate neighbors
knew that the man on my right was a vel.
low dysprptic, who drank spring water ana
ate stale bread: my ris-d-riS was Il fussg
leshy woman, with an immense quantity oi
SNOWY jewe!rv, while the ncghbor on NV
left WAS an elderly young lady in false curl.
and gold bowed spPctncles. Further than
these my eyes had not wandered but now
had an object. Perhaps my Cinderella
vas dwelling under the same roof, partak ine
of the same fare and at the same table will
me; and had not beheld her | wake eG
hnmeward IN n contemplated yet exalted
frame of mind. and was proceeding TO ex-
anime my person IN the seven by nine incl
looking glass. when there fell hustv ran CT
the door followed by the intrusion Of 9
black lace cap, trimmed with snuff col0reG
ribbons, which recognized rs the propert,
Of my landlords good wife. She was in
buff Of excitement, and burst forth with.
There am glad to see you, Doctor
She was a!ways particular 10 call me doctor
"Come right along 10 No. 5, and see to tha
poor Mss What's her name. Don't stoI
to prink. for she never know whether
you are black or gray. She's in such pam
"Cholera morhus 2" | suggested.
Lord 10, chIld-ankle =. with disasrcea.
bic emphasis on the "chli."
I followed Miss kyes across the entry
and was me-. on the tresh0.a Of No <. b,
Miss what's her-nHme's maternal relative
u tears. She had put her daughter to bed
drawing down the s2ant curtains of sixpeuny
patch, and filed the room with spirits oi
canphor and hart>hcrn. "Georgianns is
always in troublc,' she sighed, "she is SC
daring: and now she has spraincG her-hel
do look at it, d D1ctor.''
In n moment the delicate ankle ~,
shrinking and trembling in my hand, sadly
iud2mSi and rapidly swelling. 1 dispatched
Mrs. kyeS for wormw00j and vinegar. anC
ventured q glance q. th, pillow; ba: there
was visible oa'y vail Of long, rich, BLACK
hair, escaped from filet and comb, ans
running wide over Miss Gcarsiaune's facr
aad the red and green bc,i<preal. | coufss.
10 the secret hope that this ladv might not
prove the "Cinltrella - for the mlt,nj rht
hair could belong to uone other than bru.
nsttc. with wide open. mi chicvons, torment,
ing black eyes and nuFnberiess caqnetti j
airs and craccs-tbc exact opposite TO IN,
delicious I!ebr. Nevertheless, had th,
curiosity to examine the hotel book when Il
liberty, and there learned that No 5 wa
occupied by Mrs. Ward Bingham and daugh
ter. of Albany.
=. That evening, according to my established
habit, loungej out upon the balcony in M
dressing gown tn enjoy cigar AMI the star
light, and dream of the possibilities ar;.in,
from the bit of slipper that lay helpless il
my pocket. am ready to affirm tha, tn
ought OF open windows or the vicinity o
/ M. ) did not occur to nv mind until Mrs
Efngham's voice smotc upoa mv innocen
ear.
, "pshaw, that disgusting cigar, G.orgie
love. does it make You faint ?"
, .sNot in the least. mamma | lik. it."
ssIl must he thai yourg Stebhins. I'u
worried to death less he shouldn't rursu
, the proper treatment with your ankle.
, don't believe he ever had 9 patient before
a'N 49, H'fN S''t'1hs f1 " tub
from Miss Georcisnne.
'lIum doa't like his brusque manner
, evidently unused to society; came in thi
morning in linen blouse and no neekerchief
/ and his hair all over his ears"
"Then shall just ike bin. mamma,
, never could endure your priA1 rneu. To
morrow shall look Al him-but am gain
, To sleep now" And ss she drowsed of.
-As5~ ~>tts IN . ha
, vanity had received.
, Gsorgianne Efinzham wrs beautiful
, young woman; but having admitted that
, am neither artist nor poet. no one viii en-
|, tjcipate a minute description II her charms
Il IS snfhcisbs to say that. at the frs
glance had Of her face. struck m7 coiors
, biue- eyed lGche vanished, md graceful. liv
. inS. breathing Diana fostci into her niche
Mss Esbegham would. hencefor,h har
made capital chairman Of Vigilance Com