The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-05-02
The Left Slipper.

81 thought fairies were obsolete, and Gin
derella nowhere" exclaimed one morning,
drawing out from under the sofa of my sit
ting room small slipper for left foot;
'bu t if ever there was lady, be she Gin.
derela or Susannah who had a smaller foot
than this would fit, | should like to see her,
that's all"
| sat down again to my coffee and ham,
and wondered however it could happen that
Mrs. Pottle my worthy and obsequious
Eandlady, should have allowed the slipper to
have been overlooked in the thorough
Cleaning" she had assured me always took
place between the exit and eatlee of her diff
ferent set of dodgers; yet here it was. The
shining OF the soft, bronze coored leather
had attracted my eye as the sun lit up the
abyss under the sofa; aud now, what must
do with it? Perhaps, after ALL it was
Mrs Politics. own; but laughed at the idea
of her eleohantine foot finding entrance
there, perhaps it belonged to a child or
graudchild, but it was not probable inter
probation of the mystery 1t could surely
not be kept under the sofa for ornament,
and yet how should such d thing as one slip
per not be missed, if the owner possessed
two feet?
However, the little innocent-Iooking slip
per, fit to case a very fairys foot, lay there
and destroyed my peace Of mind as looked
at it. Nv readers may laugh at me as they
choose; but l will frankly confess, chat
whilst some men fail in love with bunch
of curls, pair Of eyes, hand, smile, a
voice, was, before breakfast was half over,
head and ears in love with slipper 1t
was folly,-nonsense, of course; but so 1T
was. Philosophers would say it was the
form that my imagination conjured up as
the real owner of the slipper; but | don't
care to be so particular,-l believe ! fell i'll
love with the little slipper itself, Such
pretty little thing it looked and felt as
turned it over i'll my hand, with its silken
sandals and rosette of blue, aud its neat
lining of white sill; dainty little article,
indeed, perfumed with soft, sweet odor of
roses, that all its long isolation from its
sweet mistress had not wholly destroyed.
l heard Mrs. Pottle ascending the stairs
with my letters, and hastily put the slipper
in my coat pocket. had determined that
would be guilty of theft, if theft it was,
sooner thanpart with my new treasure
The landlady entered, Letters. sir, if you
please, sir ~
''Thank you," l answered coolly, and let
her go again; though longed for the histo-
ry Of her previous dodgers. | thought she
eyed me suspiciously, but, Of course, was
mistaken and | turned and finished my
breakfast, and then broke open the envel-
opes of my letters
| ring the bell. Mrs. Pottle enters.
am sitting on the sofa reading the paper
but just say careessly, You have kept
these lodgings some time, suppose, Mrs
Pottle?"
Law! yes, SIR" she answers, stopping
short in the general gathering together of
plates and dishes; nigh upon twenty years
Through my poor Samuel being taken off
early, sir, | was obliged to begin at forty
Now Pm turned sixty, sir; though some do
say" said Mrs. Pottle, with a SMILE shat
they hardly can think it's more than
few years ago that began,-Pm so much
the same"
There they are right said, willing to
propitiate Mrs. Pottle,-''you might as well
pass for fifty, and young looking woman
at that; but, however, what sort of people
do you mostly get here, young men, like
am, in merchants Offices or something of
that kind?"
"Well, yes, sir; first and last, I've had
some scores Of clerks and junior partners ::
but still, It isn't always so; but there was
one young man,-nearly the first ever
had,-l
did not exactly want twenty years.
list of dodgers, so | interrupted the worthy
soul by saying, But who have you had
lately ?-who was the last now, before
came? ?"
ga curious old couple, sir as you ever
cast eyes on. -
'Old!" l gasped. q"
Mrs Pottle did not, suppose, notice my
agitation, but replied, Eyes, sir, the gentle
man about seventy-fiye, | should think and
the lady might be year older or younger.
not much difference between them-but
beg your pardon,-thats your bus, sir. y
And Mrs. Pottle disappeared with the tray
just as the horn and the rafting wheels
were distinctly heard, nearing the terrace.
put on my hat mechanically, aud went
down stairs vexed at the abrupt termination
to her recital. As l rode along the thought
struck me that the whole affair was a trick,
and that Mrs Pottle wanted to bind me &c
the spot, or make me interested In her house
or inveigled i'll some foolish love affair This
decided me to take no notice of her attempt.
at conversation for the future, and not ever
to permit her to finish the story begun il
the morning
Just then the omnibus stopped, and al
old maiden lady, whom l had known through
her acquaintance with a much respecte,
aunt of mine, similarly circumstanced as t
age and matrimony entered it. polite
handed her to seat for my aunt's sake an
commenced conversation which strove I
make interesting, though my mind wa
certainly very absent that day; so absen
that in one of the panses of our discourse
incautiously drew out my pocket handke
chief to wipe my forehead, and with it
horror of horrors the little bronze colore
slipper, with its blue rosette. | shook
hastily from my lap into the straw beneatl