The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-08-01
THE PRESERVE CLOSET.

among The Neapoiitm vioiets in the
window, and drove the little canary half
wild with -voicel delight-a sanctum
crowded wIth=a miscellaneous confusion
of merchaums N different stages of color,
dressing gowns, cigar boxes, Dewsra ,ers,
and gorgeous velvet slippers contract
ed ms shrews meodily over a litter whose
pink paper and delicate scent of foreign
perfume betokened a troublesome lady
correspondent i'c ;seiaaf attflA g
s'tDEARa SLDNEYy'-Yes, I'm ALWAYS
dear when Bertha wants disagreeable
commission eXecuted-what hypocrites
women are, to be sure-'an eligible house.
somewhere, In some nice locality, ii
surely can be no trouble to engage one
tor US. No trouble quotha that Just
womans random ideal No trouble to
rush from pillar to post house hunting.
" here $ the indemnity of bachelorhooa,
I'd like to know I'll might as well be a
married man in good earnest, if M to
be saddled with all the responsibility OF
the thing. | won be imposed upon
Ii write to- Bertha at once, and tell
her
+ Colonel Templar gave his jet black
moustache a savage Jerk, and pulled his
Il u
softer mood seemed to dawn athwart his
mlnd--he hesitated, biting the handle OF
his pen meditatively.
Poor little Bertha she always was
my pet cousin, and L suppose it IS rather
lnconvanient for her to come ali the way
here to look for house-and her hus
band will be in India till the middle of
May, and-well, the upshot of the whole
mattercis that I'm doomed to victimize
myself, and the sooner its over the better
Helgho | where the newspaper III
just hook over the TO Lets, first, and
thenl II goto the estate agencies -
The sun was peering from behind mas
ses of flying clouds, like shy beauty who
alternate smiles and hides her face
the air was full of faint spring odors even
in this brick and mortar wilderness, when
Colonel Sidney Teuplar sailed bravely
forth, armed and equipped with various
references, directions and addresses, TO
engage in the momentous business Of
house hunting. q
He was not handsome man-yet you
would have turned involuntarily to look
after him as he sauntered by, attracted
by the deep smothered fire of his dark
eyes, and the fri. outline OF. his lips. No
Colonel Temp!ar was not hapdsome, but
ha was whal the a,tle~. term Interesting
fMnreoyer be "a tl5d an eAIp3f sleeve
VI here ihet,etlts farm mould h.ite ha21l.s-stn
eyafla ting memorial Of the red battle
clouds
1t seems comical enough for me to go
house hunting, unused Templar, as.he
strobe onwards through the dusty streets
For me, the solitary, homeless recuse
Of one and thirty years old. -Four years
AGO things appeared differently to me
four years ago | mi chit have dreamed of
a home of my own, with Marion Caryl's
bright eyes TO light US Its heart-sto !
All, me this is would of change 4
careless word-a little misunderstanding
and here | am a crippled old soldier,
while Marion is probably making the
sunshine Of some other man $ life. Hold
on am getting maudlin and romantic
--eh, Sidney Templar? This will never
do, old fellow q.a ae a..
The Colonel gave his heavy black locks
a backward toss, as if i'm patient at his own
folly, and vigorously directed his atten-
ton to The list OF eligible residences in
his pocket-boo
No. ------street; here's the very
place. Wants painting badly on the
outside. but may present a more pronlis-
ing Appearance within. AT ali events
We i try.
He rang the bell, and brief skir,nish
ing OF servants III the hail, faded lady,
in dyed silk, and hair i'll crimping pins,
appeared.
is this house to let, madam 2" inquir
ed our Colonel deferentially.
well, yes, it's to let, but you can t
see it now y
Can t see it now
No, snarled the lady, vindictiveIy
Hours are between two and four.
IN quite sure the female in the
crimping pins is an old maid decided
the Colonel, mentally, and think she
must have breaktasted off broken glass
and cambria needless. | wonder if the
people at No. III street will be
any more aftable.
q A pretty blue eyed woman, ia torn
wrapper, and slippers down at the heel,
answered the door bell.
'Can [ see this house p meekly ques-
toned Col. Templar
Could you call again in about an
hour p asked the blue-eyed one My
husband is out, land we've been 50 troubl-
ed with thieves and respectable looking
agents who carried keys with EN-, that
''Oh, [ beg your pardon Under the
circumstances | will not intrude, sad
Col. Iemplar, with a comic elevation Of
his eye brows. Perhaps, however, you
will be good enough to observe that l
leave the door-mat behind me, quite
safe.
The blue eyed lady looked after Col
Templar as he strobe away, with puz-
lied face.
Its as well l didn't let him comein,'
was her informal comment. lie looks
as II DE ght be little crazed.
While Col Templar stroked his mus
tache and pondered obviously within
himself:
4 wonder if | do look like rogue. -
Herbert ! Bertie don't you hear the
door bell? BERTHE, [ say !"
The gentleman ap0strophized as Der
tie was sitting at an Old fashioned ma
hogany desk, absorbed in pile of blot
ted manuscript with disheveled hair.
and middle finger deeply stained with
evidently young author, very
muck in love with, his profession Di-
rectIy before him stood the speaker, a
young lady of twentythree or there
aboutS t'ilds- iH
She was exceedingly pretty. with the
innocent, diinpled beauty OLA white kit
ten or pet rabbit; blue eyed, with a
complexion where faint roses seemed to
glow through the transparent skin. and
mouth like dash of scarlet velvet.
While her lovely golden hair was fast
iened straight back. IN a great .lustspus
twist. FL, dsslsab1'9'c, evidently but quite.
pretty enough co excuse all defects of.
-four sprinkicf hani$, and HAIR half l5bse
Door bellt' REPEATED the young man
starting vacan,ly. Z Il
Yes; some one to see the house, I
suppose and [ such a figure. Do. please,