The Portland daily press., 1867-05-11
selected story.
The Left Slipper.

l sat down again to my coffee and han
and wondered however it could happen tba
Mrs. Pottle, my worthy and obsequious ialu
lady, should have allowed the slipper to nav
been overlooked in the Thorough cleaning
she had assured me always took place petmoe,
the exit and the eatFee OF her dliierehI 81 81 III,
dodgers; vet here it was. The SHINING vi vi, .l''
soft, bronze-coored leather had at.ia i IL ~
eve as the SIM lii mn the abyss beneath tne 50
ia; and now what must l. do with ~ eihiI'
after all it was Mrs. Pottle own, ~ 4. Ell
ed at the idea of her elephantine iooe hhu u, ~
entrance there; perhaps IL oeionSeu " q Ihiio
~, a 1TrandobiId. Int it was not probable IN
ternretation of the mystery. 1t could surely
not be kept under the sofa ior ornament, ano
vet how could such thing as one supper
not no missed, if the owner possessed two feet,
However, the little innocent-looking slipper
At To case a very fairy's foot, lay there anG
DESTROYED my peace of mind as L looked at it
nv readers may laugh at me as they choose
but / will frankly confess, that whilst som,
men fall in love with bunch of curls pair a
eyes, a smile, hand, a voice, was befor,
breakfast was half over, head and ears in low,
with slipper. 1t was folly-nonsense
course; but so it was. Philosophers woul,
say IL was the form that my imagination con
jured up as the real owner of the sinner: bu
don care to be too particular--I believe
fell IN love with the little slipper itself Sucl
pretty little thing it looked and felt as
turned 1t over in my hand with its silken san
dals and rosette of blue, and its neat lining o
Wh'be SILK ~ DAINTY HUG lftlcle, lnueeu, per
tuned with soft sweet odor of roses, that al
its long isolation from its sweet mistress had
not wholly destroyed.
l heard Mrs. Pottle ascending the stairs will
my letters, and hastily put the slipper in my
coat pocket. / had determined that | would
be guilty of theft, if theft it was, sooner thar
part with my new treasure. The landlady
entered, Letters, sir, if you please, sir"
THANK you,' L answered coolly, and let hel
go again; though longed for the history of hel
nrpVlOnS lOdoprS. | tnOnOlt she nvad ma sus
piciously, but, of course, was mistaken; and
turned and finished my breakfast and thei
broke open the envelopes of my letters.
/ ring the bell. Mrs. POttle enters / am sit
ting on the sofa reading the paper; but 1 just
say carelessly, "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 I'm turned
sixty, sir; though some do say" said Mrs. Pot
tie with smile, 'that they hardly can think
tbs more than few years ago began-Pm 81
much the same"
There they are right" l said, willing to pro
pitiate Mrs Pottle-"you might as we'll pass
for fifty, and young-looling women at that
but, however, WHIT FORT of people do you most
ly get here-young men, like me, in nler-
chants offices, or something of that kind?"
We'll, yes, sir; first and last, I've had some
scores OF clerks and junior partners; but still
'tisnt always so; but there was one young man
nearly the first ever had"
did not exactly want twenty years list of
dodgers, so interrupted the worthy soul by
saying se-t.s.. .s.
But who have you had lately? whowa the
last now. before / came?"
"A curious old couple, sir, as you ever cast
eyes on" -E.ra-f a8 "a -
"Oldp' gasped, q"
Mrs. Pottle did not, suppose, notice my agi
tatlon, but replied: -~F =.
..N, a,;, Al II. q
l should think, and the lady might be a year
younger-not much difference between them.
But beg your pardon-that's your bus, sir"
And Mrs, Pottle disappeared with the tray
just as the horn and the rafting wheels were
distinctly heard, near the terrace. put on my
hat mechanically and went down st irs, yexed
with the abrupt termination to her recital As
l rode along the thought struck me tht the
whole affair was trick, and that Mrs. Potte
wanted TO bind me to the spot, or make me in
terested in her house, or inveigled in some
foolish love affair. This decided ME to take no
notice of her attempts at conversation for the
future, and not even permit her to finish the
story begun in the morning.
Just then the omnibus stopped, and an old
maiden lady whom had known through her
acquaintance with much respected aunt Of
mine similarly crcumstanced as to age and
matrlmony, entered it, politely handed her
to a seat for my aunts sake, and commenced a
conversation which strive to make interest
ing, though my mind was certainly very absent
that day, so absent, that ia one of the pauses of
our discourse l incautiously drew out my
poke handkerchief to wipe my forehead and
with it horror of horrors!-the little bronze-col
ored slipper, with its blue rosette. l shook it
hastily from my lap into the straw beneath
but the old lady had seen it, and felt aghasf
as remembered that the story of that little
slipper Tor the left foot of my pretty Cinderella
would probably cost me $4,000 of my discreet
aunt'S money. -4-
Should 1 throw myself on the old lady's
mercy at once-in the omnibus. y coniessing
the truth? | thought not. L should only have
falseho added to the black list already pre-
pared, doubted not, for presentation to my
aunt. knew the old lady would not go as lar
as did, for she had already told me her desti-
- nation; so kept my own foot on one edge
of the little slipper, determined TO pick it up
again, spite of All, the first opportunity
Il think you dropped something, sir" said
my alnts friend coolly.
Nothing OF consequence Think thank you"
replied in confusion. ed. rtlf -
Il should rather think it was of great conse-
quence," she remarked, cruelty; doubtless the
young lady wants her slipper matched or
mended.
The young lady! What young lady? Ali if
L could only find this Cinderella. Deeply
mortified, said no more; and the old lady
soon left me- .Ets-s Ef
! went into the Office, carrying my handker-
chlef IN different pocket, that l might not
drop out the slipper with it; and sat down to
my writing; but my head was confused, and
that little bronze shipper danced over the page
over every line of my ledger, in each leaf of nv
memorandum book. III things go on like this"
exclaimed, mentally, II shall 20 mad abont
that slipper. l almost wish L had never seen
it," az 20 So'n
Just then one of the partners came into the
office. Haley" he said, did you pick up an
account written on slip OF paper, of an order
to be executed for Grylis?"
Il did, sir, and put it in my pocket-book as l
thought you had most likely dropped it,"
THANK you, Haley. just like him | ad-
mire young fellow that has his wits about
him"
put my hand in fer my pocket-book, and
forgot all about the slipper for a moment in
my pleasure at the employers praise; but il
had not forgotten me, and tumbled out The
sandal, being entangled with the pocket-book,
hung from my hand as slipped the elastic off
the book, and then the slipper fell upon the
hoor. All this happened much more quickly
than | have written it, but grave frown rest
ed upon my employers face as handed him
the paper.
Take care, Haley. Don't resent it. if I give
you fatherly word OF Warming 1t is better
young man should not carry such things in
ms pocket; at least, should not allow other
people to see them"
looked ,up astonshed. Mr. Arnold. second
partner in the firm was fifty wears of age. and
bachelor. What did he know about such
things?
1 think / could explain to your satisfac-
uoh' sir, tnat TINS Is an accident, ii Won had
wrong" y az on
a' ..e believe you, Haley; but every one
won't be so merciful."
Mr.. Arnold went out and closed the door.
1 never thought-never guessed before-wha6
elaborate circumstances might depend upon a
slipper; and when got home locked it away,
determined not to bring on more annoyance to
myself by keeping it too close at hand.
/ had invited one, two, three young men
a few days afterwards to have pull on the
river and then to sup with me.
After a pleasant hour and hSlf, we came
back hungry and exhilarated. L conducted
my friends to my room; and whilst we chat
ted, Mrs. Pottle brought in upper. A discus
sion arose about lecture of Ruskins, and his
opinion about certain picture of Turner's.
Il can tell you exactly what he said" l ex-
Claimed, pulling out my keys and opening
my desk, "ior l copied the paragraph into a
book"
/ turned down the lid, and there in the
sight OF my three friends was-not ofly the
ncte book, but the little left slipper for that
UNKNOWN unseen loot. roar Of laughter re-
as that a Chinese specimen. Halevo T hoard
you bought one"
What sly boy you are. WHO'S she Ha-
ley?"
thrown turned out with blue. very TASTY
indeed / should say"
"Meet me by moonlight alone
"Who stole the slipper?"
Need say more? Mrs. Pottle walking about
the room, heard some of these remarks, and
gave me, thought, look of malicious tri-
umph. t.n
BE merciful TO a fellow, for once" / said
desperately, "and keep the affair secret till
give you leave to sDiit"