The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-05-30
THE LEFT SLIPPER.
From "Happy Hours."l

| IdIrlcS were ODbOIeGc, anu OlQ.
derella nowhere" exclaimed one morning.
| drawing out from under the sofa of my sit
ting room small slipper for left foot; "but
if ever there was lady, be she Cinderella
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, nv worthy and obsequious landlady
should have allowed the slipper to have been
overlooked in the Thorough cleaning" she
had assured me always took place between
the exit and eutree of her different set of
| dodgers; yet here it was. The shining Of the
soft, bronze-colored leather had attracted my
eye as the sun lit up the abyss beneath the
! sofa; and now, what must do with it Per-
haps, after all, it was Mrs. Politics. own; but
| laughed at the idea of her elephantine foot
finding entrance there: perhaps it belonged
to child or grandchild; but it was not a
probable Interpretation OF the mystery. 1t
| could surely not be kept under the sofa for
ornament, and yet how should such a
| thing as one slipper not be missed, if the
| owner possessed tive feet
However, the little innocent.looking slip.
per, fit to case very fairy's foot, lay there
| and destroyed my peace of mind as l looked
| at it. Ny readers may laugh at me as they
1 choose; but will frankly confess, that whilst
| some men fall in love with bunch of curls,
| a pair of eyes, smile, a hand, voice,
| was, before breakfast was half over, head and
ears in love with slipper. It was folly
| nonsense,-of course; but so it was Phi
losophers would say it was the form that my
| imagination copjured up as the real owner Of
the slipper; but don't care to be 30 par
ticular,-I believe I fell in love with the
little slipper itself. Such pretty little thing
| it looked and felt as turned it over in my
hand, with its silken sandals, and rosette Of
blue, and its neat lining of white silk; a
dainty little article, indeed, perfumed with
soft, sweet odor of roses, that all it's long
| isolation from its sweet mistress had not
wholly destroyed.
I heard Mrs. Pottle ascending the stairs
with my letters, and hastily put the slipper
in my coat-pocket I had determined that I
would be guilty of theft, if theft it was, SOON
er than part with my new treasure. The
landlady entered, Letters, sir, if you please,
| sir !"
"Thank you," answered coolly, and let
her 60 again though longed for the histo-
| ry of her previous dodgers. I thought she
eyed me suspiciously, but, Of course, was
| mistaken; and I turned and finished my
breakfast, and then broke open the envelopes
of my letters.
ring the bell Mrs. Potte enters. I am
sitting on the sofa reading the paper; but
just say earelessly, "You have kept these
lodgings some time, I suppose, Mrs. Pottle ?"
claw 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 ear.
| ly, sir, was obliged to begin at forty. Now
I'm turned sixty, sir; though some do say"
| ooid Mrs PotsyQ With q emilia s. that fhov
| hardly can think It is more than few years
| ago began,-Pm SO much the same"
"There they are right" said, willing to
propitlate Mrs. Pottle,-" you might as well
pass for fifty, and a 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?"
swell, 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"
| I cid not exactly want twenty years. list
of dodgers, so interrupted the worthy soul
| by saying, "But who have you had lately p
who was the last now, before came ?"
"a curious old couple, sir, as you ever cast
eyes on"
"Old !" gasped. 81"
| Mrs. Pottle did not, I suppose, notice my
agitation, but replied, eyes, sir, the gentle
man about seventy five, should think, and
the lady might be year older or 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, nearing the terrace.
put on my hat mechanically and went down
stairs, vexed with the abrupt Termination to
her recital. As I rode along the thought
struck me that the whole affair was q
trick, and that Mrs. Pottle wanted to
bind me to the spot, or make me Interested
! 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 to 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 a much-respected aunt Of
mine, similarly circnmstanced as to age and
matrimony, entered it. I politely handed
her to seat for my aunt's sake, and com.
menced . conversation which strove to rem
der interesting, though my miro was GER