The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-05-30
The Left Slipper.


morning, drawing out from under the
sofa of my sitting room a small slipper
for left foot "but if ever there was
a lady, be she Cinderella or Susannah,
who had a smaller foot than this
would fit, I should like to see her
that's all"
| I sat down again to my coffee and
ham, and wondered how ever it could
happen that Mrs. Pottle, my worthy
and obsequious Iandlady, should have
allowed the slipper to have been over
looked in the ''thOrough cleaning" she
had assured me always took place be-
tween the exit and the entree of her
different set of dodgers yet here it was.
The shining of the soft, bronze-coIor-
ed leather had attracted my eye as the
sun Lit up the abyss beneath the sofa !;
and now, what must I do with it ?
Perhaps, after all it was Mrs. Pottle's
own; but I laughed at the idea of her
elephantine foot finding entrance
there ; perhaps it belonged to a child
or grandchild; but it was not a proba-
bic Interpretation Of the mystery. 1t
could surely not be kept under sofa
for ornament and yet how could such
a thing as one slipper not be missed,
/ if the owner possessed two feet?
However, the little innocent-looking
islipper, fit to case very fairys foot,
lay there and destroyed my peace of
mind as I looked at it. My readers
may laugh at me as they choose; but
I will frankly confess, that whilst
some men fall in love with bunch of
curls, a pair of eyes, a smile, a hand, a
voice, L was before breakfast half
over head and ears in love with a
slipper. 1t was folly-nOnsense-Of
course but so it 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 believe l fell in
love with the little slipper itself. Such
a pretty little thing it looked and felt
as l 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 a soft, sweet Odor of roses, that
all its 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. 1 had
determined that l would be guilty Of
theft, if theft it was, sooner than part
with my new treasure. The landlady
entered, "Letters, sir, if you please,
sir p
81 thank you," I answered coolly, |
and let her go again though 1 lOnged
for the history Of her previous dodgers.
I thought she eyed me suspiciously, !
but, Of course, [ was mistaken and l |
turned and finished my breakfast, and |
then broke open the envelopes Of my |
letters.
I ring the bell. Mrs. Pottle enters.
I am sitting on the sofa reading the
paper but 1 Just say carelessly, "You
have kept these lodgings some time, l
suppose, Mrs. Pottle ?"
claw, yes, sir" she answers, stop
ping short in the general gathering to-
gether of plates and dishes; "nigh
upon twenty years. Though my poor
Samuel being taken off early, sir, 1
was obliged to begin at forty. Now
I'm turned sixty, sir; though some do
say" said Mrs. Pottle, with a smile,
''that they hardly can think 'tis more
than few years ago began-I am so
much the same"
"There they are right" I said, will
ling to propitiate Mrs. POttle-'you
might as we'll pass for fifty, and a
young looking woman at that; but
however, what sort of people do you
mostly get here-young men, like I
am, in merchants offices, or something
of that kind?",
"WelI, sir ; first and last, I've
had some scores of clerks and junior
partners; but still, 'tisn't always so
but there was one young man-nearly ;
the first I ever had" {
I did not exactly want a twenty
years list of dodgers, so 1 interrupted
The worthy soul by saying: "But ;
who have you had lately--who was
-he last now before l came ?"
GA curious old couple, sir, as ever
you cast eyes on" 6
"Old p I gasped. "I-"
Mrs. Pottle did not, I suppose, no.
ice my agitation, but replied, eyes,
sir, the gentleman about soventy-fve, :
should think, and the lady might be
l year older or younger-not much |
Inference between them. But l beg
your pardon-that's your bus, sir."
And Mrs. POttle disappeared with I
he tray just as the horn and the rat t
ling wheels were distinctly heard, S
hearing the terrace. I put on my hat {
and went down stairs, {
Texed with the abrupt termination of t
ler recital. AS I rode along, the I
thought struck me that the whole af- S
air was a trick, and that Mrs. Pottle {
wanted to bind me to thespOt, or make
ne interested in her house, or inveigIe
ne in some foolish love affair. This
lecided me to take no notice of her {
attempts at conversation for the future, {
ind not even permit her to finish her l
story begun in the morning.
Just then the omnibus stopped, and |
IN old maiden lady, whom 1 had l
Known through her acquaintance with +
| much respected aunt of mine, SINH q
arly circumstanced as to age and mat {
'imony, entered it. IpOIitely handed
Ter to a seat for my aunt's sake, and
commenced a conversation which I |
trOve to render interesting, though [
ny mind was certainly very absent
hat day so absent that in one of the
1auses of our discourse, I incautiOusly
lrew out my pOcket-handkerchief to :
wipe my forehead; and with thor :
or of horrors-the little bronze col q
,red slipper, with its blue rOsette. I
hook it hastily from my lap into the I
traw beneath, but the old lady had I
cen it, and I felt aghast as I remem- i
,ered that the story Of that little slip \
,er for the left foot Of my pretty Gin
IereIIa would probably cost me ), ,OOOl.
# my discreet aunt's money. t
Should throw myself on the old S