The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-03-31


| of his fellow servants, for | saw three of
| them examining me closely, and with
| twinkling eyes, from the opposite side of
the table. Could the host, too, have seen
the flowers in the hall, asked to whom
they belonged, and impaired the informa-
ton he gained to his wife? If not, why
should she have told me in particular that
certain sherry was amoroso?" And why
| should she have commended me in partic-
ular for choosing "parfait amour" from
other liquors? Other people showed the
same preference, 1t may have been acct
dental; but conscience makes all of us sus-
picious. About II o'clock l took my de-
parture; reassumed my bouquet about as
| joyfully as Christian reassumed his bun
| die, and, with heavy heart, found myself
| In a cablesS thoroughfare not far from
| Kings Road, Chelsea. 1t was quite three
miles to my lodgings, but III the Kings
Road I should be sure to ind cab in
which I might hide myself and my bou-
quet. But suddenly well-known voice
| cried, "Don't run away, Brown"
turned, and there was my very best
| friend, Jones, who, once upon a time,
when [ had been very roughly handled in
| public journal, took the trouble to cut
out the whole article and send it to me, "In
case," as he said, al should like to see it"
l had never forgotten that friendly atten
ton Especially as he protested not to
read the papers generally, and never saw
several articles of an opposite character),
and | therefore accosted him with extreme
cordiality.
"What is the matter ?" he asked; "you
seem out of sorts"
II have had rather trying day." I
answered; "a wedding this morning, and
dinner party this evening"
No wonder Won arn low - ia ba cupo
pathetically; "you want cigar and
cheerful scene. But what is the matter
with your left arm 2" he concluded.
Nothing at ALL" I replied, sharply,
producing the bouquet, which had held
IN concealment behind my back.
You call that nothing, do your" said
Jones, severely; 81 call it a very serious
thing, indeed. But don look so miserable;
take this cigar, and come with me; but
first throw that thing over the ratings of
the square"
For your cigar, thanks; for your last
advice will see you'll meaa I wouldn't
do it for thousand pounds"
90, see. Well, we can leave it with
the man at the gates"
"What gates?"
"Come and see. | am a few pegs too
low myself; and before l go home | mean
to try the effect of some lively music and a
| lively spectacle"
We had been walking along pretty
briskly all this WHILE and in few
| more minutes we arrived at some gates,
| which appeared to lead into some IL
Illuminated gardens, and which were them
selves surmounted by gigantic and bril-
liant gas-lit star.
"rm not going in there" said I bluntly.
"O,Gust take stroll round" he rejoined,
coaxingly; ait will do.you good. The
| gardens are cool, the music is cheerful,
and the dancing will make you die of
laughing. Besides you wouldn't leave
me all alone"
In an evil hour, / paid my money, and
| passed through the turnstile and then [
| feared to leave my flowers in charge of
the gate-keeper. 1t was different at a
friends house but at this public place the
precious bouquet might come to harm.
| The man, too, was very reluctant to take
| it said he would not himself be at his
post much longer, and would have to de-
liver over my trust to his successor. l did
not ike the prospect, and determined not
| to part with my treasure.
| Jones was little sulky at first, and said
in a surly tone, you'll get awfully chaffed,
my boy )" but suddenly he cheered up
again, as if his very words had somehow
| comforted him.
He was quite right; did get awfully
chaffed, but l adopted the tactics of ap-
pearing to have been let out for the even
ing from the Deaf and Dumb Institution
But to Jones l was forced to be as one
that heard and he played TO marvel the
to have become all al once supernaturally
sharp, so that not even whisper to my
Gisparagement escaped him; and he faith,
fully impaired to me whatever he heard
My equanimity was gradually disturbed
and, at last, when Jones asked in tone
of horror, Did you hear what that ifel
low said ?" answered, angrily, No,
did not; and don't want to know"
But Jones, having, perhaps, q keenel
regard for his friends honor than for his
own, rejoined, "Well, old fellow, there's
a limit to everything, and 1 don't think
you ought to stand that"
1 inwardly wondered whether Jones
himself, in my position, would not have
stood that, and much more, without show
ing his valor; but with a groan l asked
"Well, what did he say ?"
go, my dear fellow" replied Jones
with Singer, shouldn't like to re
peat it."
"Can you point the man out ?" in
quired.
This Jones did with surprising alacrity
"Let us go back and ask hin1, then"
said, trying to appear cool and comfort
able.
The man whom Jones pointed out wa!
dressed as a gentleman, was considerably
bigger in every way than /, and was sit
ting between two wearers of bonnets
whom we may charitably assume to have
been his wife and his motherin law. Al
my approach he showed some slight per
| turhat which lad to hot h,
suffered, as l do, from a constitutions
weakness (nothing more, | assure you)
which some people mistake for what is ii
certain circles known as "the funks"
J was encouraged, therefore, to ask will
some haughtiness whether he would oblig,
me by repeating the remark he had latcl,
addressed to me- He obliged me with
readiness and emphasis witch slightly al
tered my opinion about his constitutions
weakness; and which almost reduced M
to an awkward silence which ones Nigh
have misinterpreted. Fortunately, how
ever, was inspired to make q general re
, mark about the difficulty of p1operl,
kicking any gentleman who happen
to be sitting upon bench; an,
the remark, Notwithstanding its trut
: and generality, so far from meet
| ing with his appreciation, cause,
| him to start up in fury, threaten DANA g
to my nose with his left fist, and seize m
? precious bouquet with his right hanc
: Thereupon flashed across my mind piec
: of advice to the effect that "the threat
, ened should never wait tor accomplish
: ment, but should always take the initia
, tive and so, maddened at the destruc
; ton which was being wrought upon m
: bouquet, dashed my clenched right han
} into the face oe nY adversary, who stag
!; gered back against tree, and left upo
| my white glove red stain.
There were shrieks from the suppose