Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-05-06

Flora audaciously, as she tried the key o
the desk "The dignity of manhood, in
deed | for one never could properly ap
preciate it. .
That is your own loss, 2 said Mr. Ross
solemnly. "a woman is-wen, she's moth
ing but woman; while man possesses al
the majesty of human nature, combined
with There's no use in looking in tha
drawer, unless you are particularly inter
ested in backing brushes and old boots.
How can you, Flora p pleaded th,
shocked Rosa.
oh, my Girls, twittered Miss Edge
worth ecstatically, here bottle Of rea
Farina cologne Out with your poke
handkerchiefs, quick Go on, Ken; wha
were you saying about the majesty Of
what's its name2"
But Mr.. Ross preserved a stately 81
lenee.
"Don't be cross, Kenneth, said Flora
sprinkling scented dew on her yellow
eurls from the slender, foreign shaped bot
tie. We're going down to the post-oficg
now. Rosa Fernall has written twelve
page letter to her sweetheart out in Can.
ada
Flora r exclaimed Rosa FernalI, turn.
ing scarlet.
And, pursued the relentless Flora,
were going to post it. Come girls; the
sun is getting more oppressive every mo-
ment
And the next moment Mr.. Ross was left
alone in the Summer silence of the room,
with the heavy musk rose nodding at the
open easement, and the dreamy murmur
of maple boughs and far-off bees in his
ear
"A twelVe-page letter to her sweetheart
pondered Mr.. Kenneth, with very omin-
GUS contraction of his eyebrows. ''She must
have had something very interesting TO
write. | wonder who he is. Canada, eli?
| wish it was Van Dieman's Land.
Mr. Ross rose from his easy chair, aud
began to walk up and down the floor.
Its too confounded hot to breathe
herel" he said, impatientIy taking up his
straw hat. 'I'll go and take tramp in the
woods. Twelve pages! what could she have
found to Gil up twelve pages?"
Flora Edgeworth had succeeded iu plant
ing ranking thorn in her cousins breast
all unconscious though she had been.
The sun was low in the coudless west.
ern sky when Kenneth Ross returned from
his distracted ramble in the woods, and the
wide, old-fashioned country house was very
still, as he assembled the oaken staircase and
went absently along the corrider toward his
own apartment.
Halo
Mr. Ross gazed yacantly around the room
with something of the bewildered feeling
that might have belonged to the Eastern
Prince, when he found himself transported
from pole to pole in an enchanted dream.
I'm in the wrong room, do believe
for there is Flora Edgeworth' white zeph-
VI shawl on the bed, and Rosa's black vel.
vet Derby hat, and no end of ribbons and
gloves and lace collars on tie bureau. I
don't see how / ever came to make such
blunder-I must have been in brown
study p
lie balanced the coquettish little black
velvet Derby hat" on his hand as be spoke.
SO this is the fashionable style of cha
peaa, Ell? 1t certainly is fact that women
borrow their chief dress nowadays from the
nobler sex. This hat is just fac simile of
my last summers tile, and that little saque
with the big horn buttons is my cut-away
coat over again, l wonder now whether
Rosa little hat would fit me
Mr.. Ross adjusted the article of dress
jauntily on one side of his curls and view
ed himself, not i'll pleased, in the large
mirror.
Upon my word, it don't look so bad,
only this long tapping vail is confounded-
ly iu the way And now where the saque?
A little tight in the aleavos, but otherwise
quite decent fit, if fellow holds his arms
well back There's Alice's blue muslin
dress. I've two minds and half to put
them on, just for the joke of the thing.
A momentary silence ensued, broken by
the rustling Of muslin.
Don't meet around the waist by good
six inches, but can hold it up. wonder
what makes the thing drag on the floor and
cling round ones legs so. Oh, | know
the crinoline ought to go under.
For the dignity of manhood we are re-
luetant to chronicle the fact that our hero,
intent on his tabIeau solitarie, did actually,
then and there, proceed to the closet and
practically take down hoop-skirt, which
he solemnly put on.
Jupiter how comical it feelsl'' he
calculated, with an amused face. "Why,
| shouldn't dare to go within yard of a
vase or statuette, and l m quite certain I'd
swamp all the chairs and tables came near.
Bother this trailing mushn-always in the
way !"
For Mr. Ross had uuthinkingly plunged
his masculine boot through the delicate fab
rie Of the dress.
I'm not certain but that | should make
quite nice looking woman, unused Len
meth, strutting backward and forward before
the mirror, with his Derby bat balanced
daintily, and the blue muslin revealing about
foot and half of calfskin boot and trow-
sers. Son the whoFe-Tomb Of the Prophet
is that the girlsY'
Mr.. Ross gave blindly desperate jerk at
his saeque, and pull at the erinoline; but
all in vain. The sweet, gay voices, inher-
mingled here and there with a ring
ing laugh, or snatch of song, drew nearer
and nearer For an instant Mr.. Ross wild
ly contemplated rush through the hall to
his own door, but moment reflection con-
vinced him that such retreat would be sim
ply impossible.
ST must stay and face it outl thought
he, with cold perspiration breaking out on