Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-10-28

pleased in the mirror.
"Upon my word, it don't look s.
bad, only this long, tapping veil j
confoundedly in the way. An,
now where's the sacque. a littl
tight in the sleeve, but Otherwis,
quite a decent fit, if a fellow hold
his arm well back. There's Alice
blue muslin dress. Eve two minds
and a half to put ii on, just for tht
fun of the thing"
A momentary silence eusued fol
lowed by the rustling of muslin.
Don't meet round the waist 10y
good six inches, but / can hold it up
IwOnder what makes the thing dras
on the floor and hang round one'i
legs sol OH / know, the crinolin,
ought TO 90 under"
For the dignity of manhood" We
are reluctant to chronicle the fac
that our hero, intent on the tableau1
| solitaire, did actually then and there
proceed to the closet, and practically
take down a hoOpskirt, which ht
solemnly put on!
Jupiter! how comical it feels -
| he calculated, with an amused face
| ''Why, | should not dare to 90 with.
in yard of a vase or statuette, and
Pm quite certain | should swamp all
the chairs and tables l came near
Bother this trailing muslin-always
in the way"
For Mr.. Ross had unthinkingly
| plunged his masculine boot through
| the delicate fabric of the dress.
''I'm not certain but that l should
make quite nice looking woman"
unused Kenneth, strutting back
wards and forwards before the mir
ror, with his Derby hat balanced
daintily, and the blue muslin reveal
ing about foot and half of calf
skin boot and trousers. "On the
whole!-TOmb of the prophet! is
that the girls?
Mr.. Ross gave a bIindly desperate
jerk at his sacque, and pull at the
crinOline, but all in vain.
The sweet, gay voices, intcrmin-
gled here and there, with a ringing
.augh, or a snatch of song, drew
nearer and nearer.
For an instant Mr.. Ross wildly
contemplated a rush through the
hall to his own door, but a moments
reflection convinced him that such
retreat would be simply impossi-
ble.
81 must stay and face it out" he
thought with a cold perspiratIon
breaking out on his forehead; "but
hold on there's the closet. It's just
possible they will only stay here a
minute or two"
And Mr.. Kenneth Ross, totally
ObliviOus of the majesty of man,
fed precipitately into the closet,
tumbling over his crinOline and
muslin in most disastrous
manner, and hopelessly splitting
open the seams of poor Alice's
sacque.
Why the deuce didn't think to
secure the key? he thought, as the
girls streamed into the room. GLOW
ever, l can hold tight on to the door
handle if any one attempts to get in.
If-by Jove-if the girls should see
me in this rig, l should never hear
the last of it. l don't see, either,
why Pm obliged to play thc.caves-
dropper, against my will"
lie leaned up against the shelves
and breathlessly waited the progress
of events.
"Why, calculated soft voice
Rosa's own" where's my Derby?
Was l careless enough to leave it
down stairs? Flora, you have hid
den it."
Il wonder what you'll accuse me
of next" said Flora, in an injured
voice"
"You told Mr.. Ross that cousin
Simon's letter was Toto"
"Your sweetheart Well, he
ought to be Pm sure. Mr.. Simon
MOntrose is the handsOmest young
man l know"
ooh, Flora, he don't compare with
Mr.. Ross.
''Rosa Fernan be honest, said
Flora, speaking indistiRctly; with
two or three hair-pins in her cherry
mouth; which do you like the best,
cousin Ken. or Simon MOntrOse?
''Florar'
Tell me, now, honestly"
The answer came in y low, half
inaudible voice
Kenneth
The heart under Alicc'o Sacque
gave a great joyous leap.
Mr.. Kenneth ROss's head came in
contact with something on the up
per shelf, and down came a rain of
, band-boXeS on his occiput.
There was an instant's terrified
silence, and then all the girls began
| TO scream in choru
Mercy! CALCULATED Alice, What
is it?''
"How silly we all are, said Rosa
| tremulOusly, it is only the cat.
"As il IA cat could make such a
noise as that, sobbed Flora. Call
| Uncle Johu-bring revolver, Alice.
do look and see what it is:
mo, you look, faltered Alice. re-
! treating behind the bureau.
"Ill look myself" said Rosa Fer
nall, bravely advancing to the res
] cue.
But when the door handle refused
! TO turn even she blanched.
"SOme one is holding the door in
side. Call the men,"
There IS no necessity, quOth q
voice from behind the panels"
! And the next moment the closet
door flew open, and crinOline, and a
cOuntenance whose utter shcepish
ness can never be described.
cousin KEN" shrieked Flora.
Mr.. Ross" faltered Miss Fernall
why, it can't be possible" ejac
ulated Alice.
And then the three girls clung tC
each other i'll irrepressible parOx-
isms of laughter.
''The fact is, ladies'" commenced
Kenneth, confusedly, 'I-won't
some one help me off with thii
mouse trap OF hOOp-skirt? Mis-
Alice, I'm very sorry I've split YOU
sacque open, but-weu if you dom
stop laughing, can't explain; that
the long and the short of it
But Rosa Eernall had stopped
laughing already, and the pink o
her checks was deepening into scar
let.
She had just remembered tn,
words carelessly spoken in that verl
room, not five minutes ago.
In an ineXplicably short space o
time Mr.. Ross had torn of his femi
nine adornments and He'd iguOmin
iously, followed by the peals @
laughter of his cousin and Alict
Aymer.
Rosa-strange little piece of con
tradiction-had began to cry.
I "POOr little thing, she's hvsteri
cal" said aunt Meg, who had Jus
appeared on the scene.
But Rosa Fernall was not hysteri
cal.
The full delicious moon of a sum
mer was in the mid heaven tha
night, as Kenneth Ross stroued int