Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-03-24
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS, MAROH "a, 1871.
Tom Staplet0n's Blunder.
BY JOHN BYERs.

BY JOHN ByERs.
My friend Tom Stapleton and
were chatting with our friend John
Darton, one evening, In the latter's
library.
had just returned from abroad
After my anecdotes of travel were
exhausted, the conversation took
this turn:
"John," said I "I cannot help ad-
miring that sweet little wife Of yours.
How did you meet with her? You
were paying court to no one when i
left home a year ago."
"Oh," said John, "'Creat oaks
from little acorns grow you know.
But must tell you how 1 fell i'm
love with the little lady. Tom was
a little soft In that quarter himself
once, and was playing the gallant to
perfection, when little blunder of
his compromised his chances, / was
the fortunate one that appeared in
the emergency and took away the
lady. And it happened in this wise:
The regiment gave ball one night
late in the winter, at the Academy.
1t was most recherche affair, of
course, and New York's best society
was well represented. Now never
had sister"
whats that got to do with the
story ?" growled Tom.
Don't mind him, Barrington.-
AS / was saying, never had sister
and always envied men that had.
Sisters are very handy I'm the way of
making female acquaintences for
you. They believe their brothers
worthy of knowing all the ladies
they know, aud they are proud of
being able to trot out a big fellow for
i'm PRODUCTION.
Tom here has very convenient
sis. Well, she happened to know
certain Miss May, now Mrs. Barton,
and she introduced Tom to her.
Tom is bashful fellow at the best,
but he managed to progress SO well
in Miss Mays good graces, that she
accepted an invitation from him to
attend our ball, after Papa May had
given his consent. and announced
his intention to accompany the pair
as locker Oh at the festive scene.
Now / was old Mays confidential
clerk, yet I had never been inside of
his door.
The tickets for the ball were enor-
nous affairs, gotten up by commit
tee that had endeavored to be as orig
iBal as possible. When these tickets
were presented at the door, smaller
ones for admission to the dressing
rooms were given in their place.
While Tom was effecting this
change for himself and lady, the old
gentleman got separated from them
by the crowd. Without waiting for
papa to extricate himself, Tom plac-
ed his SINAI. tickets in his breast
pocket, and pushed on with his love-
ly companion.
Well, Tom Is careless fellow, as
you know. He escorted his charge
almost to the door commanding the
approach to the ladies' dressing room
then he pulled out his ticket, stuffed
Miss Mays into her hand, gave her
few directions, and bolted Off to
make his own preparations for the
ball.
There were several ladies before
the poor little dear, and when these
had passed through into the room
sne followed, presenting her ticket
as she went. See here said the un-
mannerly boor that guarded the way
as he glanced at her ticket, this is
played OUT
what do you mean by addressing
my daughter in such terms, sir?" ex-
claimed Mr.. May, who happily ar
rived at this juncture.
i didn't mean anything in partic-
ular,' answered the man i'm softened
tones, but / rather guess she or no
other woman can pass here on that
piece of pasteboard.'
why Alice what has occasioned
all this asked papa, waxing warm
as he thought of his daughters posi-.
tion before the assembling crowd,
'Ah Mr.. Stapleton Why didn't he
All, let me see that ticket
Poor Alice surrendered the un fort
unate ticket, and sought the streng-
thening support of her fathers arm,
while he fumbled for his glasses.
He had no sooner adjusted these and
glanced at the pasteboard, than he
turned to Alice with:
you have been afrronted, my dear
outrageously affronted! Where is
this fellow-this Stapleton
Honest Tom, innocent of the
trouble he had brewed for himself,
was coming down the staircase at
this moment In the full flush of tri-
umph, and chattering gayly with
me. / had met him up stairs, and
we were going down together, arm
In arm. He had promised me an in
PRODUCTION, and was declaring him
self the luckiest fellow on earth,
when Mr.. May, who had espied US
approaching, suddenly left his
daughters side. and with indigna-
ton expressed in every feature, con-
fronted unfortunate Tom.
"Are you aware, sir, that you have
exposed my daughter to insult, and
made her an object of ridicule before
these strange people?" was the old
gentleman's first thrust.
81. sir Ill" exclaimed Tom. In .
great state of trepidation.
"Yes, sir-you! Who else had
charge of my daughter? Did you
not give the ticket for admittance to
the ladies' room ?"
"Yes. sir--yes-most certainly-O
yes, sir!'' answered Tom In very
nervous accents.
"Well, sir, allow me to inform you
that you are not person to have
care of lady. Will you be SO kind
as..to explain this?"
That terrible ticket was poked in
Toms face, dropped by him as soon
as glanced at, picked up by me, and
found to be--alas !-Tom's business