The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-03-07

- For the dignity OF MANHOOD we
are sorry to chronicle the fact that oul
- hero, intent on the tableau solitaire
did then and there proceed to the clos
ct, and practically take down a hoOL
skirt which he sOlemnly put on.
!. Jupiter how cOmical it feels ~ he
calculated, with an amused face
= why, should not dare to go within
a yard of a vase or a statuette and Pm
? quite certain l should swamp all the
2 chairs and tables came near. Both
er this trailing muslin-always in the
way.n
!. For Mr.. Ross had dunthinkingly pIung-
, ed his masculine boot through the
delicate fabric of the dress.
''Tm not certain but that l shonld
make quite nice looking woman, {"
unused Kenneth, strutting backwards
= and forwards before the mirror, with
his Derby hat balanced daintily and
the blue muslin revealing about a foot
and half of calfskin boot and trOus-
ers. ION the whole-Tomb of the
prophet Is that the girls ?'
5 Mr.. Ross gave a blindly desperate
jerk at his sacque, and a pull at the
: crinOline but all in vain.
The sweet. gay voices, intermingled
|
or a snatch of a song drew nearer and
nearer.
For an instant Mr.. Ross wildly con-
templated rush through the hall to
his own door, but a moments refiec-
ton convinced him that such a retreat
would be impossible.
AZ must stay and face it out" he
thought with cool perpiratiOn break
ing out on his forehead; "but hold on,
there's the closet. 1t is just possible
they will only stay here a minute or
tWO."
And Mr.. Kenneth Ross, totally OBJ
liviOus to the majesty of man, fled
perceptibly into the closet, tumbling
over uis eriOline and muslin in a most
disastrous manner, and hOpeIessly
splitting open the seams of poor Alice's
sacque.
"Why the deuce didn't 1 think to
secure the key?" as the girlsstreamed
into the room. However, I can hold
tight on to the door handle, If any one
attempts to get in. If-by JOve-the
girls should see me in this rig, l should
never hear the last oft. l don't see
why Pm obliged to play the caves
dropper when it's against my WiIl.n
He leaned up against the shelves and |
breathlessly awaited the progress of
events.
"Why,pp calculated a soft voice
ROsa's own, "where's my Derby ?-I
Was 1 careless enough to leave it |
down stairs? Flora you have hidden |
it."
81 wonder what you will accuse me
Of next, /" said Flora in an injured tone
of voice.
"You told Mr.. Ross that Cousin ST.
mons letter was to"
"YOur sweetheart. Well, he ought
to be, Pm sure, Mr. Simon Montrose
is the Handsomely young man that 1
know" 80 I--
''Oh, Flora, he don't compare with
Mr.. Ross"
f,ROsa Fernall, be hOnest,u said
Flora, speaking indistinctly with two
or three hair pins in her mouth, "whO
do you like best, cousin Ken. or Simon
MOntrOse?" l.
"E'lora ~
''Tell me now, honestly"
''rhe answer came in a low, half
inaudible voice:
"Kenneth."
The heart under Alice's sacque gave
a joyous leap.
Mr.. ROss's head came in contact
with something on the upper shelf,
and down came a perfect rain of band
boxes.
There was an instant of terrified si-
lence, and then all the girls began to ,
scream.
"MercyP calculated Alice, "what is
it ?"
"How silly we all arep' said Rosa !
exceedingly tremulOus; ''it is only a !
cat"
as that" sobbed Flora. 'Call uncle !
John-bring revolver! Alice do see
what it is" :
''Do you look" faltered Alice, re- ii
treating.
fsPll look myself" said Rosa Fer
nall, very bravely advancing to the
But when the door hapdIerefused to
turn even she blanched.
''Some one is holding the door. Call ,
the men,"
"There is no necessity" quoth a
voice from behind the panels. /,
And the next moment the closed =,
door flew open, and the crinoline, to-
gether with countenance whose ut
ter sheepishness could not be describ-
ed, came forth. Il
i'Cousin Kenneth Ross w shrieked
Flora.
"Mr. Ross,~ faltered Miss FernaI.
"Why, it can't be possible" said
Alice.
And then the three girls cIung to
one another in paroxysm of laugh
ter.
''The fact is, ladies'" continued Ken
meth cOnfusedly, "I-want some one
help me off with this mOuse-trap of a
hoop-shirt. Miss Alice, Pm very
sorry I've split your saque open, but
well, if you don't stop laughing, l
can't explain, that's the long and
short of it."
But Rosa FernalI had stopped her
laughing already, and the pink Of her
cheeks had deepened into scarlet.
She has just remembered the words
carelessly spoken in that room not five
minutes before.
In an inexpllcable short space of
time Mr.. Ross had torn off his femin-
inc adOrnments and fled ignominiOus-
ly, followed by the peals of laughter of
his cousin and Alice Aymer.
Rosa, strange little piece OF contra
diction, had begun to cry.
"PoOr little thing, she's hysterical,"
said Aunt Megg who had just appear
ed on the scene.
But Rosa Fernall was not hysteri-
cal.
The full delicious moon of summer
was in the mid heaven that night, as
Kenneth Ross strOlled into the garden,
moodily putting at cigar, and con-
templating leaving Warburgh to
avoid the girls sarcasm.
''I was a fool" quOth Kenneth
aloud, "but who's there 2"
1t was Rosa, with two or three
white clover pinks in her hand, COM
ing from the lower part of the garden.
And by the full brilliant moonlight.
Kenneth saw the traces of tears on her
cheeks.
'Rosa, you have been crying"
''NO, I haven't"
And to prove the truth of her asser-
ton she began to cry afresh.
"Look here, Rosa" said the young |
man gravely. "I have been thinking |
of leaving Warburgh tomorrow"
"But," pursued Mr.. Ross, ''I'll stay |
lif-if-you'll only tell me to my face
what you told my cousin when / was
hidden away like a foolish rat in a
trap. Speak to me, little one ~
"What shall tell yOu?" faltered
/ Rosa.
"That you love me! that you will
/ be my dear and cherished wife ~
And she told him in the language
! lovers best like to hear.
And Mr. Kenneth stayed in War
burgh and braved the ridicule of Alice
and Flora, while little Rosa marshaled
on his side.
But ne never read the girls any
more hOmilies on the dignity of man
hood or the majesty of human nature.
To use Miss Flora's expressive Ian
guage, 'it would not have gone
down.
COuIdnst See II.