American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-03
VOL. XXIII.

hero. "She may have it, and welcome
Cobe id, l say!' he shouted aloud.
The door opened to admit-not Betty
the chambermaid, as he had confidently
expected, but two young ladies, fair, dim
pied and blushing.
rs Mrs. Graham ins'' asked one.
do, ba'ab, she is not" Aleck answer
ed, sitting yell of anguish which had
been momentarily indicated by his drop
ping both feet into the tin tub, as the more
feasible method of hiding them
| How provoking" cried the taller of the
two, a blue-eyed damsel with a proftlsior
of t1ossy, yellow hair. What shall We
do, Julies"
Just step in a minute, and write her 6
note, of course the other answered
You needn't mind that old gentleman
Isabel He is Mrs. Graham's father-as
| old as the hills and as deaf as post, be
| sides being two-thirds blind.''
| "Horrid old creature!" lisped the tur
qIoise-eyed damsel. such people
haven't any business to live.n
And Aleck, secretly rejoicing at the err
roneous conclusion at which his sister-in
laws friend had arrived, shrank still
further back into the friendly recesses OF
| the big easy-chair, and blessed the obscur
| ing effect-as far as eyebrows were con
cerned-of the black velvet skullcap
while he kept up perpetually oscillating
| movement with his anguished feet.
| The young lady whom her companion
called Julie" advanced smiling toward
him, and calculated, in the tone of voice
denominated by vocalists high c."
| Il - will write -a-note-if-yOu-
please-sir.'
"Yes, ba'ab, certainly answered our
| hero; and Miss Julie turned to the pretty
| little rosewood writing-desk in the corner,
saying, irresOlutely, at the same time to
| the other lady:
what had better say, isabelle"
"Oh, what you like" listlessly answered
the blonde, Il suppose the rich brother-in-
law has not come yet. Do you think he
is really worth waiting for, Julie?''
"Of course he is. Tom LETTERS says it is
| hundred thousand dollars at the very
least" the former answered, abstractedly
| biting the tip of her pen.
such things are always exaggerated
said the tall beauty, Struggling her shout
ders; ''and don't mean to throw myself
| away on any mere humbug!"
You horrid, mercenary thing" said
her friend, laughing. "And poor Leonard
Appleton, who is perpetually sending you
ing opera boxes at twelve dollars per
night. Isn't it rather shabby way of
treating him, to throw him over, after
all?"
Don't speak so loud!" said Isabel, ir-
ritably, with glance in the direction of
the animated head by the chimney-piece
why not? Old Grumpy can't hear a
single word we say. Don't tell you he
is stone deaf, and has been for the last ten
years."
walls have ears,' said the tall young
lady. But of course L never intended
anything serious with Leonard Appleton.
A brief1ess lawyer, an author whose manu-
scripts are invariably returned, with
thanks-I should suppose you would
know me better than that, Julie Kes-
grove''
But he is in earnest, if ever a poor
1ove-stricken swain was.''
Il dare say My lovers generally arer'
"And you will end by breaking his
heart, if you go on in this sort of way
For he has a heart, even if he has no for
tune" she added, lightly.
'How can l help that? No, no; this
poor Leonard Appleton must be sent
about his business. A catch like Alexan-
der Graham don't come along every day
in the year! l don't doubt he is great,
red-headed, laundering Scotchman," she
added, laughing; but money is money,
Julie, you know, and we society girls
must have an eye to the main chancer'
do keep still, then" said Miss Kes-
grove, tartly. How do you suppose 1
can write, while you keep up such per-
petual chattering. What are you rumag-
ing all your pockets for now?'' she added,
her attention momentarily distracted in
spite of herself.
Il do beIieve,'' cried Miss Isabel, in
breathless horror, that I've left that bot
tie of liquid rouge on the counter at the
druggist'sl And what am l ever to do for
a complexion at the matinee this after
noOn?"
as that alls We can stop as we go
back
'And ask for Miss Tracy's bottle of
liquid rouge-that would be charmingr
THE druggist isn't a fool" said Julie
Kesgrove, drily. "Will you let me finish
my note?'
and we'll order a fresh box of cigar
ettes,'' calmly observed the young lady of
the period. Il really don't feel myself
without my morning smoker
A shudder stirred the folds of the wad-
ded dressing gown. Mr.. Graham liked
the blue smoke-wreaths issuing from a
woman's rosy lips, Forbid the idea-it
was little short of sacrilege, And this
was the beautiful Isabel Tracy, whom he
had come to New York expressly to fall
in love with! A heartless f1irt who used
liquid rouge, and believed in cigarettes.
1t was simply horrible-that was what it
was!
Miss Kesgrove finished her note, direct
ed it in violet ink, sealed and superscribed
it after the latest fashion, and the two
young ladies swept out of the room with
no more ceremOniOus parting greeting to
the figure in the easy chair than cold
nod; and no sooner had the door closed
behind them than Aleck Graham jumped
up, overturning the tin foot-tub in his glee,
and performed triumphant pas seM on
the hearth-rug, f1inging the skull-cap half
across the room, and recklessly endanger-
ing the skirts of the dressing robe against
the Goals of the red-hot CRATE.
BLESSED be colds in the headsr' he
cried, in the best voice he could command.
BLESSED be-
But here he paused abruptly. Miss Julie
kesgrOve had re-opencd the door, and paus-
ed, wonder-stricken and amazed, upon the
threshold, her eyes rivetcd on the strange
sight she beheld
Il believe I left my glove on the
desk"' she faltered, momentarily regain
ing the gift of speech, and snatching up "A
little pinktinted Jouvin, she beat as rapid
a retreat as was practicable. And AIeck
could hear her hysterical voice in the hall
below.
Isabel, Isabel, what shall we do. It's
a tall young man, with black, curly hair,
and straight nose; and he's dancing
barefoot about the roOml Do you sun
pose it's some crazy man.
friend, sharply; ITS Alexander Graham,
my dear, en- masquerade, and my cake is
all dough this timc,''
was Mr. Graham's mental comment on
these words ..ApU serves Won RIGHT for