Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-11-13

interpolated Jennie.
Harriet put that aside with wave
of the hand.
81 saw ladies' boots on Eighth
avenue-don't scream, Jcnnie-velve-
teen boots, for two dollars. Dread
full, | know, but not so dreadful as to
show ones stockings. You must
put your best foot foremost, or rather
keep it out of sight, and pray that
there will be no wind. And you can
get lavender gloves to match the
ribbon on your hat with the remain
ing dollar"
"Iwill keep that" said Jennie, dog
gedly, "to buy the ears and snout,
and make myself the pig complete,
that / should be if | listened to you
you, who have had no shoes in six
months, and who limp on all the
down-hill sides of the street, because
Of those dreadful heels: you, who go
nowhere: you who stay at home from
the parsonage reception; you give me
that three dollars that you have pin
ched off from your bread-and-buttcr!
Never!1'll ftay at home with you''-
throwing her arms about her sisters
neck.
"Cannot you understand" retortcd
Harriet, ''that this speculation, and
the purest selfishness?" Then she
pushed heraway, not urgently though.
''Now, listen. Since | must speak
out, that three dollars l mean to in
vest i'll Messeps stock, with an eye to
future profit. You are not a woman
of business. am. see so clearly
that | want words to express it, that
the income on which two starve will
support one in luxury, when I am left
alone"
Jennie grew scarlet.
Gas for that, it is all nonsense. /
wonder you talk so. But if-say
anything did happen-O, Harriet!
you know very well where l 90, you
would go, too"
"And there would be a clause in
the marriage ceremony" said Harriet,
smiling slightly. "I take this wo-
man and her sister to be my wife,
My poor little Jennie, my poor child,
take your money and buy your boots.
Indeed you must. If you don't go, l
will, and have them fitted on my own
foot, little tight, and then / shall
lose my mornings sewing"
SO adjured, Jennie went. But Re
morse kept fast by her, and Disgust
half choked her
''It is like numbering your neighbor
for two-and-six-pence," she told Har-
rict, ''to be guilty of such a meanness
forvelveteen boots and dollar gloves!"
Nothing pleased her. She looked at
her Victoria lawn and its scant plait-
ings with sneer. 81 should wear 4
placard, S2.5O-cheap, on my back" !"
she observed. 'That is what such
suits are selling for" The old silk
waist was intolerable. She vowed
she would prefer a shilling calico,
could she afford to buy one-indeed,
it was sullen, cloudy afternoon.
81 shall look like hen on wet
day" she told her sister, drawing on
her right-hand glove. Just then the
bell rang, and at the same instant the
glove split entirely across the back.
She glanced at herself in the glass
(her eyes were red, and the sunshine
out Of her face) and turned to her
sister with an indescribablc look:
"You have invested your three dol
lars badly, my dear
Mr.. Messeps was waiting for her in
the little dark, horse-hair furnished
parlor; gloves and trousers cream
color, coat and necktic, perfect collar
and studs. If anything was wanted
to complete the poor girls depression,
it was the air of fashion and pros
pcrity that seemed actually to radiate
from his hands ONE and satisfied self.
All in moment she felt herself half
starved, as she truly was pinched,
awkward, inappropriate;
and advanced toward him ratherwith
the air of a convicted felon, than that
of the high-spirited and coquettish
girl she really was. Mr.. Messeps
glanced at her clouded face, then at
her dress, and started-at least to the
girls sensitive fancy-and subtle,
oh IL pf n
form itself between them. He was
dauntcd by her manner. She was rs
happy and comfortable as girl could
feel in a high wind, with short skirts
and dreadful velveteen boots, and one
bare hand, that will get red and
swollen, resting conspicuously on
gentleman's arm, and miserable
that she is in every
way at her worst. AS they neared
the corner, they met Matilda Mason.
She smiled knowingly at Mr. Mes
seps, took In Jennie in one long, wo-
mans glance, till her eyes reached
the ground, and started theatrically.
Mr.. Messeps instantly looked down.
AT that moment the sullen wind, tear
ing up the avenue in cloud of dust,
caught them, seized OH Jennie's light
skirts, wrapped them tightly about
her ankles, and held them there.
Mr.. Ncsscps saw-the whole world
saw-the whole of those velvertecn
boots.
1t is hardly reasonable to suppose
that, from that moment, rs Jennie
told her sister, Mr.. Messeps turned
the conversation to velvetecl boots,
and declared that Curtius jumped into
The gulf for no other reason than
that he was caught in pair of them,
or that Horatius refused to come off
the bridge, and preferred to fight the
whole of Lars Porsena's army, for the
same reason. Nor is it credible that
Thomas band played an overture OH
The same subject, rs she furthermore
insisted; but that the unlucky Incl
lent disturbed the whole evening,
md altogether startled Mr.. Messeps
)ut of the declaration on which Mr..
Messeps had determined, is only too
rue. He certainly liked Miss Mill
Fugus better than any girl he knew.
But then Mr.. Messeps had been used
o speak of her as young lady of
ndependentincomc. Now, did young
aides of independent incomes wear
5elvetecn boots? And, if there was
10 such incomn on what did she liyn2