The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-08-05
MISS sNAccLEs' CHOICE.

| Strange, since both men OF kindred dust were
| nodded.
MISS SNAccLES' CHOICE,
In MIR. Snaggles' stationery and book.
store there was strange commotion. The
clerks, with their polite manners and
| air of style, smiled at one another BEAM
ljngly. MI. Snaggles' daughter Leonora
/ was coming home from boarding-school,
and being an accomplished scholar and
| mathematician, was to be elevated to the
post of book-keeper in the store, in place
Of her father, retired; and Miss Snag-
| giles. 1t was reported, was a rare little
| beauty, with the rosiest of cheeks, dark
est OF eyes and most bewitching man.
ners. Indeed, she was a thoroughly cap
tivating little witch, and her presence at
| the desk would make the store of Clau-
dius Snaggles a very attractive spot.
Thus reasoned the gentlemanly clerks
upon the morning that Miss Snaggles
was to assume comnfand-an appropri-
ate morning, BY the by, to welcome so
| charming a creature, being full Of sun
shine, a spring morning, bright in the
extreme. A bevy OF clerks stood by the
doorJalking eagerly together concerning
the fair stranger. Let us listen to their
conversation.
II tell you what" said James Greg
4 Ory, a most important parsonage in
Snaggles' store, as he stood twisting his
light mustache jauntily-quite hand
some young fellow to behold; Il tell you
what, Miss Snaggles will find that she
must decide pretty soon between US all,
for we're in love with her, every one Of
| us, you know, even before we've seen
her," James Gregory smiled conceit-
edly. 1t was very evident upon whom
Miss Snaggles' choice must fall.
"PshaWV replied another gentlemanly
clerk, by name Thomas Gibbs, as he
starched his collar higher in the neck,
| jingled his watch-guard, and curiously
glanced at the array Of rings he wore, as
though Leonora Snaggles could resist
the mighty power of style and dress.
Just at this point OF the conversation tire
front door opened, and a somewhat seedy
looking individual sauntered in with a
slipshod air, his clothes hanging loosely
upon him, and his mass of rumpled red
hair frowsed about his face, out of which
gazed pair of sleepy blue eyes, which.
spite his unfortunate appearance, gave
him touch of beauty, Tor they were sim
gularly handsome eyes, though he rubbed
them sleepily and tried, it seemed, to
make them blind almost with his frantic
thrusts at them. ..
A laugh greeted this strange mans
appearance. "Ha, Qnigger' jeered
Snaggies' clerks contemptuously. ''Late
this morning! Where's your broomr,
Quiggs gazed about dreamily, and re-
piled in sleepy way:
"Dunno, 'spose it's in the closet"
With which he slipshodded over to the
closet near the desk, and producing
therefrom large broom began to sweep
vigorously. swish you'd come earlier,
Quiggs," said Snaggles' young men, as
the dust greeted their nostrils; but
Quiggs only grunted and swept on more
vigorously. When the store was nicely
cleaned he betoOk himself TO the pave
ment in front, and was still sweeping
away there when Miss Leonora Snaggles
made her appearance through the door in
the rear OF the store-which, by the by,
communicated with the apa tments
occupied by the Snaggles fanily-and,
accompanied by her father, a pompous-
looking, purse-proud fellow, was in
stalled at the desk in due state, a queen
in her own right, who gazed sentiment
ally of into the distance with her large,
dark eyes, and captixated Snaggles'
clerks Immediately with her beauty and
grace. Yet she was not at all as they
imagined her to be. Her hair was dark,
her complexion brilliant, but her man.
ners were tinged with the utmost sad
ness. "She has the air Of martyr"
Thomas Gibbs observed; whereat Snag-
gles' clerks all nodded their heads al
tirmaJively, though they hadn't an idea
what it meant, but it sounded we'll and
seemed romantic. When the clerks
were introduced to Miss Leonora Snag-
giles she raised her eyes with strangely
sad look, bowed grayely, and lowered
them in such a way as to display to ad-
vantage the fine fringe of her eyelashes.
"By JoyeW affirmed Gregory, ''that look
OF hers aud that way OF hers are just
stunnin'."
And so Miss snaggies was placed upon
her throne--a position she occupied With
dignity and grace, though she did not
always make change right, and seemed
at times not quite as absorbed as she
might have been in her business, but sat
often for hours at a time reading poetry
aud deyouring novels and munching at
she was continually dispatching the en-
rand boy. Quiggs. But whatever she
did Snaggles' clerks thought bewitchlng;
and she, keeping them at distance, yet
had them all her devoted slaves, ready.
If need be, to throw themselves into the
East river or drown themselves at Coney
Island, SO great was their admiration
for the dark-eyed beauty. Gregory was
sure she was desperately taken with
him, and that was the reason of her
fondness for poetry and candy; while |
Gibbs fejoiced IN his secret heart that he |
was such stylish, well-dressed fellow,
it was no wonder all the girls liked him.
But old Snaggles was great spy upon |
LeonOra, and often spoke sharply to her |
about mistakes in the accounts, and
darkly limited at the banishment Of po- |
etry and novels from the desk, whereat |
his daughter would sometimes burstinto |
tears, and disappear amidst the sympa-
thetie regards Of Snaggles' clerks. One
lay Snaggles limited at something which
set Gregory and Gibbs frantic.
You foolish girl. you'll" said the
,nraged man-Snaggles, we mean--as he
stopped at the desk and distracted
rolume of Owen Meredith from Leonora's
lands. "Here you've been two months
n this store, and it has'ntcured you yeti
believe Pll leave you alone to your late
poverty and tomfoolery, Miss Snaggles.
Yes, l lrepeat, poverty and tomfoolery!"
And Snaggles' angry hand having caught
It the blue and the gold volume of poetry II
.nd-thrown 1t violently across the store,
landed upon the Uranium of Quiggs,
Who stood by one Of the counters uustlng
be books. Quiggs started abruptly and
n angry flush stole over his face. Leo