The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-20
.9noerson yntelllgenfcr.
A PAIR OF TIGHT BOOTS.

plary propriety.
At the end of six weeks he considered that
he HAD done his duty by the first Mrs. Caswell,
and felt himself at liberty to be looking around
for the second lady of the same name. ,
He needed housekeeper, and his five little
children needed the care of mother.
He had fixed his eyes on the widow Bagglns,
and all things considered, perhaps he could
not have made better choice. She was about
his age-forty-two she was good-looking, had
about three thousand dollars worth of prop
erty, and had just beer Ilted by Jeremiah
Jenkins. and woman who has been Tilted
is generally all ready to heal her heart with
another specimen of the same faithiess sex.
Mr.. Caswell broke the ice by sending the
widow squash He raised large quantity Of
squashes, and the bugs devoured all the widow 3
vines. Mrs Biggins responded by sending him
a,mince pie with her compliments. And the
next Sunday night, Mr.. Caswell called to tell
her how fond he was of mince pies, and how
nice be thought hers was. After this, the ac-
quaintance progressed rapidly. Mr.. Casweii
bought new buggy, and ordered new PAIR
of boots.
"Make 'em to fit close, Mr.. Laster," said he,
to the busy little shoemaker. Seems to me
ought to wear eights instead of nines"
.SCan't do it, sir p said the little man.
"You've got bunion as big as an onion on
your right great toe, and your heel is the long
est I ever seed, except on gentleman OF
color"
The boots were finished, and sent home on
Saturday night and on Sunday Mr.. Caswell
had engaged to drive the widow over to church
in the new buggy, and with the new boots on.
Early Sunday morning he began his prepa-
ration. He put on the thiunest pair of stock
ings he had, and made trial of the boots
But they refused to go on. They were neat
and handsome and genteel, but they would not
begin to make the acquaintance of Mr.. Cas-
Wells understandings. He tugged, and pull
ed, and sweat, and swore, but all to no pur-
pose.
The time for starting for church drew nigh.
He called in his two hired men-staiwart
took hold with will-one hold of one strap,
and the other hold of the other, while Mr..
Caswell planted himself firmly in his chair.
And the result was over went MIR. Caswell,
chair, Sam, John, and all, into the floor, break
ing the dinner pot to flinders, and nearly
knocking the life out of old Rover, who was
summing himself just behind his master on the
hearth.
Caswell got up and rubbed his ringing head
with vinegar.
~"Confound ;tp' said he, 81 didn't think it
would be such tight squeeze. Try it again,
boys I I'll sit in the window this time, and
see if you can pull one side of the house
overW
1t was long pull, and pull all together,
but it was all in vain. es,.,',,.
ats no use," said Sam, wiping the sweat
from his forehead, "your stocking will have to
come off"
So the stockings we're removed, and, By dint
Of o great deal of perseverance, the boots were
got ON to the feet intended for them.
The horse was already harnessed to the new
buggy, and donning his Sunday beaver, Mr..
CasweH limped out, and climbed into the car
Eiage The boots hurt awfully, but his feet
looked like pictures in them, he said to himself,
contemplating them with admiration, and he
had heard the widow admire small feet great
many times.
He soon had her by his side-radiant in a
new pink bonnet and green shawl, and they
bowled right merrily over the hard track to
the church.
The pain in Mr.. Caswell's feet had subsidized
from the acute into dull, sleepy ache-he
seemed to feel cut off from his bones down
but what does man care for feet and legs who
IS in love, when IL the presence of the beloved
object?
The conversation was sweetly interesting
h. had managed to squeeze the widows hand
nnder the robe, and she had blushed and gig
gled Just as he remembered the first Mrs. Cas-
we'll did when he was courting her.
The church was reached all too quickly.
The services had not yet commenced, and the
people, were standing about under the trees in
knots of half dozen, talking of the weather
and the crops.
Widow higgins was smilingly triumphant.
CaswelPs was the finest turnout in town, and
she knew her new bonnet was becoming, and
realized that she was killing half her female
friends with envy. No wonder the woman was
happy.
lightly to the ground But, alas he had for
gotten his feet, which by this time were as good
as dead from the terrible compression they had
undergone, and when he struch it was on his
head instead of on his feet. His new beaver
was smashed in, and in falling off, it brought
with it the. Scratch" he had paid five dollars
for few days before to conceal the bald spot
on the top of his Uranium.
His fall frightened the horse-she set up her
head and tail, and with frantic snort set off
at a rousing pace down the road with the widow
screaming and clinging TO the seat of the bug
gy.
The sight of his former fame in distress, was
too much for the tender heart of jeremiah
jenkins, who was standing by. He unhtched
old Dobbin, and springing into the wagon set
out in hot pursuit
This conduct maddened Caswell-he forgot
the pain in his feet, and springing up he gave
a great stamp which no shoemaker's thread
could abide, the stitches gave way, the leather
parted, aud CaswelPs feet protruded at right
angles like the heads of two estranged tur
dies.
Down the road they all went at slashing
Jeremiah in the old red wagon, then Caswell
on clean gallop with his long hair streaming
behind, and then about score of young men
and boys, forgetting that it was Sunday, and
that the minister saw them, in their eagerness
to Join the race.
The widow bad climbed over the seat of the
buggy, and was evidently intending to jump
ont behind Ieremiah was urging on Dobbin.