Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-06
binary shoes, and uttered deep sigh of

/ thea, with her sharm, scrutinizing gaze,
/ as Isabel seated herself opposite her at
/ table. ~ hope it isn't owing 10 that new
| thing you call a dress, with its arm holes
| up under your ears, and its skirt drawn
1 round YOU tight enough TO stop the cir
/ culation in your limbs"
'Oh, dear aunt! Pray dOn't!' i'm
| plored Isabel, in shocked tone, as she
/ saw her brother enter the room.
1t was a relief TO hear her brother Char
/ lie tell of his and his friend Frank Hey
woods arrangements for the morrow, and
all the pleasure they anticipated from the
ssBy-the-by, Belle" he said, turning
/ to his sister. Prank said something
about wanting to see you for a moment
or two this evening; but l told him l
| thought YOU had gone home with Millie
| Newton. He's always wanting to see
you for a moment or two it seems to me, -
/ he added, laughing mischievOusly, land
( 1 have begun 10 doubt the depth and ex-
tent of the friendship for ule. aud suspect
: myself Of being reclucs.i te the position %
I a cats paw
Isabel blushed scarlet, and pretended
| 10 be angry with her brother; but she
! wasn't. On the contrary she thought to
I herself:
''What if the new boots do hurt me?
/ I'd bear twice us much. l am determine
I j
/ there's a principle at stake :"
The party were to start ut two next
[ day, and Isabel put on the terrible boots
I at one, to get used to them, as she SAID;
l Consequently, at two she was sick and
faint she could scarcely stand; but she
bore il like Spartan, and went down IN
fun dress, in good time, and was helped
in the carriage with her brother, and
Millie, Mr., HeywOOd-moving so pain
fully as she went that Charlie asked her
abruptly:
s'What's the matter, Belle? Are you
iiI?' and Mr.. Haywood looked disturbed
and anxious on her account.
She hastened to reply merrily, but she
could not continue the conversation.
Mildred had man9uvered TO sit next to
Mr.. Haywood, but failing in that, was
his Wis avis; and as Isabel could not,
strive as she might, so far conquer her
anguish as to sustain conversation, Mil
drcd had a clear field with both gentle
men, and managed her opportunity so
well as to keep up "A merry string OF moth
inSs nearly all the time, and extract con-
slant compliments from both, at which
art she was an adept.
81 fear that you are not enjoying the
ride, Miss DeHlIam," Frank Haywood
found chance to say to his companion,
in Il low tone.
y
voice that suffering rendered petulant;
and the gentleman looked surprised and
panied.
'"The poor thing is Jealous" thought
the amiable Mildred, with sense of tri-
umph, and she increased her blandish
ments and heightened her spirit in conse-
quence.
They reached the Glen Rocks at last.
The drive seemed interminable to Isabel,
but the destination was to culminate her
tUrments.
''Come, jump out, Bslle!'' cried her
brothe-, gaily, holding out his arms tU
her. Don't look so dull, but shake OH
your melancholy in scramble over these
grand rocks. 1t will give you life and
spirits, and drive away the vapors.'
As her feet TOUCHED the ground she
could scarcely repress groan; but when
she glanced from hers to Mildred's, her
foot looked the smaller and there was
something in that-SO much, indeed, that
for the moment her vanity rose superior
to her suffering, and she started off with
fictitious briskness, and had reached the
level of the first great moss-grown bOul-
der before her endurance gave way, and
she leaned back against the massive gray
crags with an Unsurpassed moan of
misery.
Mildred was in her element. She
rock, shouting challenges of defiance to
the ladies from the different carriages to
follow her if they dared.
Isabel kept on till, sick and dizzy, her
courage yielded to physical pain, and
her tortured feet gave way beneath her.
They found her clinging to 4 crag, in a
half falling state.
Haywood had missed her and gone back
and lac and her brother came upon her in
HsNa l.. -. N. 4 - l.
her suffering.
Charlie was alarmed, but his friend was
much more so, and had much ado to con-
tain his fears.
In the excitement of the moment,
while supporting her in his arms, his ar
dent words betrayed the tenderness of
his heart, and told its secret TO Isabel's
keenly attentive ear.
Even in the torment of her tight boots,
her soul swelled with JOY ut the confeS-
sion of his love, and she almost forgot
what she was enduring, and smiling, she
tried 10 assure him she was ''only little
tired"
Charles Denham liked his friend so
sincerely, and was so truly happy at the
unmistakable declaration of his attach
ment to his sister, that in measure he
forgot the awkwardness of being third
party in such scene, and accepting tho
! situation begged Frank to bring her
down to the carriage, while he ran in ad-
vance and opened the door.
''Poor Belle is not well, he said, when
after pardonable delay, the lovers ar
rived there, 81 saw that from the first.
I but she doesn't like to complain. Wen
I get her home as soon as possible, Jump
/ in beside her Frank, and I'll 90 and find
! Milly Newton
Having managed it thus cleyerly, Char
/ lie-mOdcl brother that he was-started
of, and after another delay, brought
/ back the unwilling Mildred, who was
astonfshed aud chagFined at Haywood :
/ desertiOn, and permitted herself to be-
tray some anger at it.
II thought it was your plan to climb,
/ Mr.. Haywood, y she began.
Yes, he replied, quietly; "but lSa-
bells illness has disturbed every other
plan
She looked up amazed. His position at
Bellies side, Charities smiles, his own
happy manner. whose radiance was lit
{ tie tinged with anXiety-told the story,
aud Milly lost her temper and flirted no
more the rest of the way.
Poor Isabel, happy though she was,
i suffered severely. When she was helped
from the carriage into the house, she
could 90 no farther than the drawing
room where she fell on 4 sofa and tainted.
Aunt Alethea came hurrying into the
room. Her practical eye took in the
. whole scene, and while Isabel's mother
and her lover were hanging over her III
alarm and anxiety, she called out boldly
It's her boots look at them, Mum
/ Der ones, when she knows rs well as l dc
that she ought TO wear twOS and half il
not threeS. Let me take them of this
. minute. No uenSensei The girl will
I never come to until her poor crushed
1 feet are out of the viee,"
But Isabel had come 20 and heard her
silly secret exposed. She shut her eyes
in very shame, and dared not rebel when
her aunt's strong hand lOoSened her i'm
prisoned feet and flung the diminutive
boots that had wrought mischief down Iii
J rectly under her lovers eyes.
''She will have eorns and bunions tC
pay her for this folly" prOphcsied aunt
/ Alethea, TeleptleSSiy. aud when she
has suffered Sufficiently, her eyes will
open to reason and common sense
"They are open now, aunt dear said
Mrs, Denham gently.
She, with mothers instinct, had di-
vined her daughters secret, and pitied
her modification before her lover; but
/ Isabel, with 4 strong effort conquered
her own sense of shame and hUmbleJ
vanity, and told the truth.
"Aunt Alethea is right" !" she said. 81
was vain enough to wear tight boots fal
far too small, and 1 have deserved Il
suffer for it, because 1 was silly enough
10 think that"
She paused, and Mr.. Haywood finished
( the sentence.
''Fhat any ones feet should be out OF
proportion TO their body. And they
should not, as Grecian art prOvet."
'Then Milly told 4 lib about what he
said" thought Isabel, ''but what does il
matter now since I know he loves me