The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-08
A WoMAN'S SECRET.

| u
honor, after looking steadily in tlfe glass
| for half an hour, caa't see where was
! the amazing difference between us. We
were about The same heght-that is, i
was five teet two, and he WAS six feet
| two, which any unprejudiced person
will acknowledge to be very nearly the
same thing, L haven't any mustache-
but then hls hair didn't curl, and Ss to
| Ihanher-hem! perhaps it isn't the cor
rect thing TO say it, but Platter myself l
do some justice to my tour on the cOnti-
nent.
Such being the circumstances, l ask
again, What makes the difference be-
tween US! No good-looking young
woman ever sent me billet-douX, or
worked slippers, or sik-lined dressing
gowns, or bead smoking-caps, watch
cases or hair-chains. No curls, brown
or black, are to be found in my portfolio
and | haven't as much as single pho
tOgraph 10 show the other men of our
set; while as for Tom, why, he might
nave presented the government with a
new Atlantic Gable, all of hair, and re-
ceived a vote OF thanks, and had mon
| ume Mt erected to him in the Park; or he
| might have set up at Niagara, ana beat
| en- the Indians there ali hollow by un-
derselling their beadWork; or had a
grand Iaucy auction and retired indie
pendently rich on The proceeds.
| q The women raved about him to that
| extent, that it was perfectly sickening;
always did, in fact, from The time he
| TOOK of jackets. All last winter, Ger
trude and Fannie-our Two bellies, par
| excellence-Quarreled irightfuIly, and
| wouldn't speak at parties, because Tom
! would tllrt and polk with them both,
| while the mammas-. Well, It's not so
| bad 10 be smothered with crinoline
| and talked into sem-idiOcy when the
girls a. g pretty, and fascinating, and all
mat sort ot thing; but come TO yonr full
blown dowager, double cnin, stiff MORE
antique, big fan, rainbow-cap, and a
lneyer-tlre power in her tongue, and tuen
start her on Maria Louisa or Sophia
Jeanette, why, its worse than Herz' :
d0uble-barreled variations. Poor Tom
he had heard 1T so often tnat he knew by
heart the time when every girl in the set
got her teeth, and how mucn her father
paid Signor Whisltini for her singing
lessons. In fact, he had sort of synop-
sis made out, thus:
! "ANNA-Talked at eight months. Exemp-
| larry during the measles Paid Ior Whlsltni,
| eIghthundreu dollars. Compllmented so-and-
| So"
| And he said it was a great help to
| him, because when mammals memory or
Invention failed, he could take a sligH
look at the synopsis and save stammer-
ing, which he mated.
III wore on him, though; and after a
serious illness, brought on by his having
| partaken with touching confidence OF a
black cOnglomeration tull OF plums, sal d
| TO nave been the work of Miss Lee's, or
(as We used to call her) Queen Gertle's
nands, he lairly broke down, and started
off or his lather's place In the country,
III the very height OF the summer season.
| "Ifs feartully dull up there, but lie
is sweet" was his touching farewell, as
he sprang into the cars and was whisked
off from our sympathlzlng eyes.
1t was three weeks before L heard of
him again. Then L got note, written
| in apparent agitation, and running thus:
"Charlie, old boy, take the first train
| for M--, If you wish to see once more
in the flesh your devoted Tom"
was at NeWport; had just received
six new pairs Of pantaloons, and such a
set OF shirt sludsl and was in the third
degree OF Irritation with little dark
eyed South Car0linian. To obey that
frantic call was to sacrifice myself and
pantaloons; for who was there to ap-
preciate them in M-? But l did it.
myself in particular, l am proud to re-
peat did it; and the next afternoon
after receiving Toms note was leaning
comfortably back in Mr. 5tannerd's car
rlage, as we rolled along the broad ave-
nue. OF elms, thinking what an uncom-
monty good-natured fellow l was, anu
what regular ul-and-doWn, out-and-
out, slap-up sort Of an old gentleman
Toms father must be, to have such cor
rect notions of carriage cushions and
horses.
Oh course, the place was the usual
thing-blg trees, Conservatives, river
view, rock work, fountain, and house
little of every known order of architec-
ture since the Dark Ages. Tom met me
on the steps.
"That you, Charlie. You're a trump
to come; and l ought 10 have met you
with the trap and Lady Fannie; but
actually L couldn't; / am done OuL-ex-
hausLed."
Used up9 You cam mean it. Why,
what on earth"
Tom smiled grimIy.
"Come in here" And, dusty as was,
be pulled me, before l knew what he
was about, into The draWing.rOom.
Mercy! now stared! The room was
full Of women-all ages, all Sizes, every
where. Doing well, what were they
not doing? Crochetlng, knitting, read.
ing, playing, talking. My brain actually
whLrIed. Tom didn't give me Tune 70
recover breath, but commenced present
Ing me.
"Mr. GadgrInd, Miss Tomlinson, Mrs.
TOmllnson, Miss Henrietta Tomlinso n,
Miss Sharp, Mrs. Murdoch, Miss Hast
ings, Miss Marcy, MISS Elliot, Miss
Smith, Miss Swift, Miss"
Here caught his arm.
Tom, you barbarian! let me out.
Isn't there siue-door somewhere! l
want TO go to my room"
"One moment" said Tom, maliciouslX;
''here comes an Old friend"
And as sure as my name is Charlie
Gadgrnd, ana am The owner of thirty
nine pairs OF pantaIoons, swept in, ar
rayed IN riding-nablt and plumes, Queen
Gertle.
Iown that cut me up. l had always
sneaking admiration for Gertie, and
had promised myself ample revenge on
Tom for his mUnopolzlng habits when
she came 10 Newporl-as she always
did toward the last OF the season. And
now-lll be hanged if didn't think she
mad more sense than TO bury herself
alive in M- because Tom did. 10
make matters worse, l saw, by The
wicked sparkle in her black eyes, that
sDe understood my modification and
was laughing at me; but though l
thought of my shirt-studS and tried to