The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-10-03
A Twilight Idyl
A YOUNG MANS FEARFUL EXPERIENCE
IN THE ICE CREAM SEASON.
Burlington HaHkeye


Last Friday evening Mr.. Ellis Hen
derson. one of our best young men,
went out walking with two of the
sweetest girls in Burlington. They
were nice girls. Beautiful, ancomp.
lishsd and modest. And Mr.. Hender.
son was nice young man. too. He
wore that evening . little straw hat,
with . baby-blue band. . cut-sway
coat. . pair of light. wide pantAloous, q
white vest. bottom. hole boquet and
fifteen cents. The evening was very
warm, aud as they walked these young
people talked about the baseball match.
the weather ard sunstrokes. By-and-
by one Of the young ladies gave deli
cate little shrek.
Oo-oo! What funny sign!
Where! Where Which one, Ell
frida? asked the other young lady
eagerly.
Hayes, said Mr.. Henderson in
troubled tones, looking gently but re-
solutely at the wrong side OF the
street.
There. exclaimed Elfrids, artlessly
pointing ~ she spoke. How funny It
10 spelled: see, Ethel.
Why, said Ethel, it is spelled correct
ly. Isn't it Mr.. Henderson,
Hs-why-aw-why yes, TO be sure,
said Mr.. Hsnderson very huskily,
staring ss hard as he could at win.
dow full of house plants.
Why. Mr.. Henderson, said Elfrida,
in tones Of amazement. how can you say
SO? just see; ice, ice, c-r-donble e-,n,
GREEN; that's not the way to spell
cream.
Oh. Elfrids, cried her companion.
you must be near sighted. There isn't
an Q. it is an q. Isn't it, Mr.. Hender-
son
And Mr.. Henderson. who was pray
ing harder than be had prayed before
that an earthquake might come along
and swallow up either himself or all
the ice cream saloons in the United
States. he didn't care much which.
looked up at the chimney Of the house
and said
That +? Oh. yes, yes; of course-why.
certainly. How very much cooler it
has grown in the past few minutes,
the young man added, with kind Of
inspiration; surely, that cool wave the
signal service dispatches announce as
having entered this country from Ma
nitobs must be nearing Us.
And he took out his hankerchicf and
wiped face that looked as though it
had never heard of . cold wave, nor
even looked in the face of man who
had heard of one. He knew. when he
talked of its being cooler, that his face
would scorch an iceberg brown in ten
minutes.
BY this time they turned . corner.
and the appalling sign Was out Of
sight. Mr., Henderson breathcd like q
free man.
always like to stroll along Jefferson
street in the evening, said Ethel. It's
90 lively. My, just look at the crowd
of people going in that door. What is
going on in there Mr.. Henderson /?
Mr. Henderson looked across to the
other side of the street, as usual. and
said.
Oh, yes. that was clothing house.
Why, no, Mr.. Henderson, sxolaimed
Elfrida, that's and ice-cream saloon.
Ethel laughed merrily. Do you
know, she said. I wondered what 90
many young ladies could want in o
gcntleman's clotheing house?
Mr.. Henderson said Hs, ha, to be
sure. And oh. the feeble. ghastly tin.
cture OF mirth there was Ia his nervous
ha he.
Is it true, Mr.. Henderson, asked
Ethel, that soda fountains sometimes
explode
Mr.. Henderson, gaspiug for breath
eagerly assured her that they did. very
frequently. and that in every instance
they scatter death and destruction
around. In many Of the Eastern cities.
he said, thoy had been abolished by the
law, and the same thing should be done
here. In New York. the young man
went on, all the soda fountains had
been removed far out of the city limits.
and were located far in the lonely mea-
dows. side by side with powder
houses.
am not afraid of them, said the
daring Ethel. don't believe they are :
bit dangerous.
Nor !. echoed Elfrida. would not
be afraid to walk up 70 one and stand
by il ell day. Why are you % afraid
Of them, Mr. Hendsrson.
Mr.. Henderson Rnashed his teeth and
secretly pulled out of his head great
sheaf Of hair in nervous agony. Then
he ssid that he once had fair young
sister blown 10 pieces By one OF these
terrible engines OF destruction while
abe was drinking at it, and be had
never since been able to look at . soda
fountain without growing faint.
How nd, both 81 the young ladies.
and then Ethel asked:
How do they make soda water. Mr..
Henderson
And while the young man wss get.
ting ready to racite recipe composed
principally Of dirt and poison. Elfrida
read aloud four ice crean signs. and
Ethel read on Transparency, Lemon
ice. cooling, refreshing and healthful,
and Elfrids read Ladies and gents
isc cream parlors' twice. and Ethel
looked at the door and said, Oh. don't
they look nice and cool in there
How comfortable and happy they do
look! And Elfrida ssid. Yes. indeed;
il makes this dusty street and scorching
aide. walk seen like ~ oven. just lcok
q them even, and then yoang Ar.
Handersou. Who, for the last tso min.
ntcs. had been clawing his hair. and
tearing of his nscktis and collar, and
rav;nS the air. shouted in tones 0j