The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-05
Who She Was.


mildly, one morning after breakfast.
Mr.. Simpkins Immediately put down his
newspaper and rammed both hands deter
minedly into his trowser pockets. Twenty
years experience OF married life had made
him willy, and he knew that this bland form
of address presaged persuasive attack on
his pocket-book. When Mrs. Simpkins
wanted money she addressed him as club
by, dear )" in their ordinary domestic inter
course he was plain "Mr S. or 'Simp-
kins."
chubby, darling" said Mrs Simpkins,
81 really must have a new bonnet this
spring I'm quite ashamed to go into the
street"
Mr.. Simpkins groaned
Il saw one at a Broadway store yester-
day, - continued Mrs. s.; "a beautiful thing,
50 stylish and so Cheap-only fourteen dol
lars.h
That's always the tune,n blurted forth
Mr.. Simpkins. "IIere's corruption in every
department of the Government silver
worth only SO cents on the dollar; and
but what's the use of talking of economy to
women2'
Mrs. Simpkins arose, and passing over to
her husband, sat down ON his lap, and put
her arms around his neck. She was no
longer young. Her cheek had lost some
thing of its beautiful bloom, and her figure
- its girlishness but there was in the action
that which recalled to Mr.. Simpkins the
days of long ago, when he was proud to
hold her thus, and when he would cheer
fully have paid for q hundred bonpets a
year if she had asked for them
'My dear" he said, relenting little, edo
you know what $l4 will buy
Eyes" she said, simply, ''it will buy
that bonnet"
MIR, Simplllns sighed, and HIS pocketbook
came slowly forth from his pocket.
"Thcre !" he said, handing her the money;
81 can't see the sense in woman having
80 many bonnets. There's whole barrel
full up in the attic now. E"
Mr.. Simpkins arose with gesture of i'm
patience, and jamming on his hat, stalked
down town to his business. He stopped on
the way and bought $l2 box of cigars,
and lunched that noon at fashionable re-
staurant at an expense of $3.50; but, then,
these things were necessities, and Mr.
Simpkins did not have a barrelful of old
cigars in the attic.
Whe,her " was the remembrance Of his
wifes little act of girlishness that morning,
or whether his heart was tinged with
slight feeling of remorse for his ungracious-
ness, Mr. Simpkins took his way home up
Broadway that night with warmer feelings
toward womankind than he had known for
q long time in some way every woman
nc met appeared attrqctiye-a psychologi-
cal phenomenon which other men besides
MIR. Simpkins have observed in their own
experience. In fact there was scarcely Q
woman who passed him that afternoon
whom Mr. Simpkins did not notice, in re-
speOt either of eyes, hair, teeth or dress,
81 declare" he said to himself, ~ had
no Idea there We're so many pretty women
In New York, y
But when Mr.. SimpIins reached 10th
street there descended from Odd street
stage vision of such perfect female lowell
ness as made the heart of Mr.. Simpkins
fairly lean into his throat Clad in what
seemed to him the most elegant and bewteh-
Ing of summer costume, and wearing the
most piquant of hats, tied beneath the chin
with bow of cherry-colored ribbons, the
long ends of which floated saucily over her
shoulder this celestial being tripped across
the street to Stewards raising her snowy
skirts a. she went, and displaying en- pas
Saat Rn ankle sufficiently bewitching to
cause Hiram Powers In despair to smash to
infnitesmal atoms all the craven images he
had ever attempted to make.
Mr., Simpkins stopped short and gazed
after her lie was no longer young man,
hut the fires of youth still smoldgred within
his breast, and seemed now to burn with an
ardoras fierce as that of twenty years ago.
"By Jupiterl" he exclaimed, ''could
anything be more lovely Z"
Without a moments hesitation he crossed
the street aud entered Stewards in pursuit
At that mpment no would have gitel the
price of fifty bpnnets for another single
glimpse of that one with cherry ribbons.
. But his aearch was in vain The lady had
disappeared Upstairs and down IN the
elevator, around the rotunda, through every
department Of the immense establishment,
went Mr. Simpklns 80 many times that tho
clerks began to e;e him with curiosity not
unmixed with suspicion. AT Inst, in de-
spair, Mr.. Simpkins gave up the search and
sadly wendcd his way homeward.
at was dream" he said to himself,
softly "An intaiuating, beautiful dream
I might have knpwn II gould not last. y
At the supper.table that night Nc, simp-
kins was unusually grave and reserved.
Bewildering kid button boots stared at him
from the sugar bowl, cherry-colored bonnet
ribbons foated In hiS tea the very napkins