The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-10-02


ton of those cherry ribbons uppermost i
his mind, the inspection of an Their bonnie
would have been. torture.
z "No,'' he replied, shortly; al don't kno,
anything about such gewgaws. If it suit
you, it will me-"
\ Mrs. Simpkins smiled.
'I'll go to Grace Church next Sunday,
| she thought, 'and have my revenge"
| Mr.. Simpkins that night dreamed that h'
1 was il. Heaven, and was being driven. abou
thestreets of the New Jerusalem in Twen
lty-third-street stage by as wift-winged ange
robed in cherry-colored silk.
He went to his place of business next day
still in a, thoughtful and rejecting mood
Why therecollection of that beatific vision
should remain with him so persistently hs
did not know. 1t gazed up at him from the
pages of his ledger, and foated before him
in the smoke of his cigar. When at last he
left the office and started home again, it &C.
companied him up Broadway. He had
turnedinto Uniou Square, and nearly reached
UNIVERSITY Place, when he came suddenly
to halt. By all the gods of Greece, it was
shell
She stood with her back toward him, wait
ing for car. Those Hebe-like shoulders,
the -cherry. ribbons. He could not be mis-
taken. Mr.. Simpkins stood still dozen
yards behind. The lady picked her way
dairtfly toward itsover the muddy crossing.
Again the snowy ruffles and that entranc-
ing, voluptuous, infatuating anklel Mr.
Sim pkins followed and took his stand on the
front platform, crowded as it was. He
could not see into the car, but, by nearly
disloeating his neck, and several times los
ing his footing, he managed to observe every
passenger as he or she got on or off. On
wentithe- car past Seventeenth street. 1t
seemed to Mr.. Simpkins that the lady
would never get out again, and, as he went,
Mr.. Simpkins busted himself with thousand
vain eonjectures. Who was she? Was
she married or single? Of what nationality?
Was she beautiful? He had not
seen her face but the possessor of
such a figure, he argued, could not be
otherwise than beautiful of feature. Youngf
Yes, she was surely young-and patrician,
too. No plebeian ever owned an instep like
that In tact, so sure of all these things did
Mr.. SimpkinslfeeI that he almost dreaded
the moment when the lady should descend,
and, perhaps, in meeting him face to face,
destroy at single blow his fondc st illusions
He had not long to wait, for at Thirty-fourth
street the conductors bell rang, and the lady
got out. She crossed the street, and, swithl
Mr.. Simpkins following in transport of adj
miration entered arofice on the corner.
Now, as Mr.. Simpkins' luck would have
it, this office was the real estate Office of Mr..
John Bigler, and Mr. John Bigler was the,
brother-in-law of Mr. Simpkins. Mr.. Simp-
kins Halted suddenly, in some confusion, and
"walked round himself" so to speak. The
lady passed in without noticing him, and dis
appeared from view. Mr.. Simpkins stood
for q. moment irresolute in the doorway, and
then, fred with differentiation, dashed up
stairs.
The offices of Mr. Bigler were situated on
the second floor. They consisted of two
rooms an. outer one about ten feet square
called by Mr.. Biglcr his reception ROOM"
and a larger and more luxurious one within
reserved for the purpose of
interviews. AS Mr.. Simp-
kins expected, the lady was in the private
room, but the door stood slightly ajar, and,
as she sat with her back toward it, he could
see her earnestly conversing with the vii
famous Bigler At that moment Mr.. Simp-
kins caught Bigler's eye, and beckoned
frantical1y to him to come out Bigler,
thinking from Simpkins' excited manner
that the house might be on fire, came quick
" into the outer room. As he did so, he
swung the door wide open, revealing to Mr..
Of his pursuit, her head resting upon her
small and acknowledgement hand, her lace
shawl dropping gracefully from her
shoulders, and that pretty foot peeping sauc-
ily from beneath the folds of her dress. Her
head was turned away, and her eyes evident
" bent upon the floor. =.
tn 81 <vl,< ox,firolv foo rnt1ob Mr. 4
Simpkins. and he seized Mr.. Bigler's arm
with such energy that the latter fairly
howled.
"What the DEVILS the matter?" exclaimed
Biglerl ,sslOFahHslut
s"Who is she?" cried Simpkins, pointing
toware the private room. "Introduce me.
In Heavens name. who is it?'
who's who2" asked the bewildered Big
Ter, struggling to free himself from Simp-
lxins' grasp. "W That In the name of COM
nonsense il the matter with YOUR
'That divinecreaturei there, aidSimpkins,
wildly. 81 must know her. L saw her for
the frst time yesterday. She's. the most
lovely woman ever met. ] followed her
here to@day. <Such a figured Such an-anl
anklel Bigler, / must know her. There
are chords, lBigler, in the human breast
which, once struck, render no man RESPONSE
BILE for his actions. Who is she2'
"Who? Thatg' exclaimed Mr.. Bigler,
folloyipg Mr.. Simpkins'- gaze toward the
open door.
Mr.. Simpkins nodded eagerly. Mr.. Big
Ter looked at Mr.. Simpkins blandly. Then
he looked at the lady, and then again at Mr..
Simpkins. Then ne became seized by vio-
lent internal paroxysm,E and commenced
examining his handkechief into his mouth.
"ThatP'~ he exclaimed, as soon as he had
in some measure relieved himself by this
proceeding, ''why, you blasted fool, that's
your wife.p@ A ~ I'LL