The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-25

tered the shop, and finding another
pair precisely similar lying on the
counter, he took them up and asked
the young woman behind the coun-
ter their price. Finding that they
were only so cents, he examined
them carefully, and asked if they
were large enough to fit rather
stout young lady in Vermont. The
shop girl smiled and replied that
they certainly were not too small Tor
any New England lady. Then Mr..
Skinner asked if she would kindly
put one of them on and let him see
how it looked. To his utter amaze
ment, the young woman called in a
frightened tone upon George" a
large man in the rear OF the store,
and informed him that "this villain"
meaning the meek and Innocent
Skinner-"was insulting her.
George" who was evidently
practical man. first required Mr..
Skinner to pay for the articles, and
then, without giving him the slight
est chance for explanation, kicked
him into the street.
Mr.. Skinner satisfied himself that
both the young woman and George"
were either drunk or crazy, and as
he wished to leave town that lay, he
forbore to appeal for justice to the
Police. Returning to Brewster Cen
ter, he fastened to call on the daugh
ter of the cooper. Usually, he was
not anxious to meet the cooper him
self; for, though that respectable
person was well meaning in his way,
he was quick tempered and muscu-
lar, and as such was not q pleasant
companion for the modest and pull
monary divinity student. On this
occasion he was, however, glad to
have an opportunity to show the
cooper his generosity, and he there
fore mentioned that he had brought
the daughter present OF a pair OF
bracelets from the city. lI
The young lady was delighted, and
waited anxiously while Mr.. Skinner
undid the string and opened the box.
''There ! Sarah Ann p he exclaimed,
as he exhibited the article. Those
are what i call handsome, and |
want you to let me put them on with
my own hands this very minute
In his subsequent description Mr..
Skinner asserts that he thought al
tbs tias that thaFa All l had sSms 70
his innocent and affectionate petition
with loud shrek and violent slal
across his left cheek. Then tn,
cooper Joined In, and remarking tina
it ibid seem to him that these par
sons had just gone clean crazy
took Mr.. Skinner by the nape of tn,
neck, and after shaking him with aw
full energy, Sired him out, pa,
:. young Master Robinson, who wit
: messed Mr.. Skinner in the act of be
ing shot ont the front door, atterwarc
said. Bruised in body and dazed al
to his mind, Mr.. Skinner sought his
boarding house and his bed, where
in the course of the day he learned
that according to popular rumor he
had grossly insuIted Miss Sarah Ann
and that public opinion was divided
as to whether he was drunk or in
sane. At any rate, his engagement
was broked off and his reputation
was ruined. He has since disap>
peared from Brewster Center, and
fears are entertained that he has
committed suicide. \
This sad event was unquestionable
due to the introduction of steel
spiral springs as a substitute fol
elastic webbing. Mr.. Skinner
honestly supposed he was buying a
pair of bracelets, and his mistake
was not an unnatural one. He knew
nothing of the real nature of the
supposed bracelets, and had he been
informed that they were-we should
say, had he known what they were,
he would sooner have died than have
touched them, and would have pre-
tered the rack OF the stocks to the
I commission of so horrible an offense
as the open and public Offering Of
them to Miss Sarah Ann. The thing
is done now, and there is no help Tor
it, but all good men will ask them
selves whether the public exposure
of such articles in shop windows is
consistent with high and true
morality.
| ----Se%s--
Gents.