Middletown transcript., 1880-04-10
A TALE OF A COAT TAIl..
BY JULIA K. WETHERILL
Author of "WiLgs," etc.

Mimi Legrand had maze up hei
mind that spinsterhood was to be hel
lot. Not that she was ugly or i'll tenn
ered-oh, no She was as pretty a;
picture, and she was as. sweet as
May morning; but when one lives on
Esplanade street, in a house with q
high wall around it, with a maiden
aunt for a duenna, and a papa who
scowls at the bare mention of "mar'
riage," one runs poor chance oi
meeting ones fate.
Mimi was just eighteen, and though
she was brought up like recluse, she
began to think it was high time she
had a lover.
One evening, as she sat in the com.
pany Of her father and Aunt Diane
she remarked suddenly, in plaintive
voice, Lucy Marshall was married
last Tuesday,
"And very silly, at her ageP' re-
torted Aunt Diane. "a mere chit
she ought to be at school"
Mimi had her own opinion upon
the subject, but she prudently kept it
to herself; merely remarking, "Millie
Dupont is married too, and she is six
months younger than l am
"And what then ?" asked papa,
looking up from his newspaper.
"Oh! nothing" Mimi replied, sigh
ing profoundly. Harriet says she
was married at St. Louis, with six
bridesmaids, and a veil, and train
three yards long
Harriet is an idle, gossiping ser
vant," interrupted her aunt, "Who
has no business filling your head with
such nonsense.
"And does my little girl envy these
young ladies ?' Mr.. Legrand inquired.
"We-ell," returned Mimi, in a nom
committal tone, at must be very nice.
All my friends are marrying, and
and-I am getting to be quite an old
maid p
Marriage is not the chief end Of
life, said Miss Diane, severely. "There
are nobler, higher things to which a
woman may devote herself"
"Oh, bother !''-and Mimi shrugged
her saucy shoulders.
"Mimi, said her father, seriously,
"You must give up these foolish
thoughts. You might find great un-
happiness in a lover
But, papa,'' urged Mimi, Il am
sure you married"
"And bitterly repented it." her
father might have replied, looking
back upon his unhappy welded life ;
but he only frowned and said, "Let US
have no more of this folly, Mimi"
Thus snubbed, she did not dare to
say more but she pouted, and thought
to herself, Il might as well be fright,
for no one ever sees me- Unless l can
slip away, never can 60 out walking
without Aunt Diane, and even then
she makes me bundle up my head in
a veil, until, no doubt, every one
thinks I've had smallpox. As for a
walk on Canal street, Aunt Diane
SAYS the men are impudent and stare
too much, so she takes me round by
all the alleys and little two-cent streets.
It's a shame-that's what it is !"
But the darkest cloud has a silver
lining. One afternoon, when papa
was away at his business, and Aunt
Diane had "just stepped out to see
friend" Mimi meditated upon what
use she could make Of her liberty
She sat down to the piano, and began
81 love my love-" then jumped up
with a yawn.
The only thing she could find in
the shape Of a romance was "Tele-
machus !" but she soon flung it into a
corner, and went out on the balcony.
1t was lovely April day, and as
she bent over the fower-boxes, there
came loud ring at the bell. Hang
ing over the railing, regardless Of ap-
pearances, she deserted a handsome
youth standing on the steps.
"a, man !" she exclaimed, inwardly,
"Oh, Joy !'
A few minutes later, Harriet came
up stairs and said, miss Mimi, dere's
a genelman in de parlor, callin' hisself
Mr.. Wolf, an he wants to see Miss
Diany."
"Aunt Diane is not at home," ans
wered Mimi
II done tole him dat already, an he
says any OBJ the fam'ly'll do jes SO
good"
81 will see him." said Mimi, with
dignity.
'De law, miss! will you ?" cried
Harriet, awe struck by such bravery;
adding discreetly, "But what'n Miss
Diany say?
Whatever she chooses" said the
little rebel, with a parting glance at
the mirror.
Meanwhile, George Wolf was gaz-
ing around the old-fashioned room,
with its tarnished gliding and spindle
legged chairs, and deciding that its in
habitants must be a dreadful set Of
old fossils, when the door opened, and
the sweetest little creature in the
world came in. George had never
seen crrlier dark hair, or such soft,
laughing eyes.
Once in the presence Of that awful
monster, man, against whom she had
50 often been warned, Mimi lost cour-
age, and faltered out, turning very
red, "If you please, sir, what do you
want ?"
The stranger did not seem at all
abashed, but answered, "My aunt, Miss
Tarlton, commissioned me to place
these papers in the hands of Miss Le-
grand. They are the minutes Of the
Society for the Propagation Of Female
independence. l suppose, that is, l
mean to say-are you Miss Legrand?''
"I'm not Aunt Diane" she returned
in an insnlted tone, "I'm Mimi"