Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-20

pMtroon-that's your bus, sir" And
i,,as Iettle disappeared with the trsy
!usI us the horn and rafting wheels
were distinctly heard near the terrace.
. put on my hat mechanically, and
went down stairs, vexed with the a5rupt
termination to her recital. AS I rode
alongg, the thought struck me that the
whole affair was q trick, and Mrs. Pot
Tie wanted to bind me to the SPOT. OF
make me interested in her house. or in.
yeigle in some foolish love affair. This
ueclded me to take no notice of her at
.empts at conversation for tho future,
ahu not even to permit her to finish the
oeoIy pegunln the morning.
Just then the omnibus stopped, and
an old maiden lady, whom 1 had known
through her acquaintance with a much
respected aunt of mine, similarly cir
cumstanced as to age and matrimony,
entered it. l politely handed her TO a
seat 0 my aunt's sake, and commenced
conversation which 1 strove to render
interesting, though my mind was GER
talnly very absent that day; so absent
that IN one OF. the pauses Of our dis
course l incaut ously drew out my
pocket handkerchief to wipe my fore
head. and with it-horror Of horrors!-
the little bronze-colored slipper, with
It's blue rosette. Ishook it hastily from
my lap into the straw beneath, butthe
old lady had seen it, and l felt aghast
as l remembered that the story of that
little slipper for the left foot of my
pretty Cinderella would probably cost
me five thousand pounds of my very
discreet aunt's money.
Should [ throw myself on the old
lady's mercy at once-in the omnibus
by conlessing the truth? But would she
be likely to believe me if l did? l
thought not. I should only have false
hood added to the black list already
prepared, l doubted not, for presenta-
ton to my aunt. l knew the old lady
would not go as far as / did, for she
had already told me her destination; so
| kept my own foot on one edge of the
little slipper, determined to pick it up
again, spile'of all, at the first oppor-
tunity.
81 think you dropped something, sir"
said my aunt's friend, coldly.
Nothing Of consequence, I think,
thank you," 1 replied.
81 should rather think it was of great
consequence" she remarked, cruelty.
doubtless the young lady wants her
slippers matched or mended."
The young lady! What young lady?
All, if l could only find this Cinderella!
Deeply mortified, I said no more, and
the old lady soon left me.
I went into the Office carrying nv
handkerchief in a different pocket, that
1 might not draw out the slipper with
it, and sat down to my writing; but my
head was confused, and that little
bronze slipper danced over the page,
over every line of my ledger, in each
leaf of the memorandum book.
eff things go on like this" I ex-
claimed, mentally, 81 shall grow mad
about that slipper. 1 almost wish I had
never seer it."
just then one of the partners came
into the Office.
"Haley," he said, "did you pick up
an account written on a slip of paper,
of an order to be executed for Grylls?:"
81 did sir, and put it in my pocket
book, as | thought you had most likely
dropped it,"
''Ihank yoh, Haley. Just like you.
1 admire a young fellow who has his
wits about him"
I put myhand in for the pocket book,
and forgot all about the slipper for a
moment in my pleasure at my en-
%ployer's praise; but it had not forgotten
me, and tumbled out. The sandals,
being entangled with the pocket-book,
hung from my hand, as I Slipped the
elastic off the book, and then the slip
per fell upon the floor. All this hap
pened much more quickly than l have
written it, out q grave frown rested on
my employers face a. l handed him
the paper.
"Iake care. Haley. Don't resent it
if I give you a fatherly word of warn
ing. 1t is better a young man should
not carry such things in his pocket; at
least, should not allow other people to
see them"
looked up astonished. Mr.. Arnold,
second partner in the firm, was fifty
years of age, and a bachelor. What
did he know about such things?
Il think l could explain to your salts
faction, sr, that this is an accident, if
You had time; and really involves moth
ing at all wrong.'
81 quite believe you, Haley; but
everyone won't be so merciful."
Mr.. Arnold went out and closed the
door. never thought-never guessed
before what elaborate circumstances
might depend upon a slipper; but when
1 got home l lockedi it away, determined
to bring no more annoyance upon my
self by keeping it close at hand.
Ihad invited one, two Or three young
men a few days afterward to have a
pull on the river and then to sup with
me
After a pleasant hour and a half we
came back hungry and exhilarated. !
conducted my friends to my room; and
while we chatted, Mrs. Potts brought in
supper. A discussion arose about a
lecture Of Ruskin's, and his opinion of
a certain picture of Turner's. II can
tell you exactly what he said," l ex-
claimed, pulling: out my keys and open
ing my desk, ''for 1 copied the para
graph into note. book"
l turned down the lid, and there in
the sight of my three friends was not
only the notebook, but the little left
slipper for that unknown, unseen foot.