News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-03-06

ssNo smaller than mine, said Thorn
love, elevating foot He prided him
self on his small feet.
"His are two sizes smaller, at the
verv least" said Mrs. Thornlove, re
vengefully. "Yes, nearly three; yours
are like horse-car compared with
hisI'
"This is unbearablep' he exclaimed.
"Always pitying and praising Hobble-
den. always neglecting and sneering at
mel"
"And you are eternally hinting--
'Don't talk to mel''
ssNor will 7; hope you'll have nice,
sweet, quiet nights rest. after all this!
And she hurried tearfully to her
chamber.
'I reciprocate just what you mean,
he bra.wled after her, and went scowlng
to his private couch.
Mrs. Ophelia ThornIove did not ap-
pear at the breakfast table, next day.
Frederick mused gloomily over his
lonely coffee.
ST was foolish, very, to make such a
fuss about my feet He held them up
and frowned at them. ''Now that L
take a partial view, they are really none
of the smallest! Besides. the right
trotter-case looks longer than the other.
If I hodn't bought 'em, shouldn't sup
pose they were mates. He pulled his
pants up. "By ginger! they are not
matesl Ones shorter than t'other.
And I hope to be happy" he added,
with increased earnestness, as he exam
ined the leg of one, ''if here list the
name of Paul Hobbledenl This is
discovery! Oh, powers of darkness,
who bring so much to light How does
it happen that Hobbleden's boot is on
nv leg? Is the thing called Hobbleden
a man or a monster? Or am l lunatic,
and this name, Hobbleden, no name at
at all? 1t is not my boot. How could
If come here unless Hobbleden walked
in with it? But now-now-" and he
struck his eye softly with his frenzied
fist-''now, I have itl Hobbleden's
boot has betrayed him. The fend in
mortal shape must have been in this
house last night Oh-Ophelia!
He rang the bell and his servant,
Babble, came.
"Babble, take care now what you
saw - don't be alarmed though -
believe I have always treated you as q
father would a brother-I mean as q
brother would his son-darn it, you
know what I mean-answer me truly;
was or was not Paul Hobbleden, my
particular friend, in this house last
night? Take care ="
s'No. sir; he hasn't been for long
time"
"Was he here for short time ?"
''No sir, not at all.
"Babble, that's a lie. Did you black
these boots this morning ?"
81 did, sir
.sDid you black my others ?'
| '.No sir, did not, sir. No sir.
ssLook at that leg.
| ssPaul Hobbleden,'' said Babble,
reading.
Precisely, And of course that boo
belongs to him. Now. how could it b'
here unless he was p
Babble swore that if Hobbleden haC
been in the house, somebody else mus
have let him in, after he, Babble, hat
gone to bed.
"Babble, you may go-that is, yo1
may stay, in my employ. Bnt mind you
!, don't say anything of this to my wife-o
I'll discharge you.
Babble turned pale and faded out c
sight.
. Mr.. Frederick Thornlove was yer
solemn for several sullen, watchful days
! One day he came home and foun
Ophelia painting a watch-case. At frs
# she tried to hide it. Then she said
# was intended as a surprise for hin
n With ghastly smile-he said he kne
that
N The horrible corn gave Paul Hobbl'
n den such dreadful pain that finally /
repaired to Mr.. Chiropedowski, th
,e great corn doctor and Polish exile. e
st gouged it out for him, with heroic lac
of emotion
+ :'But these little trifles sprout agail
don't they ?" said Hobbleden, handiu
n the count greenback with saw-hor
a ON it. emblematic of the cross he hs
borne.
= "You must wear boots that fft," sa
Nv the chiropodist. "Were these made f
you"
n "Of course or they wouldn't ha
ne panied me p said Hobbleden, sarcas
cally. "One wouldn't"
so ''Your feet are not of the equal size
eh ?"
en- ''More likely the boot" compari
ne them.
rs. "They bees not mates" said the 81
geon.
"True p exclaimed Hobblede
"Never noticed it before. Blamed
snow for it but they looked like ma
when 1 bought them. I'll go and bl
ND the shoemaker, to make sure. "
At the shoemaker's he had ferocic
dy controversy, but was at last persuad
We he must have changed the boots sill
the purchase-especially as he now r
p' objected he did take off his boots
lee Thornlove's warehouse one wet day.
re 'sMust have taken Thornlove's boo
feet are small like mine. But there
m pair of breeches between me and my
feeling friend, and 1 scorn to call g
to ask him for my property. Let me
aid Best thing for me to do, without be
are Inundated, is to wait till Thornlove G
to bed, and then go and ask Babble
ing go up and change the boots"
do That very night with mingled thong
ors of wife-murder and suicide, subsi'
among the surging feathers of his s.
tary bed, the jealous Frederick Tho
ely love. If to die were but to sleep no
ed. comfortably, he would gladly have tai
in his arms sea of feathers, and by
sly, posing ended himself. He addres
himself to sleep. but she refused to
If brace so vindictive a person. Wake
cen therefore, near midnight he heard so
ed, body opening his chamber door.
pes. "Can it be the brazen, false Ophe.
q a No; it is heavier weight. Blessed