The Washington critic., 1886-11-04
TIDD'S PROPOSAL,

"This," said p. Livingston Tidd yes.
terday morning as he rose from rest.
less bed and perched, by way of
change, upon the rugged top of his
trunk, "this is the evcntful day. I'll
do 1t to day or go down to the river
and fall off pier. The fact Is, you
know" he continued, sliding down
upon the trunk and addressing his
mirror argumentatively, II am begin
ming to look like Bowery freak, with
all this worry and layn' awake nights,
and 1t might as well be settled. To.
day do it"
1t was said boldly, but there was
sheepish look on the haggard face of
Il. Livingston Tidd as he recalled the
many previous occasions on which he
had begun the day with n similar reso.
luton and failed utterly to carry it out.
He turned from the mirror, fell upon
his knees on the floor, and rescued the
photograph of placid looking young
woman from the dust He looked at 1t
tragically for moment, and then turn.
ed his eyes upward and said morosely:
ooh. woman, woman, whether-no,
whither--art thou lcadin' me?''
After this outburst he restored the
photograph to its infantile easel and
prepared himself for breakfast.
Mr.. Tidd lived in n boarding house
where there were five or six other
clerks and salesmen, retired grocer,
two lady stenographers they
styled themselves-a family of chill
dren and miscellaneous assortment OF
glum and hcartsick relatives of the
landlady. The relatives devoted most
of their time to accommodating loads of
gloom of various degrees of intensity
during the day and spending the even
ing in abusing the landlady on whose
bounty they lived
(which, when l looks um over"
the landlady said confidentially one
wave of her hand toward the down
cast dependants, at amt to be won
dered at that gifts an occasernul jog
onto me"
Jag" interrupted Mr.. Tidd, who
was stickler for correctness in
speech.
81 mean jag" said the landlady.
blushing deeply at her ignorance of
society nomenclature. "Oh, DEAR
they've all got the doldrums, blue
that turns at times to gin."
1T amt, indeed" said Mr. Tidd, po-
]itely. And as the landlady had made
confidant of him, what more natural
than that he should confide in her ?
Then, us she promptly revealed every.
thing TO the disconsolate relatives, and
they told the others, 1t was pretty well
understood In Mrs. Mcpherson board
ing house that =. Livingston Tidd, of
the lace department of the great dry
goods house of Ellington, Cash & Co. ,
was in love, and slowly nerving him
self up to propose.
A single glance at the unhappy
salesman as he stalked to the breakfast
table yesterday morning convinced
them all that he had not declared him
self the night before, and the land lady
ompassionately added another piece
OF sugar TO his coffee, and skillfully di.
recled the plate of hot wheat cakes
toward him. This baked The five hun
cry and alert statesmen on the other
side of the table, and a wave of startled
resentment swept over them. The
youngest even went so far as to re-
mark in hoarse whisper to his neigh.
Dor that "Tidds heart might be in a
bad way, but when wheat cakes was
Eoatin around his stummick seemed to
lit there with both feet, so to speak.
But there is no gainsaying the truth
Il at all the world loves lover, and
before breakfast was over the meager
appetite of the unhappy Tidd had en-
deared him to the most rabid wheat
cake eater of them all. There was a
set look about the mouth and CLASSY
expression of the eye when the sales.
man strobe out that did not pass unno.
ticed.
(Which If certain party don't up
md do 1t to day" Mrs Mcpherson re-
marked thoughtfully, MS she leaned her
ulbcw On the table and tapped hel
7teeth elegantly with spoon, 'I'm
very much mistaken; but" with cut
ting glance around, 'if the word OF
uu tain siuffy persons what suffers un
common hard from low sperits is reli
able, I'm mistaken very often"
Meanwhile Mr.. p. Livingston Tide
was on his way to "tho store" o
which he always spoke with such
reverential respect. The business Of
the lace department was in the hand,
of five young men, at the head o
whom Mr. Tidd easily held his posi-
tion by virtue of experience, untiring
industry, and salary Of $lS week
The man who was nominally in charge
of the department had recently shown
such skill in selecting dress goods for
importation that his services were be
lig utilized in that direction, whil
Mr., Iidd did all the work with his nc
customcd energy. After this hal beer
going on for some months it chance,
To come TO the cans of the firm, anC
MIR. Ellington and Mr.. Cash fell to dis
cussing 1t just before luncheon yestcr
day.
"Do you know anything about thi
Gidd, Fidd, Bidd-what The deuce /
his name?-chap; BiIlngton?" aske,
Cash.
"Vcrv little, except that he's
most efficient young man" said tn
dignifed Ellington, "Rnd has bcei
faithful 10 our interests for man,
years-Came to MS as a lad, if remem
Der rightly"
wei, suppose we move him up
peg, eh?'
Ellington, who is frequently rc
ferred to in the trade papers MS tn
DRY Goods King" sent for Mr., Tid
at once and took his place before tn
cheerful CRATE fire by the side Of Cash
who is a member Of dozen clubs, In
aviila nt Seabright and comes to tow
in bis own yacht every day.
When r. Livingston ridd, h0ylu
hastily changed his Office coat an
lrushed his hair, found himself in III
famous inner Office and face to fac
with two Of the greatest lights in tn
dry goods world, his breath came hard