, 1886-02-12
MR.CRIMSON'S MODEL WIFE

n IfAAAA 49, Nhh1'H 80 hf' =
vague notion of bathing his senses ON the
human tide OF that street, OF throwing a
few side glances at the shop windows
and then dropping his cigar stump at the
Sixth avenue, Of getting upon the Gle
waited train and going down 10 the Astor
house and attending to some business
that he had on hand.
Destiny met him midway in his walk.
A mysterious fate with viewless and ire
sistible force turned him round when in
front of Sackson & Pendgett's Modes and
drew him up 10 the window. There were
three figures in it. They were costumcrs
efigies. They wore full dress. They
were arrayed in silk attire, with ain
They had bare pink arms and oval faces,
with heavy. ~languishing eyelashes, and
they held their heads slightly thrown
back, and wore imperial curves in their
backs, AS if the costumer had meant to
satirize the living thing with the superior
dignity Of dead wood and iron.
Mr.. Crimson looked ut the trio a mo
ment from the center Of he group o
spectators. A smile OF mild, self-satis-
fed Indifference stole over his face and
lifted his brown mustache a little, so
that the gray hairs in it became visible.
The three beautiful gems paid very
little attention to him. Their wood
en- souls were wholly engrossed with
the one duty OF keeping their heads
thrown back.
A small boy remarked quite incident
ally that the girl in the middle was ~lum-
tum." and gave a touch Of sincerity to
his remark by smacking his lips. AT
which his Juvenile partner made response
~ observing. Peaches"
1t may have been these remarks that
directed Mr.. Crimson's attention more
particularly to the girl in the middle.
But | am inclined to think that il was
the same fate that drew him there.
Just her she began TO turn slowly
round and he got n good view of the
curve in her back. II was Giotto's
sweep, Enthusiastically. The figure seemed
to flow into a founcy billow of a woman
and recede on the sides in sensuou lines.
He could almost hear the seductive swish
of the load Of drapery as it swung round
and fell over itself in a v%oluptuous soft
tumult of creamy waves. Then she
swept her head round and her deep blue
eyes seemed to look at him out of her
jet-black lashes with that far-away pity
and superiority that nature and art some
times confer on the real thing when men
attract their passing attention. She had
brown, wavy hair, the color of pulled
taffy, and just where a spot Of the morn
ing sunshine fell on its c%onvolutions il
reminded him Of n glass of browns sherry
held up before a sea-coal FIRE.
Mr.. Crimson must nave stood there ten
or fifteen minutes. He had quite gone
Oft into a %reverie. Then n voice some
where very low and soft said "Alice."
He thought ii was somebody on the walk
calling to a friend.
Idiot 1t was Fate. Just rs he heard
It the blue eyes set in black came round
upon him. Then he pulled himself to
gether with a jerk and went down the
street.
He laughed in conscious contempt as
he thought II over. "To think, he said,
-of my stopping TO look at a costumer's
lay figure Who would have thought
ity" And her he resolutely went to
work to think of masculine things with a
masculine bravery. He read The World
in the cars. Curious how these things
come about, but nearly every article had
Alice in il. There was an Alice had
jumped off a ferry-boat. Alice had just
made n great hit in Oil City. Alice was
the title Of a new book. When he got TO
the Astor house he met Springer and
Clawson and Jiggle. Clawson insisted
on taking a drink and drank brown
sherry. He held the glass up in a ray of
sunshine and said, What does that re-
mind you Of. Crimson" And Crimson
actually sighed.
The next morning Crimson went doWn
Fourteenth street and said to himself,
"Oh, by jovel I'll take a look at that
wooden girl" Just IA II he hadn't
thought OF it before.
There she was. But 10 and behold. a
new expression had come into her face.
II was tenderer in the new light. He
detected a meaning in the eyes that lac
had not perceived before. by the soul
OF Rembrandt, he remarked, but these
fellows do initiate nature and no mis-
take" He stayed twenty minutes. AL
ice, he said to himself afterwards. Jim
proves Of acquaintance
The next morning they had actually
established some kind Of visual under
standing. She looked at him in n man
ner quite different from her method with
other men. He understood the express
sion to be one Of appeal. II said TO him
when he got It interpreted; take ma
away from this. | wasn't made for pub
lie exhibition. You understand me.
The vulgar crowd don't"
This touch Of pathos, the little cling
in il as she came round on her pedestal,
went to Crimson's soul. He got into n
coupe and drove up TO DIR. Pillsbury's.
That great man was over at the club
playing billiards.
Doctor. - says Crimson, rushing in at
him, Il want to speak TO YOU The doc.
tor came over in n corner with his cue in
his hand.
Whats the row. Miasm p
Doctor look at me. You've known
me seven OF eight years. Am l a driv-
Cling idiot p
well, my boy replies the doctor,
looking Mt him with some surprise, ~11l
have to make a diagnosis. ! never sus.
pected il till now
"No nonsense. I'm serious. Tell me.
Am ! healthy man =
Yes; criminally healthy. You're a
standing rcproach to our profession
-Have | got incipient insanity in np
bloodyr
NO
Have I ever betrayed a predisposition
TO misanthropy p NO
Never GIVE Up.