St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-08

and then broke her heart by catching
some young girl with the fine apparel the
elder Dulcinea had put upon their
backs.
A messenger boy has just unearthed
her latest. Mrs. G. was suffering in
IenSely by the defalcatiOn of some Senti-
mental young swindler who had been
the recipient of gifts and smiles during
most of the summer, when she met in
Atlantic City, in September, a gushing
young barkeeper, upon whom she Law
ished all the reserved stock spared by
the migrate of the summer SOlstice.
During the autumn this Cocktail of a
fellow made such progress that madame
bought out downtown bar-room for
him to have this great comfort as near
its COmfit as possible. Business has
been bad. and Master Cocktail has been
restive. He pined for freedom, and an
other town. so, on the 1st of December,
he sold out the concern, lock, stock and
barrel, but kept the secret to himself,
and made two or three calls on the Sc
yerely mashed lady-the last one as late
as the 18th. Madame prepared a
LOVELY CHRISTMAS
box for her pet. Young Cocktail sent
up cargo of wine he had annexed from
the inventoried stock of his late con-
Germ. Madam supposed holiday busi-
ness kept him close, but loaded her
package and sent for an able-bodied
messenger to cart it down town, the evil
dence Of her affection. There were six
embroidered silk night-gOwnS and six
full dress decorated shirts. In the bosom
of one of them shOne a fine diamond
stud-a stone she told old COmfit she
lost at a theater, and got him to replace
in the ring from which she professed to
have lost it. James Fresh, the messen-
ger boy, cOllared the box and departed
down town. At the bar room designated
he learned that LOtharlO Cocktail no
longer conducted the services. 1t was
certainly too far for poor lad to
go back to Madison avenue. above
Fiftieth street. He asked round
the premises where Mr.. Cocktail was to
be found, since Mrs. Comfit'S instruc-
tiOnS were to give the box into that gen.
tleman's hands alone. Inquiry was of
no avail. Master Fresh remembered that
Mr.. Comfit'S banking house was near.
and off he posted. For what more nat
ural than that the old man should know
the address of his wife'S friend? 1t was
with war in his eye-balls, gllstening,
that the banker heard the story of Mrs.
COmfit's box, intended for Mr.. Cocktail.
He had come on Mr.. Cocktail at the
OllC udS . IlC HcdIu Il ldllIU Tu-
nor of the gOingS on at Atlantic City,
and he swooped down on Mr.. Box. and
told the boy he would ''see to it," which
be did, for no sooner had Master
Fresh got ont of the Office than he made
an ante-mOrtem examination of the
caSket. He glared at the Silken night
robes. He glOated over the embroidered
shirts and he fairly danced at the sight
of the three-carat stone. His mind took
to the situation and he felt he was look
ing at the theater lost diamond. He
jammed the traps into the box any way
he broke open letter that he found
pinned upon a night gOwn-and four
hairs that yet fingered on his polished
Occiput rose as one hair and waved like
a flag of distress on the hulk of a float
much-dressed elderly woman deco
rated in the highest style of
art, toying with Christmas
paper and lorgnette, under the
softened light of the drawing-room
chandelier Will you witness the alb
rupt entrance of disturbed old man,
his coat buttoned three buttons too
short, the end of his Albert tie working
with excitement under his left ear,
bearing under his arm alf-papered
and nearly uncorded box?
M S. Comfit takes one look at the box.
She knows it. She got it specially for
those fatal gifts. She recognizes the
section of stamp. She could identify
one of the knots.
Murmuring heartfelt cuss on James
Fresh, the immediate young messenger.
Mrs. COmfit faints where she sits. Let's
come away; it's lurid interval in the
foolish wOman's career, and not until
after New Years can one say what the
result will be.