San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-03-27

never wear 1t again, that was moraiiy
certain. Why not buy the Cupid with III
She unfolded the shawl and felt an un-
usual contempt for 1t, 1t looked SO old
fashioned. 1t had cost $25 when 1t was
bought, and was as good as ever; but
what an ugly thing! Yes, she would do
It'll She carried it down stairs therefore,
and the clothes man condescended to ac-
cept it. However, he also put into his
bag the old cloth garments.
az will not leave zem about to trouble
madame he said; ~ will oblige her by
carrying zem away"
Mrs. Pattipan returned to her parlor
to adore her Cupid-certainly q very
lovely little being.
"How l admire i'll It's my ideality
and my FORM suppose" she said, be.
coming chronological again. II should
have been an artist, having form and
u,lor SO largely developed"
Then sho placed 1t ON the cabinet
shelves, and as she retired to distance
to observe the general effect, saw that
the counterfeit bill that she had thrown
into the china bowl after tearing it across
had vanished. The old clothes man had
taken it--there could be no doubt of that.
"But he was so acquisitive he could
not withstand temptation," said Mrs.
Pattipan. "Well, hope he will not
pass it on some poor person, and l don't
care If he gets himself into trouble-he
deserves it,"
At all events she had her lovely Cupid
how much better than an old shawl
that she detestedl Still, she would not
mention the old shawl or the coats to Mr..
Pattipan. Since she had made the awful
mistake of exchanging his best trousers
for a match holder it was understood be-
tween them that old clothes men were not
to be permitted to cross the threshold.
No; she could buy what she pleased,
and Mr.. Pattipan never thought of ask
ing where it came from. 1t should go
SO. But, oh! her lovely Cupid-how she
adored il!
At 8 o'clock in the afternoon Mr.. Pat
tipan returned in very fine spirits.
"Well, Ducky," he remarked to Mrs.
Pattipan, "Pve got surprise for you.
Shan't tell you what it is until l have
had dinner. 1t is birthday present"
Then he concealed a bundle beneath
the sofa.
Mrs. Pattipan felt pleased to be re-
membered. She was as charming as
possible during dinner time, and MIR.
Pattipan made her guess what he had
brought her; but her guesses were all
failures Not roses-not a book-not his
photograph-not watch-not ring
not dress pattern-not muff!
"I meant to buy muff," said Mr.. Pat
tipan; "but this was brought into my
Office by sonebody-quite as though l
had asked the spirits to help me, you
know. Come along, my dear; want to
see you sail up and down the parlor in
it. You are quite aqueenly sort Of figure,
you know, and shawl
"a shawl?" said Mrs. Pattipan.
"Ah!" said Mr. Pattipan, who was now
unfolding his parcel beside the parlor ta-
BILE, ga shawl 1t is a splendid one-a
Cashmere, or some Indian place of that
sort - wonderfully valuable; but, you
know, he smuggled it, and 80 sold it for
nothing. For shawl like that forty-five
dollars is nothing-and knew you were
out of shawls. You used to wear them
SO elegantly in our courting days, and !
haven't seen one on you for years!'
Nor on anybody else!'' Mrs. Pattipan
said within herself, but she beamed upon
her husband.
"Here it is" said he, flinging it abroad
"Now put it on"
The room was not n large one. and as
the shawl swept into the air it struck the
cabinet on that particular spot on which
the Cupid was perched. The lovely bit
of china danced wildly for a moment,
then toppled over and fell to the floor.
Nothing remained of it but cleaning
fragments us Mrs. Pattipan stopped to
pick it up.
"Never mind the gimcrack, Duckyr
remarked her spouse. II hope it is that
confounded match safe that you gave my
best trousers for-hal ha! ha! Come, try
on the shawl.'
Mrs. Pattipan, with a secret wall for
her treasure, obeyed. She turned her
back and allowed the drapery to fab over
her ample shoulders, and glided as grace
fully as possible up and down the room.
"CharmingI' said Mr.. Pattipan. "You
must wear that freely. Don't save it for
best. BY Jove! I'm glad bought it. The
little old fellow came into my place with
the parcel, and bless me if he wasn't
curiosity! He called me worthy gentle
man, and he wanted to show me shawl.
Well, | wouldn't look ut it until he told
me all about the Vale of Cashmere, where
it was made, and asked me TO smell the
altar of roses; and suddenly says l, The
very thing for Duckyr and l had Pringle,
the clerk, in and put it on him, and he
said he thought it must he genuine, for
his grandmother had one just like it,
Ono doubt" said Mrs. Pattipan TO her
self-"and out came my little $50 bill
and he gave me s. note, and done it
was!''
Mrs. Pattipan had reached the end Of
the parlor and was standing quite still
with her back turned. She could not
control her features at that moment; she
had Just recognized her own old broche
shawl-the one she had given TO the
clio; hes mani She know it only t0oswell
by the pattern. And there Was the little
fray darncd by her own fingers fiveyears
before, when she did occasionally wear
the shawl 10 market
Turn about, Ducky,- said Mr.. Patti
pan. "NOw, do you know, / haven't
seen you look 30 elegant for long whilei
Well 20 to the opera tO-night-comic-
and show it OF. l know women like 10
exhibit elegant things when they have
'em-and here is the echange the odd fellow
gave me out Of the Gfty-a five dollar
biIL Take care. its BEEN I8eDdod- IOu'll
,r,sut sr,rua LITTLE falla1-