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

out to breakfast one morning. 1--WE
taken bad money, and no moro know
from whom than know the Koran. And
what is more," added Mr.. Pattipan, 81
shall offer it to some one if l carry it
about with me, and get into difficulties
I'll leave it here"
He put it into the china bowl full of
visiting cards that stood on table in the
corner of his wife's parlor as he spoke,
kissed her, and took his way to those re-
gions vaguely spoken of as "down town" p"
and Mrs. Pattipan looked at the counter
felt note, and in order that she might not
make some mistake herself tore it across
the middle before throwing it back into
the china bowl.
"Mr. Pattipan never observes sufficient
ly," she said to herself. "His organs of
reflection are large, but his organs of OBJ
servation are small"
Mrs. Pattipan had studied phrenology
in her youth, when it was fashionable to
do SO, and had habit of attributing
peoples virtues or failings to their bumps.
Then she went about her household
duties, ordered the dinner, scolded the
servant, arranged her bureau drawers and
attended to Mr.. Pattipan's buttons, and
in the middle of this task heard the door
bell ring. 1t rang twice without being
answered-cook and Sara Jane being in
deep quarrel, occasioned by the re.
proofs of their mistress-so Mrs. Patti
pan, having peeped over the balustrades
for enn,a ,acon,l. ,1a.rap1a1 fha efairG
and opened the door herself. Through
the glass she could see that it was only a
peddler of some sort, who would be sent
away at once, after which she would at
tend to the culprit below stairs.
As she opened the door she saw upon
the steps without an old clothes man with
basket of china on his arm. A fat lit
tie old fellow with an immense nose and
benevolent smile, who pushed his bas-
ket into the door as an entering wedge,
and said very softly and tenderly and
with persuasive waves of his hand from
the cheek outward:
"Laty-dear laty-a-me-aible laty, will
you not exchange some ole clo'es which
are of no goot for some elegant new vases
vicl, will make you always some pleasure
ven you look at dem! Elegant vases! Oh,
you shall see dem.
NO" said Mrs. Pattipan, ''no, think
not"
But the woman who deliberates with
an old clothes man at the door il lost. The
basket wedged itself further in.
at will cost noding to look at dem, :"
said the old clothes vender. 1T will be
a pleasure and cost noding."
"very well," said Mrs. Pattipan, 81
don't really promise, you know; you never
give much for the clothes. think your
acquisitiveness is more largely developed
than your benevolence. Seems to me SO,
looking at you"
"Madame is very good" said the old
clothes man, waving from him the COM
plimcnt he fancied he had received. 81
90 in-danks.
He entered the parlor. Mrs. Pattipan
rested herself OH a chair near the window,
and the old clothes man exhibited his
stock Of common vases, ut which Mrs.
Pattipan looked contemptuously.
Finally regarding her with an acute
eye the clothes man restored all these to
his basket, and saying:
mo, desc are not To madame's superior
TASTE" put his hand i'll his pocket and
drew forth a little ornament OF very beau
tiful china-a Cupid with a butterfly on
its shoulder. '.Zerc!' he said, spreading
both hands abroad. "'Ow about zisT'
"Well." said Mrs. Pattipan, that is
lovely"
"And zere is no more; e como from
Paris" said the old clothes man.
"Oh, he is sweet? said Mrs. Pattipan.
"Tll see what have"
And upstairs she rushed. and gathering
from drawer and closet all the old panta-
looms with baggy knees, and all the old
coats with frayed cuffs and greasy col
lars which were in the house, Laid them
IT the feet of the clothss man.
But now it was the old mans turn TO
be scOrnfuL
"Zese ragsl oh, madame, not zese rags
for my lofely Cupid from Paris!7 he
sighed, reprOachfully. Madame viii find
somezing else; she will not expect &c poor
old clo'es man to cheat himself. Madame
has some pretty six dress-a cloak,
shawl-madame viii seei7
Madame, who could not give up tbs
idea Of possessing the Cupid. now that
SIZE had once harbored it, ran upstairs
again. She searched her drawers, her
wardrobe, but really she lad nothing.
Suddenly IL occurred % her that she had
a brocle shawl, ard that she never wore
IL Silauls vere cut Of fashion, and IL
sbe hated anything u g4s . s5au igraos