The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-07-16

itions, could not neip Ieeilhg u thrill
of compiacency at the very fact Of
Mrs. Allworthy having requested
the pleasure of my company, as
sat all alone in my small hotol
apartment, drinking cup of mud
dy coffee, nd gazing sentimentally
at an ovcrdone piece of beefsteak,
fianked by a solitary egg and two
French rolls.
AS I'm naturally social sort OF
being, and inwardly devoted to the
ladies, like to be where the fair
creatures most do congregate, even
though 1 can't entertain 'em very
brilliantly; and only yesterday,
when my washerwoman brought
home my linen-three shirts, three
handkerchiefs, two false collars, a
pair of stockings, and a white Mar
seilles vest-and told me in her alb
rupt way that "there wasn't two
buttons on the whole of en-" and
that / needed dozen new shirts, /
felt a pang to reflect that i must go
down to the furnishing stores and
take my chance of good fit. No
busy-fngered wife to look after
my wants-no nice little workbask-
ct in the corner; no chirping voice
inquiring tenderly "if l hadn't bet
ter have my collars made half a
quarter of an inch lower at the
throat?"
No wonder that / have the blues
sometimes, Oh, if / could but mus
ter up the courage to propose to
somebody
But I'm diverging from the story.
To return to Mrs. Allworthy's note:
l stuck the bit of perfumed laven-
der colored paper in my mantel
looking glass, and mentally resolved
to accept, ''for" thought !, awho
knows but this may the very occa-
sion on which I'm destined to meet
my fate. (My matrimonial fate, 1
meant) Surely it's full time I was
married, and even now the future
Mrs Jones may be concluding which
of her tartans to wear tonight"
My costume that evening was
extremely recherche-Q use that
Gallic expression because it is sty-
lish, and impresses people with the
idea that you're a travelled MANI
a suit of the most delicate ashes of
roses, which in my inner mind
| M somewhat poetical-I compar-
ed to the heavenly tint of q newly
blown heliotrope-an embroidered
shirt front and q blazing diamond
to the shining fold OF my
cravat.
] frankly confess that my hair
and whiskers gave me a little en-
barrassment. Smith says they're
carrot color, but he's a vulgar fell
low. Hodney calls 'em little red
dish, but then he's prejudiced in
favor of black. But the general
opinion of my friends is that, when
well oiled, thoy are a rich auburn.
Notwithstanding all this, ] could
not help thinking. this particular
evening, that the orange that was
a lette too pronounce. (French
again.)
Otherwise my appearance was
highly satisfactory. Wereit not that
my eyes were too protuberant and
light colored, and my nose rather
noticeably large, should be quite
an Apollo. To be sure there is a
certain innocent, surprised look
about my whole physiognomy that
some consider simple and unsophis-
and Smith, in his course,
humorous way, calls "jolly green"
| never use those slang expressions
myself-they're beneath gentle
man, 1 think.
Well, 1 sprinkled a drop or two
of "Kissme-quick" "a new an sug-
gestive perfume) on my fine cam
brio pocket-handkerchief drew on
an exquisitely fitting pair of lilac
kids, and thus proceeded 10 Mrs.
Allworthy's mansion, a four-story
brown stone front on Madison
avenue, and venture to say that
there wasn't a fellow went up those
steps the evening of Wednesday,
the 18th, more supurbly gotten up
than myself!
The rooms were magniflcently
filed. Upon my word, 1 hadn't the
Icast idea, until that night, of the
number of yards of tarletane and
grenadine in New York, to say
of the artificial flowers and
The cache-peignes, as Smiths wife
tells me those bright-colored beads
are called that tho ladias xvaar m