The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-23
CAUSED BY A CHAMELEON.
In a Lady's Hair It Made Two Men Think
They 81

CAUSED BY A CHAMELEON.
In a Lady's Hair II Made Two Men Think
They Had 40. Is"
81 was at ball at Fernandina short
time ago" said the handsome purser Of
the Iroquois, land the belle of the occa-
I sion wore a beautiful live chameleon on
her couture. 1t was anchored with a
gold ca ble-the lizard, l mean, not the
hair. The latter unquestionably be-
longed there and was as luxuriant and
fluffy as the moss that hangs from the
branches along the St Johns, only it
was coal black. She was certainly a
very lovely woman, rather too taut
in the waist, but had charmingly
rakish set fore and aft and was not too
much loaded down about the bows.
That little critter on her foretop must
have been quite vain of his position in
society, for he showed all his colorS dur
ing the evening, running up red and
green and gold and silver alternately,
like he was the fash light of Hatteras.
The fine cable just abaft his forelegs
gave him enough swing to move his
length and he kept signalling all the
time. OF course the lady was very
much admired, so was the chameleon.
''She had several swells from Boston
and New York after her. Two of the
latter fellows came down on the boat
with us and had been drinking a good
deal of cham to keep off seasickness.
They were rather stylish looking fell
lows, and young men of that build be-
ing scarce at the winter resorts they
had any amount of attention among the
ladies. Both of them got introductions
to the clipper with the chameleon, but
noticed that neither OF them seemed
to cotton to her much. The first one
snapped up her card and leaned over
her where she sat, and was about to
write his name down for dance, when
the lizard perl1ed up its nose at him
within six inches of his face and slowly
wiggled its tail. He turned as white as
a new staysail and dropping the card
hurried out of the room
His friend, who had been watching
for a chance to get in, saw him go, and
made straight for the pretty woman.
He seemed to be ticlzled to death TO find
was wreathed in smiles when they
swung out into the stream for waltz.
As they came around past me- lying at
the pier-I mean leaning against the
wall near the door-he seemed to have
caught sight of the lizard for the first
time. 1t was showing red and was
straining at the cable to get over into
his neck He shut both eyes and blinked
hard-the lizard changed to green and
topped its tail at him. He looked like
a sailor who had seen jack-olantern
perched on the bowsprit. His legs had
kept flying to the music, but he missed
the step twice, and the lady chided him
The lizard signalled blue, then green
then turned a dull copper color-then
reached out one foot for him. He slipped
and got thumped in the neck by good
stout boot from the nearest couple He
gave one yell and scram blcd 10 his feet
The music>stOpped and a lot OF people
gathered around him supposing he was
severely hurt, but he got away and
came out hastily, catching me by the
coat as he went by. went out with
him, laughing.
'S-s-sayr says he trembling all
over, dido you-d-d-did you
Sec"
The lizard in her foretop? says l.
'Yes-pretty, isn't it?'
" Is its it real-the real live
thing, you know?" he asked, brighten
ing up.
Il explained that it was. and laughed
till both Of US were red in the face He
was as mad IS 4 wet hen
What COMPOUNDED fool L pretty
woman viii make Of herself anyhow
says he. and bolted for a coat room /
saw both fellows in Jacksonville after
ward. They were both sober and neither
would sneak 70 ne ~. Y. Herald