Connecticut western news., 1893-10-19
THE SLIPPER TRICK.

This .varnished dancing pump was dipped of the foot of an exquisite young man at reception at one of the leading salons of Paris. My eminently. oNrrect readers need not turn up their aristociatic noses at the vulgar lack of delicaoy be- trayed by my exquisite young man. Let him among you who does not adore a dainty foot cast the first stone.
 Octave Latouynelle-that Is my ex- quisite young mans name-was not only perfect dancer. He possessed not only two very nimble Legs, but two very nim- ble hands, whereof the adroitness was the admiration of all his friends. Indeed the most expert. .conjurer would not have been ashamed to own him for a pupil. At his word of command watches passed from one pocket to another, gold coins vanished into thin air, howersgrew upon him as if on a magical bush- he drew them forth from his pockets, his sleeves, his waistcoat, his cravat, in quantities sufficient to decorate the corsages of all the ladies present, and this after having, by way of preamble, turned his pockets inside out, rolled up his sleeves and opened his waistcoat. In word, he was the enchanter of the best drawing rooms and the spoiled child of the ladies.
 Perhaps, rather than the spoiled child, he considered himself the petted dar- ling. At any rate he was in love, and he made that fact known with the audacity that often gives success.
 The object of his adoration was the young wife of General Pascalon-it is only the husbands rank that restraints me from mentioning the disparity of their ages. But all generals have young wives, which is only another proof that the truly brave do not recoil from dan gers of any kind. It is traditional in cases of this kind that the husband should be jealous, but General Pascalon was not so. But if he was not an Othel- To neither was he fool.
 Trusting in the loyalty of his young wife, he cherished no illusions. He en- joyed many Palais Royal farce-with his wife by his side more often than not, which was imprudent perhaps-but he s1so escorted her to balls, never plead ing his age as an excuse, and waited pa- tiently for her till after the cotiHon, and to all appearances his wife was quite content.
 Perhaps she was so. But there were plenty of young fellows who would look down at you from the high superiority of their 25 years if you ventured to ex- press such an idea and say:
 With an old fellow like thatl Really you are too refreshing"
 The general was not to be laughed at. He knew his danger, not only before all the world had seen 1t, but before any one else suspected 1t, and he saved his honor hke man of intelligence-which indeed he could have done in no other way. And this brings us down at last to the varnished slipper of the exquisite young man.
 have said that the affair took place in the midst of reception. Dancing was going on in the larger rooms. The general was chatting with some of the older guests in small room adjoining the one set out with card tables. He happened to glance carelessly toward the players and started suddenly in sur prise.
 "Bless me-" said he, putting up his
 
 certainly thought she was waltzing UT polkaing or something, and there she Is playing whist. She must be very tired, for she never plays cards and is always dancing. shall have to scold her," he added, with a laugh, "for in- I dulging herself so much in her favorite pleasure that she has to do penance at | the card table" t! | he strolled leisurely toward the players.
 A jostle knocking his glasses from bis eyes as he reached the whist table, he stopped to pick them up and saw be- meath the table slipper, patent leath- | CT pump, from which it's tenant had es- | caped, and now, shod only in fine black silk hose, was pushed against the little foot of the generals wife. But he also | noticed that the latter constantly avoided the foot that so persistently pursued her | own.
 "Hum," said the general, taking in the situation at glance, 'the fortress Is attacked, but 1t is we'll defended. have arrived just in time." Then, smil ing calmly as if he had seen nothing leaning over his wife's chair, questioning and advising her play. he devoted him. self to 8 feat that would have furnished 8 dramatist with an irresistibly comic theme, considering the difficulties of the situation. The general had undertaken to draw toward him with the tip of hil boot the abandoned slipper, provoking every instant sudden jerks from jostlet feet, protestations from disturbed play CTS, astonished looks from those whe .ould see the extraordinary movements of his leg and the renonstrance fror his wife:
 "My dear, what makes you knock m chair about so2 You are giving me
 headache"
 At this moment the mistress of tn house came up to ask Latournelle if h would not perform some of his amusin tricks.
 Certainly; shall be delighted" answered nervously, preoccupied as h was by the extraordinary movements c the general, who stopped down just the ! e if to pick up something and immed assiy m uD end le9t the gZonR: