The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-04-29

to Mrs. Macgregor. and that worthy
lady agreed with Mrs. Thimble. Ac-'
cordingly it was determined to have
Miss Kelley come at once and make
up trousseau. You understand from
this that Miss Kelley is dressmaker,
and here the troubles begin. 1t befell
Just at that time-and IL was just our
luck-that Miss Kelcey's unit, old Mrs.
Bigmore, had to up and die, and. in
consequence OF this untimely heap,
Miss Kelley had to send word that she
couldn't come to do the work wife and
Mrs. Macgregor had mapped out. OF
course this caused great vexation and
confusion. Mrs. Ihimble dissolved
into tears, and it began to look as if we
would have to abandon our visit to
Mrs. Turner; for, although was GER
tain that, knowing our comparatively
humble circumstances, nobody at Calm
Lake would expect us to fiaunt out like
lay figures or Chinese josses, Mrs.
Thimble insisted that If we looked
dowdy we should be hopelessly, ire
trievably ruined!
In the midst of this heart-breaking
agony a sort of compromise occurred
to Mrs. Thimble. 1t was to the effect
that her sister lend her that red gown
of hers-that very red gown to which
had iustinctively taken SO fixed an
antipathy. And right here the plot
deepens and thickens. / have talked
with several learned Presbyterian the
ologians about it, and they confirm my
theory that Satan engineered the
trouble from the beginning. To begin
with, Satan created that red gown;
then he put it within Mrs Thimble's
comprehension; then he artfully i'm bued
Mrs. Thimble with yearning for and
hankering after that gown: then he
weakened the sterner qualities of my
nature until l became in a measure
particeps criminis. by yielding my per-
mission to the borrowing of that fatal
raiment--yes, Satan is responsible for
it all. so warn everybody against the
insidious articles of that diabolical old
tyrant.
To make short of a long and harrow
ing experience, the red gown was duly
transferred temporarily to the uses of
my wife. The pearl-gray dinner gown
was rehabilitated and the brown silk
and the English walking dress were
fixed up in some sort of fashion-upon
my word, know nothing of this kind
of 1ummery-buti it was tacitly under
stood that Mrs. Macgregor's gown, the
red gown, was to be the piece de re-
sistance. Moreover, l was solemnly
intermediary, l was vehemently en-
joined-that l was to set an inviolable
seal upon my lips and upon my coun-
tenance lest / should betray in one
way or another the awful secret that
Mrs. Thimble was wearing raiment
that belonged to another. made every
promise; but, mind you, not until had
expostulated long and earnestly. My
conscience clamored against this out
rage. The still. small voice within
kept warning me that this duplicity
would surely lead to sorrow. But,
bless your soul! when it comes to ar
gument with ones INDEPENDENTLY
when that wife is the most adorable
creature on earth--eloquence and rea-
son and conscience are fragile, futile
things.
The first three days at Calm Lake
were halcyon days indeed. The Turn
ers were simply charming-so cordial,
SO informal. so hospitable, SO gracious
We had boating and fishing and tennis
galore; of evenings there was music
to refresh the senses, and the neigh
bors had pleasant way of dropping
in after dinner and contributing to the
general mirthfulness. Yes, those were
ideal days; look back upon them with
fondness. Upon the fourth day came
an awful change. Intuitively l knew
there was trouble brewing, for when
arose that morning my corns ached.
Moreover, Saturn was then at perihe-
lion and so was Mars.
Mrs. Thimb confided to me that it
was Mr.. Turner'S birthday, and that
the dear fellow had a surprise in store
for him in the shape of birthday din
ner which Mrs. Turner had surrep-
titiously planned. And now" said
Mrs. Thimble, 81 shall wear the red
gown"
From that dinner the mischief spread
and deepened and waxed and ramified.
Mrs. Thimble looked more beautiful
than ever before. The shrieking, sim
full red set off to amazing advantage
the sweet spirituality of her face and
the girlishness OF her figure. She was
Il say it with regret. she was the Gym
osure of all eyes. Other ears might
have been deaf, but mine heard what
that diabolical red raiment kept Shrek
ing. Borrowed! borrowed! Bor-
rowcdr That was what it shrieked,
and my misery was complete. To
emphasize the horror of the complica-
ton. Mrs. Turner guilelessly and cor
daily complimented my wife upon her
appearance. "What lovely toilet you
have this evening"" said she; lit is very
becoming, you should wear it often"
am man of quiet disposition and
of tranquil methods; as the author of
Juvenile text books and an elucidator