Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-10-18

like queen III it, ai1i10J:;ss.::, Ecnst con-
fess, it fit her like it was cut out with a
pair of skates. A wide brimmed hat sat
looked like ripe peach to a hungry
man. I noticed she had no shoes on, but
that cut 10 ice with me, for she had as
petty foot and ankle as anybody would
want to look at.
81 had calculated on making hit
with Melvina with my store clothes,
and did. I paralyzed her. She just
stood and looked at me while wave aft
er wave Of hot bushes chased up her
white neck and congregated in her face.
stood simpering like prize idiot. SIZE
began to cry and wouldn't tell me what
was the matter with her, and I, wise in
the ignorance of youth, didn't know
that, like all women, she was proud and
ashamed to be seen with me because of
the splendor of my raiment. 1 jollied
her along, told her how nice and sweet
she looked, swore she would be the belle
of the circus and was generally SO lavish
in my praise of her that she consented
finally to go with me if I'd let her go
home and fix up a bit. Still I didn't
know what was the matter, but I let
her go.
81 lay down in the shade of tree
Oh the grass to wait for her. The sun
climbed higher, and wagons loaded
with country people ratified by on the
way to the circus. I had just figured
out that we would miss the parade and
grand free exhibition outside the big
tent if Melvina didn't hurry, when she
hove in view. I looked at her a second
and then jumped i'll the air SO suddenly
I Jared myself. If my raiment had par
alyzed Melvina, she got even all right
"She had placed cheap ribbon around
her neck and spoiled the beauty of it
and had covered her pretty feet with
pair Of shapeless, hard, heavy, cowhide
shoes. Between the tops of her shoes and
the bottom Of her dress appeared occa-
sional glimpses of a pair Of stockings of
the variety known as barber pole. They
were striped red and yellow, and the
stripes were wide. But she had some-
thing else On that knocked me speech
less.
"Years and years had this browning
feature of Melvina 8 attire been in the
Drake family. 1t was an heirloom,
guess, and the only piece of finery the
family possessed. Melvina, blushing
and simpering, hardly knowing whether
l would sufficiently admire it or not,
was wearing it regulation fashion. 1t
was an old fashioned muff, Of some
heavy black fur and as big as bass
drum.
"Perspiration broke out Of every pore
in my body. The idea Of me, logged out
in store clothes and looking like dude,
going to circus on the Fourth of July
with q girl carrying muff that must
have warmed an icehouse was madden
ing. But Melyina looked SO thoroughly
self satisfied that hadn't the heart to
tell her that the sweet simplicity of
dress she wore when she first met me
was more becoming by far than the big
cowhide boots and the muff. So made
the best of it and let it go.
ST am an old man now, but the men,
DRY of the attention created in that lit
tie country town that day is as vivid i'll
lily ulli1ll 1eCU tAloU JuoU pau
for the last drink The circus wasn't in
it. A number of times was tempted
to run away, miles and miles, but Mel Ne
yina was having such good time THAI
I looked pleasant and stood it. She never
took her hands out of that muff all day,
only to eat and drink, and several times
she asked ME to hold it for her while
she fixed up her hair or tied her shoe or
something.
Gone time, while I was holding the
muf, lost her for few minutes in
the crowd, and 1 endured more agony
until 1 found her again than did when
I got shot through the leg i'll the war.
We walked home in the moonlight all
right, but we didn It 'hold hands, partly
because Melvina had her hands in the
mutf and partly because was SO dod
blamed mad at her that could have
slapped her. They made it SO hot for
me when got home to my uncle's with
their remarks about Melvina s muff that
started home the Hext day. J don't
know whatever became OF AfelFina
Drake, but do know that ! suffered
one day. for her sake. the keenest mar
tyrdom. ''-St. Louis Republic.
TerriIle Ordeal.