The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-16
Lord PGtGTSiigll's Pumps.

markablc for three things; his intense
bashfulnesS; his indecision of character;
and his abnormally small hands and feet
OF the two form CIR qualities he had the
grace and the sense to feel ashamed. On
the latter lie particularly pridcd himself.
lie was the most eligible of bachelors.
Equally, of course, he was being ever
]astngly stalked by husbard-h hungry
mnmmas and daughters. But they could
make nothing of him. Their most scenic
efforts simply frightened him. The aban-
don with which they threw themselves
Mt him.and almost proposed To him con-
fused and distressed his bashful senses
beyond expression. Other men would
have given their eyes for the tremendous
marks of favor which he received from
pretty girls. He would have given his
eyes-nay, even his hands and feet, which
he valued far more-tO have been eX-
cmpt. But exemption was impossible.
He was. young single, II viscount. lie
had $50, 600 II year.
One autumn, three or four years ago,
Lord Pctersleld went down into Sussex
to stay with his friends, the Wentwarps.
Wentwarps Hall, II very fine old country
seat. Sir Wcntwarp had been Il great
friend of his fathers; and the intimacy
between the two older men, cut short by
death, had been partially renewed he"
tween the baronet and his deceased
friends only son. This was chiefly why
Lord Pctersield went to stay there, to
please Sir John ana as an act of duty to
his fathers memory; for he cordially de
tested making one i'll the house party,
although to be sure, he liked al the mem
hers of the Wcntwarp family well enough:
and if he had to visit anywhere, he would
have chosen their house in preference to
most others. For one thing, they under
stood his character. and did not worry
him with excessive hospitality. And
then for another, the daughters OF the
house, Mabel and Nlaud--vcry pretty
girls, TOO, by the way-dd- mot run after
him or make eyes ut him. They were
simply friendly and cordial toward him,
and treated him with just that amount of
attention that an amicablc politencss re-
quircd.
The event round whichs-cverything cen
tered-u triiling event, too, in itselt-oc-
CURED ut dinner on the second night OF
his visit. And it arose out of the poor
vscount's iniirmty-his weakness for
tight shoes.
Now Viscount pctcrsfield had contract.
cd II deplorahlc habit of CASING his
pinchcd toes 10y kicking Off his pumps
during the progress .of dinner, and only
rcstming them just before he had to
jump up in Difference to the rising of the
ladies. On this particular OCCASION he
made no exception tn his usual habit.
He was rather sorry when he saw Lady
Wentwarp preparing to make the signal,
and he had to feel for his vacant pumps.
He found them and got them on in time
-phewl Certainly they were abomi-
nably tight When he stood up and
novel buck the adjacent chairs, they
really did hurt him numerically. They
seemed to throw him forward on his toes,
zoo, in way to which he was not accus-
TONED. IIilloa. What was this? He
looked down ut his feet. y throb of deep
annoyance, of dismayed embarrassment
shook him. Only rs the last fair diner
swept past him, on her way cut, did he
realize that his toes were being tortured
in pair of lady's@..shoes.
They were high hceled. of black satin,
with large roscttcs and silver buckles.
He had no difficulty in recognizing them.
They were Mabel Wcntwarp's. Then he
saw how it was. An embarrassing acct
dent! An unintcntional exchange The
young lady must have kicked Of her
shoes also, and meaning to resumc them.
have unknowinglY resumed his instead.
And so She has gone OF 10 the drawing
room i'll his pumps, and he WAS left to
make what shift he could with the black
satins and rosettcs.
After carefully CONSIDERING the matter
in his extremely agitatcd mind he decided
that his hest course was u slip away, on
some pretcXt or other while the gentle.
men were still Smoking their cigarettes;
then to hurry upstairs to his bedroom
and exchange the satins FOR Il second pair
Of pumps, which he remembered that he
had fortunately, brought with him. As
his chair happened to be close to one Of
the exit doors of the dining room, he be-
lievcd that he could retire without his
feet being noticed. And once out of the
dining room, there was little further
danger Of coursc-for none of these
matters escaped his anxious thoughts
there would still be before him the task
of restoring the black satins 10 Miss
Mabel. But that was Il less pressing
and Immediate necessity; for the young
lady had doubtless, ere this, discovered
her mistake, and changed his shoes for II
pair of her own. Having decided on this
line OF actlon-with IL very red fnce-;i
few excuses and apologies To his host and
then performed II speedy and, skillful exit,
with SO much rapidity as to make it i'm
possible for the blacl; satinS to be seen.
Now, rs he passed with nervous and
rapid stealth along the corridor which led
to his room. he happened to notice That
one of the bedroom doors on the way
stood open. lie recognized whose room
it WAS 1t was Mabel Wcntwurp's. He
had often seen her go in..ssand ont And
seeing that the chamber was in darkness
and evidently empty, it flashed across
| him that there was IL grand opportunity
OF restoring the young !ady's shoes to
her, without difficulty or cmbarrassment
In an instant heshad popped. them safely
inside the door of her room, and was pro-
ceeding with II lighter heart toward his
own apartment ut the end of the passage
On reaching his own room he turned up
the gas and was about to hunt out his sec.
On1 mir of MIN NC from IN ,l,nn ri ,rhnr,