Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-15
CHANGED SHOES.

Young Viscount Petersfeld was re-
markable for three things, his intense
bashfulness, his indecision of character
and his abnormally small hands and
feet On the latter he particularly
prided himself
He was the most eligible Of bachelors.
Equally, Of course, he was being ever
lastingly stalked by husband hungry
mammas and daughters. But they could
make nothing Of him. Their most
sirenio efforts simply frightened him.
But exemption was impossible. He
was young, single, viscount. He had
$125, 900 year.
One autumn, three or four years ago,
Lord Petersfeld went down into Sussex
to stay with his friends the Wentwarps,
at Wentwarp hall, very fine old coun-
try seat.
For one thing, they understood his
character and did not worry him with
excessive hospitality. And then, for
another, the daughters of the house,
Mabel and Maud-very pretty girls,
too, by the way--did not run after him
or make eyes at him. They were simply
friendly and cordial with him.
Now Viscount Petersfeld had con-
tracted deplorable habit Of easing his
pinched toes by kicking off his pumps
during the progress of dinner and only
resuming them just before he had to
jump up in Difference to the rising of
the ladies.
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-phew! Certainly they were
abominably tight! They seemed to
throw him forward on his toes in a
way to which he was not accustomed.
Only as the last fair diner swept past
him, on her way out, did he realize that
his toes We're being tortured in a pair Of
lady's shoes.
They were high heeled; of black satin,
with large rosettes and silver buckles.
He had no difficulty in recognizing
them. They were Mabel Wentwarp's.
Then he saw how it was. An unin-
territorial exchange The young lady
must have kicked off her shoes also, and,
meaning to resume them, have un-
knowingly resumed his instead
He decided that his best course was
to slip away, on some pretext or other,
while the gentlemen were still smok-
ing their cigarettes; then to hurry up
stairs to his bedroom and exchange the
satins for second pair Of pumps,
which he had fortunately brought with
him
Having decided on this line Of action,
he murmured-with very red face-a
few excuses and apologies to his host,
and then performed skillful and speedy
exit with SO much rapidity as to make
it impossible for the black satins to be
seen.
Now, as he passed with rapid and
nervous stealth along the corridor which
led to his room, he happened to notice
that one Of the bedroom doors on the
way stood open. He recognized whose
room it was. 1t was Mabel Wentwarp's
In an instant he had popped them safely
inside the door Of her room and was
proceeding with lighter heart toward
his own apartment at the end Of the
passage.
On reaching his own room he turned
up the gas and was about to hunt out
his second pair Of pumps from cup
board when his eyes fell upon his best
pair-the pair which Mabel Wentwarp
had appropriated -standing i'll a con-
spicuous position by his dressing table.
He saw how it was Miss Mabel, hav-
ing discovered her mistake, had had the
promptness and delicacy to replace
them thus in his room. It twas certainly
most tactful and considerable Of her.
When they joined the ladies, Lord
Petersfeld still, however, felt rather
nervous in case any of the fair guests
might have shared Miss Mabel's discov-
cry about the exchange Of shoes. But
he was soon set free from anxiety on
this point by Miss. Wentwarp herself,
who, taking the opportunity to approach
him as he stood for a moment alone,
murmured, with blushing, downcast
look:
II found out our little mistake, Lord
Petersfeld, and at once restored your
property to your room. Sh! No one
knows anything about it. Ahp' (turn.
ing her eyes down upon his vanished
toes). IT see that you have already re-
NJ q ~, Oh xyov,,, rxr,ntit
At that moment Julia Slanderson
swooped down upon her prey and to
his great annoyance forcibly annexed
him for the rest Of the evening.
Next morning after breakfast the un-
fortunate viscount noticed that this per-
sistent young lady was still lowering on
the pounce. He evaded her at the ex-
pense Of some skill, and slipped off into
the dampest and most secluded portion
Of the garden to enjoy his cigar alone.
Mabel Wentwarp startled him by sud-
denly appearing at his side. Her face
WAS white and distressful. Her eyes, he
noticed, where bright with unshed tears.
"Oh, Lord Petersfeld," she exclaim.
ed, forgive my intrusion, but I saw
you come out, and have followed You,
because I-I-have something Ill
must tell you"
"I-I-trust there is nothing the
matteri' remarked his lordship look
ing embarrassed and conscious Of .
vague sense Of alarm.
s'I-T-cannot deceive you. A great
deal ia tho mattAr And---it hna all