The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-19
LOVE IN LEATHER.

No wonder he looked q DIT leath6ryi no
wonder he tied his tie In a manner sug-
costing shoe strings and expressed his es-
innate Of fellow mans character by the
mysterious letter A, K or D. He was
sin the shoe business. He always ex-
pressed 1t In that way as sounding some
what better than the more vulgar ac-
acknowledgement, 81 am clerk in shoe
shop" But he was. And his fingers had
tied and united more shoe laces than even
the foreman of the establishment. Now,
although his eyes were trifle weak, not
to say pink and watery, his trousers knees
shiny, and though he possessed several
other unpleasant drawbacks, his heart was
heart after all.
He never knew he had heart until the
day she came to get some slippers to wear
at her own coming out party. Mamma
was with her-mamma, ponderous and
Imposing, but whose shoes no had fitted
for years with all the patience imaginable
Said mamma that day as she swept into
the big shop:
"Where Is Mr.. Jenkinson? could never
think of having shoes fitted by any other
young person"
So when they called him-he was ct the
back of the shop explaining lucidly the
intricacies of transfer clerk to u lady
from out of town, who was suspicious of
fraud in the matter--he came at once o.
II remember-fives c, isn't it9" said he,
bowling before her magnifcence Of furs
and silks.
"Oh, but It isn't today, Mr.. Jenkin-
son." said mamma, in superior way.
tI,n, haua "
And then, for the first time he saw her
or rather her foot, for, after ALL 1t was
her foot which stole his heart-healthy
and tough in the matter of pretty feet,
from having been in the business for years
and more.
But that little foot! Or rather those lit
tie feet for he fitted them both. They
were slender, arched in instep, curved like
the most exquisite of shoemaker's lasts.
Not foot for an artist to admire-not in
the least--but foot to wear and dance In
No. shoe in manner to win the heart
of the most blase shoeman.
"White satin, please, and quite jolly
high heels' said a small, imperious voice.
And such dreams of slippers such sug'
gestions of coquetry in the matter of heels,
as the amiable Mr.. Jenkinson procured
from out mysterious green bOxesl
No wonder she was satisfied.
"For Pm never going to wear ones
again, you understand, until I'm either
married or dead" said the small, impe.
rious voice, essaying laugh.
"Horrors!" said mamma. What reck-
less way of talking you have learned at
school! I feel quite like finding fault. ]
do indeed"
But she only laughed again and skipped
merrily out to be tucked into robes by n
pompous footman.
After that, when that footman waited
before the door Of the shop, it was more
often "twos, quite narrow" than "fves,
broad"
And poor Mr.. Jenkinson!
How could little girl just from school
and reyeling in her first season know that
among her fifty odd adorers there was one
who never so much as dared raise his
pink, watery eyes from her feetP
"She's got the dandiest foot in town,
bless her!' Mr.. Jenkinson would say to
himself.
And he came to brood upon It, Once,
when she tried on walking boots, she kick
cd off some tiny mules which she had most
audaciously dared to wear during her trip
into town in the tiny brougham and said
you need not send them home; they
are so worn.
That night Mr.. Jenkinson instituted a
shrine. 1t consisted of corner cabinet OF
walnut, which was adorned as to exterior
with knitted mat and china dog. AT
night, when he unlocked the door Of the
little walnut cabinet, one might see two
tiny half worn mules of bronze kid. That
was all.
Yet many men have worshiped less. And
If on the last great day all is made open
and all secrets disclosed, what strange, not
to say laughable, shrines OF the bachelor
heart will DO among the exhibitsl And
she never knew. That fact impaired q
strange melancholy to the air, in Mr..
Jenkinson's opinion. And how busy she
kept him! Pink shoes, blue slippers green
satin and lemon satin and such wicked,
wicked rosettes and heels!
At last-for there Is always that inevita.
bic nat last in affairs of the heart, even
though 1t be not q shoeman's heart-there
came to Mr.. Jenkinson o blow-a bitter,
bad blow. You would not think a pair OF
white satin high heeled mo. S's mar
row." could administer as severe one.
But so it was. Had she not said, II will
never wear another pair of white ones I'M
til marry or die9" And she was very
much alive. He could not wish her dead
ali, no-but it was very hard to bear He
leaned quite over that little dear foot ms
he fitted the slippers of bride upon it.
She could not see his face as she said,
"Please see that they put real seed pearls
on the tulle rosettes, for these are to wear
with wedding gown" But at the last
moment Fihpe, the little maid, said IN
horror as she fitted them upon the bride
silken covered foot: but, madam-but,
mss-there are really strange marks
upon the satin! One might call them
tears!'' "It's too late to do anything about
1t nowl' said mamma fussily. But
really 1t was very careless of Mr.. Jenkin
sonl As matter of fact, they do look
like tears. / wonder
"And if they were tears, cried the lit
tie bride, "are not tears pearlsp And or
dercd them" Poor Mr.. Jenkinsonl-Jo
hanna Stats in Philadelphia Press.