The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-18
LOVE IN LEATHER.


No wonder he looked bit leathery; n
wonder he tied his tie In manner sup
gestipg shoe strings and expressed his o.
Innate Of fellow mans character by tn
mysterious letter A, Il or ID. He wa
Gin the shoe business" He always ez
pressed 1t in that way as sounding some
what better than the more vulgar az
knowledgment, II am a clerk in shoe
shop" But he was And his fingers ha
tied and united more shoe laces than eve
the foreman of the establishment. Now
although his eyes were q trifie weak, nc
to say pink and watery, his trousers knee
shiny, and though he possessed severa
other unpleasant drawbacks, his heart wa
q heart after all.
He never knew he had heart until tn
day she came to get some slippers to wea
at her own coming out party. Mamm
was with her-mamma, ponderous ant
imposing, but whose shoes he had fitte'
for years with all the patience imaginable
Said mamma that day as she swept int
the big Aop:
Where Is Mr. Jenkinsonp could never
think of having shoes fitted by any othel
young person.
So when they called him-he was at the
hack of the shop explaining lucidly the
intrioacies of IA transfer clerk TO lady
from out of town, who was suspicious OF
fraud In the mattcr-he came at once.
"I remember-fives G, isn't its'' said he,
bowing before her magnifcence OF furs
and silks.
.Oh, but it isn't today, Mr.. Jenkin-
son." said mamma, in superior way.
"It's twos and the narrowest you have. I"
And then, for the first time he saw her
or rather her foot, for, after ALL it 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 shocmaker's lasts.
Not foot for an artist to admire-not in
the least-but foot to wear and dance in
q No. Q shoe in q 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 I'm never going to wear ones
again, you understand. until I'm either
married or dead, said the email, impe.
rious voice, essaying laugh.
"Horrorsi" said mamma. What reck-
less way of talking you have learned at
schools feel quite Like finding fault.
do indeed"
But she only laughed asain and skipped
merrily out to be tucked into robes by q
pompous footman.
After that, when that footman waited
before the door OF the shop, IL was more
often "twos, quite Narrow" than "flves,
broad"
And poor Mr.. Jenkinson!
How could . little girl Just from school
and rcveling in her first season know that
who never so much as dared raise his
pink, watery eyes from her feets
"Shes got the dandicst foot in town,
bless herl' Mr.. Jenkinson would say to
himself.
And he came to brood upon It, Once,
when she tried on walking boots, she kick
cd of 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 worm
That night Mr.. Jenkinson instituted
shrine. 1t consisted OF a corner cabinet OF
walnut, which was adorned as to exterior
with knitted mat and a 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
II 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 be among the exhibits! And
she never knew. That fact impaired a
strange melancholy to the air, in Mr..
Jenkinson's opinion. And how busy she
kept himl Pink shoes, blue slippers, green
satin and lemon satin and such wicked,
wicked roscttes and heels!
At last-for there is always that inevita-
Bile "at last" In affairs of the heart, even
though 1t be not shoeman's heart-there
came to Mr.. Jenkinson a blow--a bitter,
bad blow You would not think pair of
white satin high heelcd "No. 2's, mar
row." could administer as severe n one.
But SO it was. Had she not said, II will
never wear another pair Of white ones un-
til I marry or dieS" And she was very
much alive. He could not wish her dead
ah, no-but IL was very hard to bear. He
leaned quite over that little dear foot as
IL fitted the slippers Of u bride upon 1t.
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 Fifine, the little maid, said in
horror as she fitted them upon the brides
silken covered foot: But, madam-but,
miss-there are really strange marks
upon the satin! One might call them
tears!' Its too late to do anything about
1t now!' said mamma fussily. "But
really 1t was very careless of Mr.. Jenkin-
son' As matter Of fact, they do look
like tears. i wonder
And II they were tears" cried the lit
Tie bride, ARE not tears pcarlsP And or
dered them" Poor Mr.. Jenkinsonl-Jo-
hanna Stats In Philadelphia Press.
Eton q Typical English Town.
The houses at Eton are clustered about
the college md look very co,n Sorx.l,. ~