Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-20
N r. AUGUSTUS SNIPER
l stood in his second-foor
4 back bedroom surveying

" Dack DeurOOm surveying
himself in a small looking
glass. He was arrayed for conquest
and contemplated himself with smile
of complacency.
His necktie was most correct, his
coat was a marvel of tailoring, though
somewhat aggressively new, as was
also the rest of his attire down to his
crimson socks, but here the newness
suddenly ceased, for on his feet were a
pair of the most disreputable old boots
which have ever been worn since boots
were invented.
That they had once been patent leath-
er was apparent, but Of their former
elegance, their white stitching and
pristine brilliancy, there was no sign.
They had been patched, sewn, blacked,
linked, scratched, battered, trodden
down at the heels and kicked out at
the toes to such degree that coster-
monger would have refused to convert
them into Il ''flower for the dinner
table," even accompanied by a shil-
ling, when they had reached half the
state of dilapidation in which Mr.. Sni-
per wore them.
And why did he wear them? Among
his friends his boots We're a constant
source of "envy, hatred and malice;"
his toes were the most pointed, his fit
the most perfect, his leather the most
shiny and his fashion the newest. His
lady friends talked of them, and one
of them had even been known to re-
n hnaot1co hbiS boots
not to be mentioned in the same breath
with Mr.. Sniper's, and she had once
seen him wear one that was patched"
But then no one ever saw him in
the boots he wore in the privacy of his
bedroom. Such toes as he showed to
an admiring world We're not compati-
BILE with the broad foot he unquestion-
ably possessed, and the agony they
made him suffer was only to be al
layed by wearing those comfortable
old friends in his moments of retire
ment from the stage Of suburban So
ciety where he played no unimportant
part in his own estimation.
: Having surveyed himself carefully,
beginning at the top and only lament
LIS llItG INC iiNN lisIliOtl III lltS pre-
,cluded him from wearing a breastpin,
his glance at last rested on his Grim
son silk socks and the boots. AS he
eyed the latter he gave a chuckle and
looked with pride toward a pair of ir-
reproachable patents" which stood on
his chest of drawers in a state of i'm
maculate brightness and glass-like
hardness.
R"It wouldn't do to forget to change
Them" he said, with grin; "by Jove,
what would the dear Katie say? Why,
my chance would be clean gone direct
ly. It's only the other day l heard her
say to Jack Mcdonald that she thought
man who did not wear patent leath-
ers was not fit to be spoken to, and a
patch was perfectly inadmissible in a
lady's drawing-room. And if she were
to see these! Oh, it makes me all of 4
flutter to think of it. Now, 1 must be
cool. What shall do to calm myself?
know, I'll read that book she lent
me; it will do to open the conversation
with" So he sat down in his easiest
chair and began to read
l. ne DOOh, lONCNtI, NuS very tACIl-
Ing, and he never noticed the time till
the clock struck 4, the hour he should
have been at his adored ones house.
So, with an exclamation which one
couldn't exactly say to Sunday
school class without having difficult
ties with the superintendent, he has
tily glanced at himself in the glass,
y,ip1-a1 his hr,1choI ho+
and hurriedly left the house. Fortu-
nately his destination, the house of
DR.. Gum, was not far off, and in six
minutes he was standing on the door
step waiting for the door to be opened
that he might be ushered into the
presence of his Katie, to whom he
meant that very afternoon to offer his
hand his heart, and-his boots.
He heard the welcome footsteps of
the housemaid, and his heart was
beating high with expectation when
looking downward-he saw he had for
gotten to change his boots.
There was no time to retreat, al
ready the door was open. and, before
he could collect his thoughts, he found
himself in the drawlng-room in the
presence of his divinity and several
other visitors of both sexes.
"Oh, 1 am so glad you have come
Mr. Sniper," said Katie. a pretty CIR
with sparkling eyes and neat figure
as she hurried to meet him at the door
Then she lowered her voice to say
"Such a nuisance, those people com
ing"
"Er-er-not at all-er-I assure yor
i" he stammered convulsively
too much unnerved by the discovery
of the state of his feet to have the
slightest idea of what she was saying
beyond vague idea that she was apol
ogizing for something.
Katie gave him one look of con
femptuous anger and turned away
without another word. When pretty
girl tells man she Is glad to see hin