Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-05-05


majestically from Office when shs
caught sight jof her reflection in q
mirror and hesitated. Arthur under
stood and, springing CALAMITY across
the room, with deep bow flung
open the door Of a lavatory.
At this evidence Of thoughtfulness,
Angelica thawed perceptibly. and II
was with a little less than her queen
of-all-the-Russias air that she en-
tered the lavatory and closed the door.
Fifteen minutes later 1t was a DIFF.
ferent Angelica who emerged. Her
face wore its usual aspect. and while
the spots In the gown still looked
big there was a vast improvement In
the general appearance of the gar
ment, and her hat, denuded Of Its
plume, which she bore In her hand.
was really presentablG
Arthur looked at her II she were
butterfly. Angelica, furiously an
CRY, and with soiled face and gar
ments, was relieved of the greater por-
ton Of the visible effects Of Thomas
Jefferson Whites blunder, and re-
stored to a state of PARTIAL calm. was
rather more than charming.
Arthur was humbieness itself as he
bowed her out, and Angelica was
graciousness personifed After which
Arthur sat down and made an honest
effort to clear away the mass Of mail
on his desk. But somehow Angelica's
face as he had last seen 1t continu-
ously intruded itself between his
eyes and his work until, noon arriv-
ing. he gave up despair and departed
for lunch.
Then he sought out his friend Mr..
Samuel Hayes. of the Universal Dry
Cleaning Company.
SAM" said Arthur. depositing his
glass upon the mahogany. can you
clean purple velvetT
Mr.. Hayes frowned meditatively at
the bit Of twisted lemon peel at thu
bottom Of the glass. and finally an
swered confidently:
Show me anything can't clean IN
the dry goods line and I'll blow you
to a dinner"
Two hours later the velvet gown,
carefully wrapped by Arthur's own
hands, was speeding via special mes
senger to the plant of the Universal
Dry Cleaning Company.
II Arthur imagined that his trou-
bles were over he was speedily dis
abused Of the ideal. The expressed
condolences of his friend Sam was not
borne out in deed. 1t proved an easy
task to rehabilitate the hat, but the
gown-ah, the gownl
The stains refused to go, even un-
der the stimulus offered his cleaners.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Hayes learned to an
athematize his friend Arthur in
most whole-souled manner. Arthur,
on his part. thought evil things Of
Mr.. Hayes and took a fiendish pleas
use In exacting the penalty of the
dinner. when that gentleman at last
confessed himself beaten.
Then began a campaign among the
cleaning establishments of the great
city the like Of which was never seen
before. Arthur scarcely ate or slept
Business was neglected. His face be-
came haggard. His eyes assumed a
wild. unearthly light. BY day and by
night the gown was upon his mind
when his thoughts were not coupled
by the owner of the gown, whom. he
had seen several times. ostensibly In
regard to the progress he was making
in the elimination of the spots.
As far as Angelica herself was con-
cerned. she had lost interest In the
fate of the gown. and her attention
became rather forcibly centered In
Arthur.
Summer was passing by. The
gown, like frayed and oft-rejected
manuscript. came back from the last
of the dry cleaners. the pile prac-
tically gone from 1t and the results OF
Thomas Jefferson Whites misguided
efforts bigger and blacker than ever.
Arthur called at the home Of An
gelica, bearing his personal check for
three hundred dollars.
Some hours later he left. The
steps which led up to Angelica's front
door may have been in their usual
place, but as Arthur fioated on air, he
neither saw not needed them. Also,
the three hundred-dollar check re-
posed in his pocketbook.
The following day, the stub bear
ing Angelica's name was marked
Cancelled" and the next following
the name Of well-known
jewelry firm.
Autumn arrived. Thomas Jefferson
White, respondent in a new suit of
black and distinguished by his broad
and happy grin. opened the door for
an endless procession Of guests at An
gelica's home.
AS the harpers struck up the we'd
ding march and the bride giided into
the large drawing room, universal
gasp of establishment went up, when
ii was discovered that instead Of the
conventional white she wore purple
velvet.
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