The Washington herald., 1913-02-02

thought me OF the slipper. dragged .
forth, rose and approached.
Madam" said I graveIy, ARE you
Cinderella?'
She balanced her lorgnette and stared
first at the slipper. then at me.
Young man. don't be silly. DO /
look like a woman who could wear a
little thing like that? Run along with
you, and don't make fun OF poor old
women. II there is any Cinderella
around here I'm only her godmother."
| For moment I stood abashed. Here
was one who had outlived vanity. or at
least had discovered its wOrthlessness.
Have you no vanity, madam" !
| asked solemnly.
''If I have II has ceased to protrude.
60 and give the slipper to a footman.
and don't keep some girl hopping around
| on one foot"
was almost tempted to tell her who
I was.
Madam. there was time"-I began.
"Oh. yes: thirty years ago l might
have claimed the slipper: might even
have worn t,"-complacently.
Please permit me to conclude: There
was time when you held me on your
knees
WHAT
1T is indeed So
Confess. then. that you were properly
spanked. Heavens and earth,
wherever did you come from?" she eN-
claimed suddenly. sit down beside me
instantly" And she called me by name.
II was the third time I had heard II
that night. had heard 1t SO infrcqucntly
that ! liked the sound of It.
And 1t is really you?" pushing mo of
at arms length the better to observe the
changes that had taken place You
grow more like your father. n you
hadn't that beard you would be tho exact
picture OF your father when hc married
your mother. Oh. what a pretty we'd
ding 1t was
Il shall have TO take your word for
| II. l was up and about, however, at
the tin anniversary"
Il remember. Oh, but what racket
you made among the pans" She laughed
softly at the recollection.
Il was properly spanked that night" &"
l admitted.
And straightway We uncovered thirty
and twenty years. respectively.
BY the way" said carelessly. is
Nancy Marsden engaged to be married."
Nancy? She never Will be. to my
idea. She recently turned down a real
duke-a duke that had money and every
thing
And everything; is that castles"
inquired
''NOnsense,''
We'll. between you and me and the
gatepost. Miss Nancy will he engaged
within two month";"
"No!"-eNCitedly.
''Tt is written.
And to whom. rrav?'
It's the womans place to announce
an engagement. But know the man"
He Is worthy"
oh. AS men go
Then the water-CiOrk in the fountain
struck l2. and spranG up
Mercy. Ill never fiud any Cinderella
at this rate All is lost Il she escapes
me-"
kissed my hand gratefully. and made
! immediately ran into a Young miss
who. Judging f-om her short dresses. was
n guest on sufrerancc. not having come
out Yet.
Are you Cindcrcllac'' asked. with
all tn" gravity could assume
Thank you. sir. but mamma will not
permit me" her checks growing furiously
red.
passed on. willing to wager that tho
little girl had understood me- to ask
her to dance with me
How ! searched among the Young
faces: many ] saw that I knew. but nv
ronfoundcd beard (Which determined
To cut tho very next m rninEi. hid me
as completely as the tabled invisible
cloak. wondered where Jim was
Nancys brother. had seen him in Eu-
rope. and | knew IL he were anywhere
around there would ho one to clap me
on the back and bid me welcom" home.
This prodigal business isn't what it's