Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-12-01
For a Pinch
, Of Snuff
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

from the city hall, when he met Ger
trude SprIngslcud, the daughter Of q
China merchant, going to her home on
the Battery, The two were lovers and
expected 10 he married after young
Wathcrspoon's graduation which was
to occur In the following June, Before
seeing his hancee coming he took his
snufiboS from n pocket In the voluml
nous skirt Of his coat and, placing a
pinch between his thumb and finger
crammed II up first into one nostrll
then into another, shifting Justify.
"Oh, Walter" said the girl when
they met, III father knew you snulrcd
II would be all up with us! He dctcsts
the habit and would force me to break
with YOU"
'In that case, Mistress Gertrude" re-
piled Walter, 81 must not let him see
me snunlng"
But suppose he hears that you
snuff2"
"You Nre right, must drop the hab
II tin ut least after we He married"
Taking n lacQuercd box from his
pocket, he handed It to Gertrude, tell
ing her to keep 1t till after the we'd
ding, at the same time promising her
that he would not buy another or more
snulf til they had been married,
Now, WatherSpoon was poor as n
church mouse and was Obliged to work
his way through college, which he did
by giving so much Of his time as he
could spare from his studies 20 n tai.
low chandler, Gertrude ON the con
trary, was the only child and heiress
to what v'aS then large fortune, Nat
urally the young man was 10th to lose
his sweetheart and did not relish losing
the fortune she would bring him.
WatherSpoon worked hard all winter
both at his studies and pouring melted
tallow into candle moldS. After few
weeks he found that he could get on
very well without snullng and assured
Gertrude that there would be no trou.
BILE for them ON that score He even
declaked that taking tobacco into ones
nose was filthy habit, and he would
never resume 1t, which was, of course,
very pleasing to her
A new convert is always an enthus
astlc convert. Walter, having thrown
off the shackles of bad habit, called
the attention of his friends to its dis
agreeableness to others than the snuff
err Why should one pause while chat
ting with another to cram nasty pow
dered weed into his nose making n dis
gushing noise through his nostrils and
leaving his nose smeared with tObaccoE
His friends listened deferentia,y 90
his protests, but paid little attention to
them not infrequently taking out a
snuffboX, offering it to him, then TAX
ing pinch while he was speaking
Walter kept his promise to his fan
Gee, nobly refraining from the habit he
had eschewed In due time he was
graduated from college, and his father
in-law to be had consented that he
should go into his counting room on the
street facing the East river and begin
preparation to take position as mana
ger Of the business when Mr.. Spring
stead retired. While learning the bust
ness Walter was to draw a nominal
salary.
Walter was the envy of all the young
men in town. Engaged to lovely girl
and heir to fine business. Surely
providence had favored him.
The wedding day opened bright and
beautiful. Walter, after breakfast,
went to the Springstead home and was
placed in front room which faced the
bay to await the hour for the Cere-
mony. The sun glittered on the wave
lets. The islands to the left, the right
and In the distance stood out clear and
green. Directly in the foreground was
the old fort about which the city had
grown and prospered. Walter was SUI
premely happy.
The door opened and Gertrude came
in bearing the snuffboX he had given
her months before.
81 can't leave this here" she said
-'After have left mother will go
through my room. and it will be dis
covered"
"Give it to me-" said Walter. Il will
take 1t away with me and get rid Of 1t
on our wedding trip"
Gertrude handed him the box and
FASTENED away to be robed in her we'd
ding garments, Walter opened 1t and
held it under his nose. What a deli
Cious fragrance! How pleasant it
would be to take just one pinch! TAX
ing little of the snuff between his
thumb and finger. he held it near his
nostrils. Then he thought of the risk
he would take if he INDUCED and put
it back in the box. But he took an.
other pinch, and again the aroma
greeted his nostils.
Mr.. SpringStcad, passing through the
hall, heard a violent Sneeze. Opening
the door Of the room from which it
seemed to come there was Walter with
AN open en.ffhoy in one hand and his
handkerchief in the other He greeted
his fathcr-m-aW to be with another
Enecze
When, couple of hours later, guests
arrived to witness the nuptials they
y-orn incnrp,pJ tIot tboro would lao ,,,