Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-04-16

as though doubling whether she was sleepins
or waking gazed steadily in my eyes. Memory
serves a man but little in like cases: but. if nv
memory serves ms right it was / who first spoke
/ blurted out with
"sHow came you here9'
"The figure stared still in speechless astonish
ment, but in moment, as though awakened
from its stupefaotion, spoke
"'Are you Charles Morgan9'
"'Yes,' was my rather snbdued reply.
"'Well, then, Mr.. Morgan, said the figure
by this time speaking as calmly, and with quite
as much dignity as though in the drawing room
i am May Stevens, and | was put in this room
after an unexpected arrival. Horace has gone
over to neighbor's, few miles off, before
had got here, and was not to return until to-day
That is how was put in this roon.'
$50 here | was, sitting ois-o-vss to this May
Stevens, that mythical lady, tor the first meet
| ing with whom | had intended to get up such
a superlative toilsti A nice style Of introduc-
tion, and nice style of toiiatl And shs--she
by this time was rs cold as the 31st of December
and sat looking me right in the eye, as made
some scraInbling explanation of MY being found
| in that extraordinary position. 1t was lame
explanation, wonderfully mixed up with irrele-
want matter, and stanmered and suffered
through in way that should have disguised
any sensible person. She seemed to be seriously
pondering during the recital, and at its end
looking at me as though asking the most simple
question in the world, said
sssWhat's to be done p
ssLet me jump out Of the window, as came
in said in a sickly tone Of voices for the
thought came to me that to achieve this end
must make some desperate display of myself in
a style of costume which deprecated. She re-
lieved me instantly with:
ssNo, that will not do, there are people mov-
ing about, and you will be seen.'
slt was my turn now to stammer out:
| "sWh hats to be done 2? For l saw that little
hazel-eyed girl was superior to me in presence
OF mind and energy of action. She did not wai
long to answer my question.
"tYou must lie still here while I get up
When have left the room, you can rise, dress
and go away at the first opportunity was he1
response, delivered in a quiet, business-liks
manner.
ssAnd so did under May Stevens command
l buried my intruding head in the bed-clothes
and kept it well covered until heard the re-
treating footsteps upon the stairs, which was bu
a few minutes, though it seemed an age ant
then with desperate bound sprung from the
bed, and turned the key on the departed one.-
1t was the quickest dressing ever made, and
will venture to say that no man ever sneake(
out of his own apartment more stealthily than
did.
ssThat morning we met-May Stevens and a
the breakfast table, in the character of th,
newly arrived that morning-and we were for
lmally introduced, during the ceremony Of whicl
We astounded every present, and planted
thorn of wonder in the sides of Nettie and Car
Irie by bursting simultaneously into heart
laugh, which we have never failed to repea
whenever the memory Of our first meeting come
Iup.''
i ssAnd now cousin Jane, you have the Who'll
Istory of how I first met my wife,