The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-02-12

and gave the sleeper a sudden shake. Al
rapidly as my own motion, my bed-fellow
who had lain with bis back toward me, sprang
to sitting position.
There are such surprises as arc without ter
ror, which deprive us OF our speech, until tho
brain has time 10 act and reason. Such sur
prise do not generate screams and faihts
They are expressed by open mou,hed and 81
lent wonder This was the case with myself
and bed fellow. as we sat upright and stared
Right by my side. with her face within two
feet OF my own, sat young woman, not more
than seventeen, with great datk, hazel eyes
and such:pSe I masses Of brown curis, tuck
cd away tfitler the noatest night-cap that
ever was. She had gathered the bed clothes
with spasmodic jerk up about her throat
and with the most rigid astonishment looked
as though doubling whether she was sleep
ing or waking gazod steadily in my eyes -
Memory serves a man but little in such cases,
but if nv memory serves mo right. it was
who first spoke. | blurtcd out with:
How care you here!'
The speaker stared stl in speechless aston
ishmcnt, but in a moment, as though ava.
kcncd from its stupefca,ion spoke:
"Are You Chafl Morgan
answered in the affirmative.
"WclI, then, Mr.. MorgaH," said the figure,
by this time calm, and with quite as much
dignity as though in the drawing room, IL
am May Stevens, and was put in this room
after an unexpected arrival. Horace had
gone over to neghbors', few miles Off be
fore ! got here, and was not to return till to.
day. That is how ] was put in this room. y
So here ! was, sitting ris a us to his May
Stevens, that mythical lady, for the first
meeting with whom | intended to get up
such u superIaryc toilet! A nice style of in.
PRODUCTION and a nice STYLE of toilet! And
sho-shc by this time was as cool rs the thir.
th.frst Of d ccmb , aud sat looking me right
in the eyes a. | made some rambling cXpla-
nation OF my being in that extraordinary po
slior. IL was lame explanation, wonder
fully mixed up with relevant matter, and |
orammered aud suffered through in way
that should have Disguised any sensible per
son. She seemed To I've seriously pondering
during the recital, and, I its end. lookirg at
me nS though asking the most simple ques
ton in the wor Il, said:
whats To be done?
"Lct me jump out Of the window as came
IN, said l. in a -ickly tone of voice, for the
though, came to me that, to achieve this end,
m"st make some desperate display of my
self in a style OF costume which | deprecated.
She relieved me instantly:
NO, thai will not do; there are people
moving about and yon will be seem
1t was my ruin to siammer out:
Whats to be dotel' For saw that the
little haze.eyed Girl was superior to me in
presence of mind and energy OF action. She
did not wait 'ong TO answer my question.
You must lie still here until | got up
When have left the room YOU can rise, dress,
and 90 away at the fist opporrunitr,' was
her response, delivered in aquiet aud business
like manner.
And so be dill. Under May Stevens com
maud, ! buried my head under her bed
clothes, and kept well covered ill heard
the reIrcalibg footsteps on the stairs, which
was but few moments, though it seemel an
age; then, with desperate bound, sprang
from bed md tunnel tn, key upon the de
parted one. II was the quickest dressing |
ever made, aud | will venture TO say that no
man ever sucakod ont Of his own apartments
more stcal,lily than did
That morning we met. May Stevens and
| at the breakfast table i in the character
Of the newly arrived that morning-aud were
formally introduc d dur the ceremony Of
whith we as'ot ished every one present, and
planted thorn Of wonder in the sides Of Net.
tie and Carrie, by bursting simultaneously in
to = hearty laugh, which we new fail to re.
peat when the memory of onr tint meeting
comes ".
And now cou.in Jane, you have the whole
story Of how | first met my wife.