The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-21

which streamed in | saw that the bed
was occupied, and by the heavy brea-
thing knew that Horace was in heavy
sleep. / would not. therefore, awaken
him, but save the story Of my mishap for
the following day With this resolution
| slipped quietly into bed, and in three
minutes Waa oblivious. What ought /
to have dreamed that nightg But shall
not anticipate. lay facing the windows
as the sun peeped up above the distant
hills and scattered the gray mists Of the
morning MY bcdfellow was breathing
heavily, bui II was broad daylight and
there was no more sleep in me, so was
determined Horace should wake up and
hear the story Of the railroad breakdown
Il turned quickly aud gave the sleeper a
sudden shake As rsmdlt as NV own
notion my bedfcll0w, who had laid with
his back toward me, sprang 20 sitting
position. There are such surprises as are
without terror, which actually deprive
MS OF our speech until the brain had time
to act and reason. Such surprises do
not generate screams and faints. They
are expressed by open mOulhed and ST.
lent wonder. This was the case with
myself and bcdfellow, as we sat upright
and started Right by my side, with
her face within two feet Of my own sat
q young woman not more than seventeen,
with great dark, hazel eyes, and such
great masses of brown curls tucked away
under The ncatest little nightcap that
ever was. She had gathered the bed
clothes with spasmodic Jerk. right un-
der her throat, and with the most rigid,
astonished look, as though doubling
whether she was sleeping or waking,
gazed steadily in my eyes. Memory
serves a man but little in such n case,
but II my memory serves me right, it
was ] who first spoke. blurted out
with:
How came you here 2
The figure stared still in spccchless as
tonishment but in q moment, az though
awakened from iis stupefaction, spoke:
Are you Charles Morgang
Well, then, Mr.. Morgan said the Gg-
ure, by this time calm, and with quite as
much dignity as though in the drawing
room, | am May Stevens, and was put
in this room after an unexpected arrival
Horace had gone Overt 10 n ncighbor's, a
few miles of, before got here, and was
not 10 return till to-day. That is how !
was put in this room
So here / was sitting pis a MS 10 this
May Stevens, that mythical lady. for
the first meeting with whom had in
tended 10 get mp such superlative toilet
A nice style of introduction, and q nice
style of toileti And she-she by this
time was cool as the 9lst of December,
and sat looking me right in the eyes as |
made some rambling explanation Of my
being in that extraordinary position. Il
was a lame explanation, wonderfully
mixed up with irrelavent matter, and
stammered and suffered through in q
way that should have disgusted any sen =
sible 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
! What's TO be dOneg
! Let me jump out of the window as
came in said /, in a siclly tone Of voice,
for the thought came to me that TO achieve
this end | must make somo desperate
display Of myself in style Of costume
which l deprecated She relieved me in
stantly with:
No, that will not do, there are peo-
pie moving about and you will be seen
II was now my turn 20 stammer out:
What's 10 be dOneF For l saw thai
the little hazel-eyed girl was superior tC
me in presence of mind and energy o
actiOn. She did not wait long 10 answer
my question.
You must lie still here while Got ND
| When have left the room you can rise
dress and go away At the first opp0rtu
nifty was her response, delivered in
quiet, business-likc manner.
And so ! did. Under MAY Stevens
command buried my intruding hcat
in The bCd-clOihes and kept il well GOV.
cred till heard the retres,ing footsteps
on the stairs, which was but few mo
ments, though il seemed an age; then
with desperate bound, / sprang iron
the bed aud turned the key on the de
parted one, II was the quickest dressing
ever made, and will venture to say tha
no man ever eneakcd out Of his owl
apartments more stealthily than did.
That morning we met. May Steven
and al the breakfast table-in the char
actcr Of the newly arrived that mOrnin
and were formally introduced durinI
the ceremony Of which we astonishcD
every one present, and planted q thor
Of wonder in the sides OF Nettic an
Carrie by bursting simultaneously into
hearty laugh which we neycr fail to re-
peat when the memory Of our first meet
ing comes zap. And now, Cousin Jan,
you have Che whole story Of how ! lirs
met my wife.