Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-10-29
My Lost Key.
BY NJ RANDOLPH.

Il say, Philip, have you seen my port
monnaie?"
Mr.. Walters brow contracted slightly
at the words, and he drew away the hand
which had been caressing his wife's pref
ty hair"
as that port monnaie lost AGAIN."
Now, Philip" said the little woman,
with q world of pretty penitence in the
heightened word, don't scold. Uponmy
word, it's the first time I've mislaid il
this whole morning"
Its too provoking Cora, said the iron.
hearted husband, pushing back the books
on the table before him with a movement
denoting intense irritation. Twill You
never break yourself of the careless habit,
my lover"
Cora was silent, looking down like a
naughty child who had been chidden.
"Youdon't know what annoyance these
careless habits are TO a methodical man
like myself, DEAR" he added in a gentler
tone, as the coral lips began TO tremble
and the eyes to suffuse. DO try to be
moro thoughtful. for my sake. Here is
your lost treasure" he added, quietly
drawing a tiny case of pearl and gold from
his pocket. II found it lying on the
stairs and thought it a most excellent op-
portunity for giving my careless little
wife a lesson"
Cora clapped her little hands at the
sight of the restored treasure and danced
out of the room in girlish glee.
"a perfect child" murmured the hus-
hand, looking after her with q smile and
asigh blending unconsciously into one an
other.
'WellifI don't make haste l hal be too
late TO meet the engagement on Cedar
street. Let me see, the notes are in my
secretary, l believe. Nothing like looking
up things and keeping the keys yourself.
If Cora only followed my example"
Mr.. Walter paused abruptly, seeking in
his various pockets, with nervous haste,
for something which seemed not TO be
forthcoming.
Very strange" muttered he, biting
his lips, Il always put it in that vest pock-
ct. Possible l may have laid it on the
table among those papers,
The aforesaid papers rustled hither and
thither like animated snow fakes as Mr..
Walter hurriedly sought among their con-
fused masses, but it was all in vain.
II can't haye lost it" he exclaimed, in
dire perplexity. And every one of those |
notes is locked up in the secretary, with
no earthly chance of ever getting at it.
But | am certain the key can't be lost
| never lost anythingl 1t won't do 10
wait many more minutes-Fu just put on
q clean shirt and run down town. Hang
the key"
MI. Walter hastened to his room to COM
plete the details of his toilet, ere he left
the house, but his trials were not yet des-
tined to terminate. He was a methodical
man, therefore his bureau was carefully
locked, healways kept things in one place,
therefore the keys were snugly reposing
in one corner of the inaccessible secretary.
He rushed frantically back to the libra
~, hoping that the key might be on the
mantle-piece where he had not yet search
ed. Nc it is not there, but a treacherous
inkstand was-the contents whereof. by
one unlucky sweep of the elbow, descend
ed in an ebon cataract over his shirt bosom
the shirt bosom upon which alone he had
depended.
well, here is a catastrophe.," he muir
INJURED gloomily, staunching the inkv aow
with his pocket handkerchief. HONEY
er, l can button my coat over it for the
present. Let me see-there is that mon
ey l promised to pay to Smithson to-day,
He stopped short, a cold dew of dismay
breaking out on his forehead-the money
drawer was asfxture of the wretched sec
retaryi
Penniless, shirtleSs and paperless, what
moro desperate state of affairs could his
worst enemy desire for him? There was
a lower deep yet, however-would he not
be characterless likewise if his wife should
by any inopportune chance discover that
he, the model of rule and order, had lost
his key? So thought Mr.. Walter as he
strobe off down town TO a day of perplex-
tiles and notifications.
IF ever l tease Cora again about losing
things" he muttered inwardly, as he en-
tered the tea-room on returning home, 81
hope to be drowned with a hundred
weight of keys about my neck! It's a
judgment upon me-"
He unbuttoned his coat as he spoke,
of the ink-stamps of the morn
ing. Cora uttered a faint scream, and
back exclaiming:
my dear Philip, what is the matter
With your shirt bosom tonight" Y
The matter, Oh" said he, coloring
md laughing. y remember now split
, little ink over it this morning, it don't
much" Y
do let me get you another dearl"
No, no." said he, eagerly OBTAINING q
Ter: lit isn't at all worth while. Do sit Il
Town and be easy, my love-"
But Cora started to carry her baby up :
20 the nursery. Just as she reached the
loor something jingled softly in the pock-
It of her little silk apron; she stopped in 7
passage way.
''Oh, by the way. Philip, here is the. 81
Key to your secretarie. | found it on the n
room table this afternoon. and"
he added, with an arch sparkle of the
we" / thought 1t would be an excellent q
opportunity for giving my husband a les al
on" g
She laid the key in his hand, and run e
of the room, as lie recoiled involunta-
lily from the sound of his own pedantic 70
words. As he contemplated, the gleam-
ne wards of the steel mischief maker, in
delight and modification, the
cho of Cora's merry laughter on the stairs
his ears like a chime of silver
,ells. a
He laughed too-he couldn't help it. j
Mrs. Cora Walter was a discreet little Of
emale. She never alluded to the subject p
keys again and her husband was never all
fter known to reproach her of careless ~
ess. ~
WHAT GEN. CAss TnIYKs.-We have it oy
n good authority that General Lewis XIII
cordially approves of the Presidents tn
Emancipation Proclamation, and of all de