The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-21
TWENTY-FOUIS HOURS.
CONTINUED.

When we had assembled for dinner in
our smart clothes, thought Major De-
verel the finest looking gentleman 1 had
ever seen-my Valentine was man to
be proud Of. We ladies left the dinner
table early, for VIC had some little ar
raDgement to make for tho entertain
ments of our guests who were expected
in the evening. We had not been many
minutes out of the dining-room when
the three boys rushed out and joined US
in the morning room, where our friends
were to have tea on their arrival. "Oh,
Grace, he is the best fellow going. He
will do anything-everyth will
have charades!'
asked. "Did Major Deverel propose
charades?'
30, no; you can't get him to propose
anything. i go with the stream on Val
entine's day. he said"
Our boys were very fond of acting.
and, with very little help from others,
they and had got up several very sue
cessful charades that winter. They were
all impromptu characters. We fixed our
word and how the syllables should be
expressed, and then left oil the acting
and the dialogue to the inspiration Of
the moment. I knew the boys wished
for charades, and of course knew they
would have all their wishes as far as possi-
BILE fulfilled. They had been brought
up on the very mot over) indulgent
principle, and were not the least spoilt
by it. So charades we were to have,
and Major Deverel was to act with us.
"Had he ever acted?" Hundreds of
times, no doubt" 'Had he ever acted
impromptu charades?" ''Nobody knows.
But no matter. He agrees to every
thfbg-says he would not advise, nor
contradict, nor suggest, nor refuse, nor
doubt, nor run away-can you want any
more than that? Don't be afraid, Gracey.
Let us fix on O word"
But I was afraid. Our friends were
arriving; dozen people were in the draw
ing-room already. T had no idea of
making an exhibition of myself with my
Valentine, who had several times treated
this Valentines day as being serious
epoch in his life, and rs something to be
endured with vague wonderings. and on
odd anxiety which he tried to hide with
gay words; but which was something
quite real, and, as it seemed to lne, very
plain to see. and altogether impossible
to account for.
More carriages, more bell-ringing,
more greetings, more tea! My battle
with Bertie was lost. I was defeated.
We were to have charades, and the first
word to be acted was fearful, out of COM
pliment to me.
"You are in that unreasonable state of
agitation that you will scarcely need to
act anything, Gracey." could only sit
and smile; 1 was beaten. and very nmia-
BILE under my misfortune.
Now, the room in which we acted, was
long drawing room. Standing at the
top of this room, if you looked down its
length of over thirty y-three feet, you saw
two doors; one was Mt the end of the
room on the right hand and led into a
library, the other at the side, as fur down
as could be, and led into the hall. Our
only preparation for our favorite pas
times was to bring into the room two
large screens. They were so placed as
to divide off the end of the room which
was to he our stage, and to hide the two
doors by which we came on and went of.
The middle space between the scleens
was marked off by a row of wax lights
on the floor, and fence made by long,
trived for the purpose. The only pecu-
liarity of this drawing room, arose from
the fact of its having been made by
throwing two rooms together, by which
means there were two tire-places. One
was at the end opposite our stage, the
other in the centre of the left hand side,
and opposite the windows. They had
CRATES and chimncy-pleces exactly alike,
and each had looking. glass which reach
ed up to the cornice of the room. The
glass over the side of the chimney piece
could be seen perfectly by the actors,
and when at the further end of the stage,
our ''situations" were reflected in it.
Before the oharade began, spoke to
Major Deverel. "The syllable fear is to
be a scene with banditti, you know; you
are to be just entering the stage from
the library. I, and my friends and the
maid are to come on the stage in state
of terror, the banditti having robbed us,
and turned us out of our carriage.
rush mp to yon to save us-and you''-
he was listening with the drolest half
smile upon his attentive fuce. / know I
looked alarmed for the success of any
acting that he might be concerned in.
and he read my thoughts exactly.
Don't be frightened before the
time" he said. II won't arrange any.
thing. Whatever you may do I shall do
exactlv as 7 OuUht TO- T moan 40