Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-01-25

with the other, was to be in the custody,
etc. Now you understand why wanted
Mr.. Cousins key.
Eth, my!" said the servant, open
ing her mouth wide, "and what might
you want Mr.. Cousins key for?" .
just as stupid as you, you see.
was mad with the girl. own always
get out of temper with those Yorkshire
people. If you ask 'em tho simplest
question, first they open their mouths
and cape at you. When you've re.
peated the question twice, they shut
their mouths and think for bit. Then
the i1ea seems to reach the thing that
does duty with 'em for brains, and ex-
cites a sort of reflex action, for, by jim
go! instead of answering your question,
they go and ask you one. And that
makes me so mad. Oh! they're a very
dense race, those Yorkshire people.
"Why, to open the safe, you stupid,
said I. Where is he?"
Don't ye know?" says she.
Know Icried in rage. "What
should I ask you for, if 1 did know ?"
"Didn't thou know he were at that
house? {"
Ah! so he was. I'd nearly forgotten
that he was one of the guests at my
wife's party. Clearly, I couldn't get
the safe open, and I didn't like to leave
the money i'll my desk, SO put it in
my pocket, and took it home, thinkin.
I'd give it to Cousins with my key, to
put it in the safe when he returned.
A nice mess got into when reached
home; for you see it had been arranged
that was to go up stairs and dress be-
fore anybody came; and that then our
room was to be made ready for the Ia
dies to take their bonnots off-for they
were not all carriage, people. Well,
you never saw such thing! When 1
got home and crept up stairs to dress
the people had all come, so the servant
said-there were six muffs, and four
bonnets, and five pork-pie hats, and
half a dozen shawls on the bed; and
one lady had left her everyday curls
hanging over the looking glass. Upon
my word, I really didn't like to perform
my toilet among all this feminine gear;
and there WIS no lock to the door; and
my dress clothes were all smothered up
amongst these muffs and things. But
1 got through pretty we'll, and had just
got one Of my legs into my trousers,
when bang-atrop-drop-drop! such a
rattle at the knocker, and I heard my
wife scuttling away into the hall. They
were the Markbys our trump cards, who
kept their own carriage and everything
grand.
$50 kind of you, dear" said my
wife, kissing Mrs. Markby most affec-
tionately, I could hear the reports where
l stood.
so delighted! Really, how nicely!
how beautifully you arrange everything;
can't have things so nice, with all my
servants and
"Run upstairs, dear, do" said my
wife; "you know the room-my room,
right-hand at the top of the stairs"
heard q futter of female wings on
the stairs. What was I to do? If 1
could have managed the other leg,
wouldn't have minded, but couldn't.
I hadn't worn those dress-things for a
good while, and don't get any thinner
as grow older No, for the life of me,
I couldn't dispose of that other leg ut
such short notice. What could I do :?
I could only rush to the door, and set
my back against it. Did I tell you this
was our house-warming party? Think
not. Did tell you our landlord had
altered the house for us, making our
bedroom larger by adding slip that
had formed a separate room? I think
not. And yet ought to have told you
all these circumstances, to enable you
to understand the catastrophe that fol-
lowed. In word, the door opened
outwards. I'd forgotten that peculiar
ity-never having room SO constituted
before - and never will again. The
. door went open with crash, and I
bounded backwards into Mrs. Markby's
arms. Smelling-sa and sal volatile!
Was there ever such an untoward af-
fair?
Rum It'd itimity- tum- de-de? The
music struck up for the dances as
hoped back into my room. I hid my
head among the bolsters and mutfs,