Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-05-21


young ladies' He used to talk to me
sometimes at parties, but l was always
stiff and silent. Hesmade me feel shy
and ignorant and lightminded somehow,
the only man that ever did, and quite
thought that disliked him. In fact,
used to say so. Several of the girls felt
the same
"The Peytons lived in these rooms
last winter. Dear mel is it only last
winter 1tseens as II It must have been
years ago, so much has happened since
They were lovely people, gay and kind,
always giving the pleasantest little par
ties. They've gone to Europe now, or l
should want you to know them. Well,
they were going to have little dinner
on Mrs. Peyton's birthday, the I'd of
December--just the Dalryniples and Sar-
geants; and Mrs. Peyton was to ask a
gentleman to match me; eight of us
there were to be. Harry Allen was to
be the gentleman. He was great ally
of mine, and we all agreed that it would
prove quite a perfect little affair.
1.-The very DAY before l had a note
from Mrs. Peyton to say that Harry AL
lens stepmother was dead, and she must
get some one else. Who would | like?
| wrote back that il didn't matter much
Leslie Clark would be nice If he were
disengaged. But though / said so, l did
care quite good deal. You know it
makes a difference who takes you in at
one of those little dinners. Your even
ing is pleasant or stupid according to
whether the person next to you is nice
or not; so / hoped Leslie Clark would be
available; for, though he doesn't amount
to very much, he is always chatty and
| pleasant ct hOnln1e dL monde.
| Somehow I had a feeling that the
evening was going TO be important! Isn't
it strange how such impressions seize
upon you? l never took more pains
with my toilet for any party, and my
dress was lovely, though l say lt-one of
those cream-white Chinese stuffs made
up over pale yellow; and had splen-
did great velvet red rose, with all the
smell'of the summer in it, for the c0rsdqe
and set of brown crystals. really
looked remarkably nice, and set out in
the highest spirits. So you can imagine
my feelings when, just as / was getting
out of my carriage, another drew up, and
James Alsop stepped out in dress-coat
and gloves, evidently bound for the din
ner Leslie Clark had proved engaged,
and Mrs. Peyton, casting about for
substitute, had lighted on James. Sue
hadn't the least idea, of course, that
disliked him.
at makes me laugh to recollect how
cross felt. And he looked equally dis
satisfied. He confesses nOao that he was
good deal put out. My shyness and
avoidance had rebuffed him, and he had
made up his mind that I was frivolous,
and that he would let me alone in fu-
ture.
with vague hope that he might be
bound for the first story or the second, l
remarked, Good evening, Mr.. Alsop.
Are we both en- route for Mrs. Peyton'sY
"' For Mrs. Peyton's,' he replied with
stiff little bow. Then we took our
place in the elevator as gloomily as
though we were going to a funeral in.
stead of dinner party. Dear me, how
funny it was The man below started
US, and up we went. There wasn't any
elevator boy then. That's an improve
ment put in since our accident"
can accidentl Did you have one"
| "Oh, dear, yes-the most ridiculous
possible. Halfway between the second
| 199I and the third the elevator stuck.
never been able to understand, though
James has explained it several times
But I think the chain was clogged in
some way and wouldn't work either up
or down. When it first stopped we
thought it some mistake, and waited pa
tiently, but after minute James grew
uneasy He twitched the rope, but all to
no purpose then he began to call, hoping
somebody below would hear us.
ave were so near the Peytons' floor
that we could see the light shining
through the glazed door at top. The
elevator had an open-work root-criss'
| cross, you know, with quite large holes
r between the criss-crossings. 1t was not
dark; we could see each other plainly
By and by we heard bells ringing below
: in distracted way, feet running upsth'
5 stairs, and voices then the door at toI
shot back and some one called out:
, "'Miss Blodgett, are you thereY
: {" Yes l said j wish l wasn't
t "'What's the matter with the pulleysi
: called out James.
: "'Oh, Alsop, you too? 1t isn't tn
e pulleys, they say; it's something else
But it's sure to be all right in few min
+ utes; they've sent for man to come an
G fix it,
"'Was there ever anything so provoB
d" ing since the world beganY chlmed il
Mrs. Peyton. Q could just dimly Sc
8 her profile through the open-work
:. Don't catch cold, Estella, whatever 20
do. Keep your cloak tightly around yol
You'll see that she's wrapped up, won
l. you, Mr.. Alsop? It's such comfort tht
IS you are there to take care of her
n "Are you warm enough| aske
James in formal voice.
u eyes, indeed;' and | showed him thu
n my wrap was lined with fur.
F''That is well,' he said there
sr always a draught in a shafoGske this
lie "Well-of course nobody could kee
re on being stiff under such circumstanc'
we got to talking. The dinner part
l. arrived, the Dalrymples and Sergeant
II, One by one they came to the glazed do
1T to look down and pity US, and what b
tween sympathy and the ludicrous natu
~ of our fix, they laughed and we laught
n till we were in the merriest of MOOD
All this time confused sounds of scra
o. ing and saving came from below, but
Il, femained immovable.
ed ".Do go to dinner, called out, for
IL knew Mrs. Peyton's cook must be
tenterhooks. "We don't care for sou
la do we, Mr.. Alsop? We will come in
the fish,
We GO No, neither of us eats SOUP echo
ret James spray begin without us, M
ed Peyton. Well make our appearan
MT when you get TO something we like
z There were all sorts of polite
he murs, of course, but at last they we
ar away and left us tete-G-tete.
its "fThis is absurd enough, said Jam
"I 80 Yes,' said; but, after all, it mig
,re be worse. 1t is only to forget that
a can't get out. Let's make believe, as
children say, that we are at party, a
out that this is a cozy little boudoir IL
ul, which we have come on purpose to +
up and entertain each other, and 1t will
, a quite nice
of '''I had no idea you were such
ant philosopher, said James. | could
ons that he was smiling behind his mustae
lie A boudoir be it, by all means, and
aoiH entertain each other
ave did. What we talked abor
you couldn't pretend to say-everything
no, heaven and earth, l think-poeI
r. science, religion, gossip. James say
pre- was the pleasantest evening he c
spent. He says l never looked so pre-
A 4 4. a wrsas III