Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-11-27

I may hope you will not tell me No
when l ask you to be my wife. That is
the question / have come to ask. What
answer have you to give me?"
What her answer was, you know, %
reader, as well as If were to tell you.
Zeke and His Polly.
"Jest you fellows fall right back an
let body out, or there'll be music" he
replied to the army of hack drivers at
the depot, dragging his bride through
the crowd, to the infinite danger of her
slender arm. "I'm a man that reads
the papers, and I know all about ye
and yer low-lived tricks on strangers
Ye may skin some people, but ye don't
rob me without 'rumpus,' ," and lead
ing his timid partner to the other side
of the street, he told her to freeze to the
hitching post while he went to look af-
ter the baggage. He soon struck q bar
gain with hand-expressman, and after
helping him with the trunk into the
cart and trying the key in the lock to
make sure he had the right one, he told
the sable propeller to keep him in sight,
and giving him to understand that if he
undertook to "scoot up airy back alley
with that ere box he'd never live to see
specie resumption" he went back to his
Polly and found her IN tears, frightened
almost out of her senses by crowd OF
boys and express drivers gathered
around her, engaged in a vociferous COM
petitive test as to who should have the
honor of conducting her to her destina-
ton. Her gallant groom recovered the
basket from couple of fellows who
were trying to make it go two directions
at the same time, and choking a boy till
he gave up the satchel, he showed his
hat over till it rested OH the right ear,
took the basket in one hand, the satchel
in the other, and telling Polly to wipe
her eyes and come along, or everybody
at the tavern would think she wasn't
happy, they set off up Plum street. By
this time the darby had got half way
up the hill, and, fully believing they
were about to lose the trunk, which con-
ties, they started off on dead run, with
a dozen small boys and three dogs, chas-
ing in the reaf--the boys filling the air
with remarks suited to the occasion,
punctuated by the banks of the ours.
"Hold on, thar! yelong legged, black
skinned roustabout !" yelled the en-
ragged bridegroom, bounding thirty feet
ahead OF his companion. drop that
'ere trunk, or I'd break every solitary
bone in your old Injnn- rubber earkiss,
We liver-colored son o. darkness ~
The darby, hearing hub-bub in the
rear, looked around, saw the commotion,
and stopped the wagon, until the breath
less couple came up, the bride gasping
and crying, and wishing she was home.
By some special providence they at
length brought up at the Grand Hotel.
made their way into the exchange, and
asked the porter and pretty much every
body else If the landlord was about and
then seeing a benign old gentleman
with sifvery hair and beard, pacing the
thing with head down and hands under
his coat tails
"There he is now" said Zeke, and to
him they at once made their way, and
set down their traps at his toes.
II say, Mister Grand what's the
show for few days board and lodgin'
with ye? We have have no team to
look arter. Jest our two seives-kim in
on the keers ?u
"There's the man you ought to see,"
said "Mister Grand" pointing to the
desk.
"Well, I'm real downright glad to
see ye," said Zeke to the clerk. "How's
things been movin' along with ye-and
say-what dye think? We want to
tie up with ye for spell, if yer prices is
reasonable. Polly an me has just been
| gittin' spliced, an SEEM as she's never
knocked around the world any to speak
of, jest thought we'd kim down to see
the fountain, an the bridge, an have a
peep at the animals in the gardens with
the jaw-breakin' name, an see how
prices stood on Housekeeping traps
There amt much style about US, an so
you needn't go to any extra trouble on
our account. We can eat jest whatever
We set before yer regular boarders-so it's
fresh an the vittles amt too high sea-
soned. We both take milk an sugar in
our coffee. an if it's jest as handy we'd
like to have it three times day. We'd
like to have a room with carpet, handy
to the pump-for may not be around
all the time. and Polly's SO shy she'd
mos likely git as dry as herrin' afore
she'd venture out to git herself drink.
winder. We're not particular what
time we have our meals, an wouldn't
want We to make no change in hours on
our account. Our time amt pressin',
an we can easy fix our programme to
suit the rules o. the house. We'd like
to eat at the fust table, if it won't inter
| fere with regular arrangements, an if
you should all happen to be gone to bed
when we git home from the theater, we
can go round to the back door or climb
| in at the winder-if we have room
downs stairs Poll will make the bed,
Of course. and sweep out the room her
self, so if the hired gal wants to run
over and see her mother, 1 don't know
as we'll raise any objections, pervided
| she gets back in time to peel the perta-
tiers for dinner. If there's any shin-dig
comm off in the house while we're with
We, we won't mind slingin' heel in it,
but then don't mean to insinerate that
We ought to get up dance on account
of our com'in. We're both young an
like fun as well as anybody, but we
don't want to have good time at any
body else's expense. I've got plenty of
money with me, and I intend to pay as
I go-still we're not big feelin', an if
We have any extra circus tickets we're
not above exceptin' few, as I b'leeve
tavern keepers allus has free blow
with such concerns, Specially if the
show ties up with 'ezla.
"We shall want to commence eatin'
I'm the mornin', and you won't have to
keep the table waitin' for us at airy meal.
If we're not here every time the bell
rings, go right along an dish up, am
we'll take our chances with whatever
cold vittles the cook can shake up when
we cit around. Move shan't want
any supper tonight; we've got two
whole chickens, the best part of duck.
six or eight eggs, three pies, a hull raft
o. tarts. pickles an things, an seven
different kinds O. cake in our. basket
here, left from our lunch on the keers,
and If veil list step out an git us tim