The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-29

Mrs. Davenport's Dilemma.

married people they agreed to differ, and
to each go their own way, quite cordially
enjoying, after the battle was over, mar
rating TO each other what had happened
and counting the dead and wounded
When Mrs Davenport was very young
Mr.. Davenport had carefully accom-
panied her to her carriage, had sent hel
maid to take care of her, and had him
self sat up to receive her when she re
turned. But as she grew older, this sen
sitive care relaxed, and he found she was
quite content to go alone; he allowed hel
to do so, with the family coachman or
the box. She in her turn Was entirely
determined that he should not be de
prived of his natural rest, but should
allow some lesser and more youthful
satellite to sit up and wait for her as she
came home from opera or ball.
There had been talk OF a
night key, but Mrs. Davenport
thought that looked too mascu-
line, and she also had supicion that she
would never learn how to use it. 1t is a
secret difficult of solution to the feminine
mind, that of the latch key. So Mrs.
Davenport, strong in the confidence of
her husbands love, serene of conscience,
and enjoying the devotion of a large ia
mily of servants, who loved her, went off
to Mrs Appleby's ball on the evening of
November 18th, looking lovely.
The ball was large and fine one, and
Airs. Davenport enjoyed it. She is a
popular woman, and both men and wo-
men like her. She would have left at
one clock, her usual hour, but that Herr
Won Bergmans, the new German philol-
ogist, was presented to her, and talked
so well, and was so evidently inspired by
her bright eyes, that she stayed on; and
then the hostess had the great singer,
Laremburinani, who must be spoken to
in Italian, and Mrs Davenport speaks
Italian with the true Tuscan purity.
30 she left the ball very late. Stick
nell, her coachman was sleepy and cross,
and after depositing her at her number
(Which is 80, by the way), he drove off
very quickly. 1t was fine night-moon
brilliant, Mars splendid, Jupiter magnifi-
cent. Mrs. Davenport likes to hook at
the stars, and she gazed upward admir-.
ingly, almost regretting to leave a scene
which decidedly paled the ornamentation
of the ball room ceiling which she had
Just left.
She was destined to see good deal
more of these same stars then she had
bargained for ON that particular night,
poor woman!
She rang sharply.
Nobody came.
She rang again, and again, and again.
Nobody came.
Mrs. Davenport began to feel chilly
about the feet, which were delicately clad
in white satin slippers and silk stockings.
She wrapped her fur cloak about her
and looking up at No. 80, her own fa-
niliar brown-stone, four-story, comfort
able house.
Not sign of movement, although the
yas burned in the hail.
She rang, and rang, and rang. No re-
,ponse.
And then she realized that she was
locked out, that everybody was asleep,
and that she might stay all the rest of
the night. She remembered, alas too
late, that she had trusted to her waiter,
a gentleman Of African descent, who had
been known to 90 to sleep on these night
watches, to let her in. Now he seemed
TO be sunk in the deepest oblivion. But
then if Orlando slept, some one else had
walked, and either reused him
or let her in, Individually. Mrs. Daven-
port shuddered. A night on her own
front stepsl
She kept on ringing desperately, and
pounded the door with delicate fist.
Presently policeman came along, and
TO him she appealed.
ooh! got keyp' said he. 'Let me
help unlock the doorr
"But have not got a keyv' said the
woman. "I never had keyw
"Bad, bad," said the guardian of the
public peace. II never knew them to
wake up. However l will rap for your
So he pounded the blinds with his
club, and made a terrible noise.
Two or three heads looked out of the
opposite window. One invalid at Al
raised window and begged piteously
that her rest might not be thus ruthless
ly ruined.
Lady locked outp' sang the police
man.
"Well! is that any reason why you should
try to awaken the dead?" said the irate
clergyman opposite.
The policeman walked on, leaving Mrs.
Davenport in despair. q
Haven't YOU any friends in this
he asked as he prepared
to move on.
'T should think not" she said feebIy.
She drew her fur cloak about her, and
sat down on the door mat. She had not
regarded that useful article in the light
Of divan before; now she was glad of
even that medium between herself and
cold doorstep. To weep would not mend
matters; to ring, and pound, and rattle
the blinds was useless. Everybody in 80
was hopelessly asleep. She had been for
gotten. She, the core of the whole thing
the handspring Of that vast establish
ment! The husband and her children,
and har sayvauts hod aaoh truaf;ur. +,