The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-14
MRS. DAvENPORT's DILEMMA.

Mn DANENfOhI udIeu Society, Dul
Mrs. Davenport adored it, and so like
amiable married people they agreed tc
differ, and to each 90 their own wav,
quite cordially enjoying, after the battle
was over, narrating to each other what
had happened, and counting up the
dead and wounded. When Mrs. Dav.
export was very young. Mr.. Davenport
had carefully accompanied her to he1
carriage, had sent her maid to take care
of her, and had himself sat up to re.
ceive her when she returned. But as
she grew older, this sensitive care re-
Taxed, and he found that she was quite
content to go alone; he allowed her to
do so, with the family coachman on the
box. She in her turn was entirely de-
termined that he should not be deprived
of his natural rest, but should allow
some lesser and more youthful satellite
to sit up and watch for her as she came
home from opera or ball.
There had been talk of night key,
but Mrs. Davenport thought that was
too masculine, and she also had sus-
picion that she should never learn how
to use it. 1t is secret difficult of So
luton to the feminine mind, that of the
latch key So Mrs. Davenport, strong
in the confidence of her husband love,
serene of conscience, and enjoying the
devotion of a large family of servants
who loved her, went off to Mrs. Apple
by's ball, on the evening of November
II, looking lovely.
The ball was a large and fine one,
and Mrs. Davenport enjoyed it. She is
q popular woman, and both men and
women like her. She would have left
at one o'clock, her usual hour, but that
Herr Won Bergmans, the German
philologist, was presented to her, and
talked so we'll, and was so evidently in
spired by her bright eyes, that she
stayed on; and then the hostess had the
great singer, Larenburi'aasi. who must
be spoken to in Italian, and Mrs.
Davenport speaks Italian with the true
Tuscan purity.
So 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 a fine
night-moon brilliant, Mars splendid,
Jupiter magnificent. Mrs. Davenport
likes to look at the stars, and she gazed
upward admiringly, almost regretting
to leave scene which decidedly oaled
the ornamentation of the ballroom
ceiling which she had just left.
She was destined to see good deal
more of these same stars than 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 cloak about her and
looked up at No. 80, her own familiar
brown stone, four story, comfortable
house.
Not a sign of movement, although
the gas burned in the hall.
She rang, and rang, and rang. Nc
response.
And then she realized that she was
locked out, that everybody was asleep,
and that there 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 de-
scent, who had been known to go to
sleep on these night watches, to let he1
in. Now he seemed to be sunk in the
deepest oblivion. But then, if Orlando
slept, some one else had generally
walked, and either reused him Or lei
her in, individually. Mrs. Davenport
shuddered. A night on her own front
steps!
She kept on ringing desperately, and
pounded the door with delicate fist
Presently a policeman came along, and
to him she appealed.
go! got keyp' said he. "Let me
help unlock the doorr'
"But have not got keyI' said the
miserable woman. 81 never had 9
keyp'
"Bad, bad" said the guardian Of
the public peace. 81 never knew
them to wake up. However, Twill rap
for your