The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-04

vi NlftlO iIi
myself growing more and more ner
vous every minute. / had made ur
my mind that nothing should Undue,
me to quarrel with him-quarrelinq
is at once foolish and vulgar-and !
never did. As the time drew on
however, | would say, Charlie,
ought you not to be getting ready 2
"Oh, there's no hurry" was the
invariable reply-''time enough.
AT last however, he would rouse
himself, look at his watch. yawn
stretch, and then rise slowly from
his chair.
THAT bonnet is very becoming.
| suppose that is why you like to
wear it SO long" he SAID on one
such occasion. Then he went out
of the room laughing, and | heard
him move about overhead in the
deliberate way which nearly drove
me frantic.
The worst of it was that he al
ways did manage to be jul; t in time.
If | could only have convicted him
of being just too late for once, |
should have had something to fall
back upon in our arguments, but as
it was | had nothing to take hold of.
Things had gone on in this way
for two or three months. | did not
suppose that Charlie cared, or in
deed, saw. how | fretted about it.
| tried hard to hide my irritation,
for | really loved him, and did not
wish to annoy, still less to ALLEVIATE
him, but suppose that my efforts
were in vain. We were talking
! about a reception to which we were
going in the evening, and | said:
"Now Charlie, dear, won't you be
ready in time, just for once You
do make me waste so much time
waiting for you"
Charlie laughed, as usual, and was
about TO make one of his careless re-
torts, but he stopped suddenly.
I'VE have been married four
months, haven't we, Leila ?" he
said.
-Four months to-day" | said
promptly. 1t was the Sth of August
and this is the Sth of December.
And in all that time you have
not been able to cure me of that
dreadful fault? Poor little girl !
Your hair viii be gray in a year, at
this rate I'm going to try the eff
feet of turning over a new leaf, ald
see how we like it"
| did not know exactly what he
meant then, but began to under
stand when he won't into his dress
ing room the moment | suggestedit.
lie came out fully equipped, even
TO his gloves, before had half fin
ished dressing.
NO hurry, Leila" lac said look
ing in as he passed, II only wanted
to let you know that l am ready
whenever you are. ;"
OF course | had to hurry after |
that, but as / always hurried any
how, it did not make much differ
ence. Charlie said nothing except, |
The carriage is at the door," when /
| came down. OF course, after all |
the fuss | had made, | could not |
say that it was too early to go,
though ] knew very well that it was,
and was quaking inwardly all the
way. Don't you think it would be
pleasant to drive around by Wash
ington square?" | said in despera-
ton.
Washington square?" exclaimed
Charlie, ''are you mad, Leila |
Why not by Philadelphia at once |
Washington square is miles out of
the way"
As if that was not just my object
| could not explain myself, so |
kept still, and we drove to our des-
tination the shortest route. of
course the house was dark when we |
reached it, the hostess entirely un-
prepared to receive, and the waiter
who let us in equally surprised and |
contemptuous at our untimely ar
rival, OF course we had the pleas
Cre OF spending a solitary hour, ! |
in the ladies' and Charlie in the |
gentlemen's dressing-room Before |
we dared descend. Even then we
were among the earliest guests.
Il begin to feel the reward of
virtue already" sighed Charlie, as
we descended the stairs. How
nice it is to be earlyl The carriage
is ordered for one, and I'll be sure
to be ready
He was-and | was not | had
met an old friend, and we were in
the middle of most interesting con-
versation. She was only in New York
en- passant, and l should not see her
again. it was very provoking to be
obliged TO break off in the middle
of our talk; but how could tell
Charlie that ! was not ready, when
he stood waiting with that air of
conscious virtue? 1t was beyond my
power, and, absurd as it was, | had
to say good-by to Annie and 60
had not supposed at first that
Charities reformation was Fperma-
nent, but as the days went on,
was forced to confess that it looked
very much as if it were. Promptly
as the clock struck six in the even
ing, he entered the house, promptly
as it struck nine in the morning, he
left it. No entreaties could detain
him an instant beyond his time.
NO, Leila, my DEAR" was his in
variable reply. II have already
wasted too much Of life by my un-
punctuality. You have convicted
me of my error. Why strive now
to undo the good which you have
done?h
OF course such sentiments ought
to have delighted my heart, and
they did, in a measure. Only in a
measure, however, / must confess,
for | began to think we would be
known everywhere as "the early
birds" 1t was never necessary to
urge Charlie to get ready for any,
where We were always the first in
church; we were waiting at the
door of operas and theaters long be-
fore they were open; at parties or
receptions it was Our inyariable
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