The Mineral argus., 1883-08-23

Come" he said; I'VE might as well
make sure Of this train, after all" and
| before / could find words In which to
couch my objections without giving the
lie to all the fixed principles Of my life,
we we're in the cars.
Charley was buried in his newspaper
ard l was gazing from the window upon
the fast whitening meadows. when the
conductor paused before us with a de-
mand for '~sTickets." They were ready to
hand, but the conductor gazed upon them
blankly.
"Whereto?" he asked, briefly.
"Montclair," replied Charley, with
equal brevity..
Wrong train. Yours left ten min
utes later from the other door. You'd
better get out at Newark. and take 1t
there. If YOU miss il, thereu be another
along in forty minutes"
"It is fortunate that we have plenty Of
time" said Charley to me, as the con-
ductor left us. Aren't you glad that |
have reformed in regard to pune
tuality2"
"O6. very gladr" I said with a slight
tinge of irony, and adding, inwardly,
especially if it leads you to take the
wrongtrain rather than wait for the right
one"
We got out at Newark and took the
next train that came along. Being the
next, we made sure that il must be the
right one, but it wasn't. That train land
eb us at Orange where we spent a quiet
-Four before another Newark bound
train picked us up.
"You see, dear" said Charley, 81 go
upon your principle Of always being in
time. II we keep on taking the first
train that comes along, we shall be sure
to ~: there sometime-if not in time
for the wedding. then, perhaps, in time
for the funeral of all the family"
1--WE shall not certainly be in time for
the wedding at this rate,"I said, half
laughing and half crying. Suppose by
way OF variety, we try the effect of tax
ing the last tTain?"
What and abandon principle? New
erl" cried Charley. However, L think
we will inquire before we try again."
We did inquire, but with the result of
finding that the next train which it
would be possible for US to take would
not reach Montclair until half an hour
after the time set for the wedding.
shall We try it?" asked Charley
~cheerfully. THE wedding may be de-
unpunctual or something"
1 fairly broke down at that.
"Uo, we will not" l said. 81 don't
wanSt TO 60 dragging in just at the tail
end of the ceremony. Pm cold and
tired and wretched", but | was more than
that. l was thoroughly indignant, for l
was sure that Charley had done it all on
purpose. Though / had a hidden con-
sciousness that | deserved a lesson Of
some kind l thought that he had pun
ished me too severely, so had little TO
say to him either then or when We
we're sitting together in the evening.
Charley was too busy with paper and
pencil to take any notice thou b.
"Lelia," he said suddenly.
"What is il 2" ! asked rather sulkily.
81 am thoroughly convinced now"
said Charley, that punctuality is the
king of all virtues, the browning merit
Of humanity; but doesn't it strike you as
rather an expensive one?"
Howl" I asked, melted a little, but
! not much.
"Well l won't speak of to-day, for
that was not a fair test. 1 know you
think that I made all those blunders on
purpose, but | didn't. l suppose the in
toxication of such unusual virtue few TO
my head and muddled my wits, for /
certainly made uncommon hash of that
affair. l had been punCtuAl according TO
/ your ideas, for a month nOw,a and l have
Just been making a little computation Of
the result. l began to practice the vir-
tue on the night of Mrs. Lees reception,
| believer Very well. We each spent
a solitary hour in the dressing room
which, | suppose, may fairly be con-
sidered wasted. Two hours, to begin
with. We went to the opera an hour
too early Though our seats were en-
gaged) on two occasions-six hours.
Theater. ditto, twice-four hours. Six
and four are ten, and two make twelve.
Really. my dear Leila, punctuality is a
noble virtue, but, do you know, II strikes
me that life is too short to practice IT in
II might do for Methuselah or an arch
angel, but for ordinary mortals5"
"Don't Charleyl' l cried breaking
down suddenly. II have been a vain,
conceited, little idiot. l was so proud
of my own virtue, and it is nothing but
a vice after all. / have been beginning
to see it for aver so long, and Ian ready
to say that / will eve waste my time
by being punctual again"
DON'T said Charley, laughing.
This month has done me no end Of
good, for | was inclined to run things
much too close. / was never exactly
late, but l often made a precious tight
shave Of it. Well help each other after
this, won't we, little woman You'll
spur me on and I'll rim you in, n we
will neither of us get out Of temper with
the other. Is it a bargainl"
His hand was out, and his good honest
eyes we're shining into mine, and before
IkneW it my arms were around his
neck, and / was promising any thing
and everything.
So that was the end of our hrst snd
last quarrel that threatened to over