The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-11-21
SEECT STORY.
A FIT OF THE BLUES.

A FIT OF THE BLUES,
"Now, If there's one thing more
than another enjoy, it is a race---of
course, / mean boat race, not the
race human, Tor the latter has caused
me SO many disappointments that !
don't quite take to its members, ex-
ccpting the softer portion of 1.-THE
fair sex-bless their pretty little hearts
that is, when they have got any
ahem !"
This was the substance of solilo-
guy one bright August morning, about
five II. m, at which time the clouds
were leaden-hued and the weather in
clined TO be spitefully unpropitious.
A knock at the door.
"Come in," says /, and Mary Swivel
entered, with delicate pink note, say
ing:
"Please sir, this was left late last
night, with instructions to deliver it at
once; but, as you had gone to bed, ]
kept it till this morning.
How my heart palpitated, at the
sight of the elegant missive, and how
l longed to kiss-not Mary-but it
because my adorable Adela Poynter
had written it.
"All right, Mary said assuming
an air of non.chalance | was far from
feeling; ''it's from Smith, suppose.
A cup of chocolate, please, and a few
biscuits"
When Mary left kissed the billet
dour rapturously, exclaiming:
"My darling | hold you to my lips.
My own precious |"
So elatcd was | that danced around
the room in an insane way, making
the glasses chink on the side board,
and nearly disodging the pictures, ow
ing to the wall being made of lath and
plaster.
Tenderly, gently I undid the envel-
ope-coaxing it open-not tearing it
ruthlessly across as if it were bill
from dunning tailor.
The epistle ran thus:
"DEAR TED.-As soon az the shops
in st. Paul church yard open, ! want
you to get me some light blue ribbon,
and a bouquet from Convent garden,
with plenty Of forget-me-not in 1t.
"Of course, your steam launch will
be waiting at Putney. l can find my
way on board.
"My cousin-Major O'Gardy-will
ciccrone me.
mind, I particularly want that
color. Whatever you do, don't make
6asco of the day (as you did at the
last Derby or III never forgive you.
Yours ever,
ADBLA"
Somehow l didn't like the allusion
to the gallant major, and heartily
wished that she had not deputed me to
undertake the task she has assigned
me.
But what was l TO do? If Adela had
one fault it was imperiousness implicit
obedience to her slightest wish was a
sine qua non and no one more than |
knew this, as l had been snubbed re-
peatedly by her for shortcomings in
that respect.
"Thank goodness y l murmured,
shes only cousin-I'm not afraid of
him cutting me out. He's a regular
veteran, no doubt, with only one eye,
half a leg, and stump of an arm.
don't fear him as a rival-no, not |.
Hereupon began humming, in a
sarcastic way, LET me like a soldier
fall" and somehow, my hand clenched
itself mechanically, as if to suit the ac-
tion of the word on the person of the
absent major.
"Fiasco, indeed!" l grunted, not
liking the alusion to the last Derby.
Especially as Adela might in one of
her playful moods relate it to the ma
jor-how began to hate all military
men who, of course, being my ri
vail felt presentiment that he W as
would twit me about the unfortu-
nate contretemps.
Having taken you, gentle reader, in
to my confidence so far, it is only right
| should open my heart to you, and al
low you to judge at the little incident
to which my adorable Adela referred.
| was in the seventh heaven of de-
light when she consented to 90 to the
Derby with me, thinking, of course,
that we were to have teto a -tete
drive, and talk of love, and soforth,
| like all lovers do, or at least should,
under similar circumstances.
But imagine my disgust when she
sailed into my room, accompanied by a
maiden aunt in green goggles, and a
dog, and her two sisters.
Of course expressed my delight at
the unexpected influx to our party, and
mounting the box of my drag, gave a
silent sign to Adela, unobseryed,
hoped, to take seat by my side. The
horses were little mettlesome, and re-
quired my utmost attention at the mo-
| ment.
How my heart fiuttered with delight
at the rustic of a lady's dress, and,
looking around with a tender smile
full of the light of love, what was my
horror to find that 1t was the ancient
in goggles, and not my darling Adea.
How long the road appeared to me,
although we went over the ground at
a spanking pace.
In vain | tried to enter into conver
sation with my angelic Adela; my
neck was nearly twisted in the attempt
while my face got as red as a peony
with exertion.
The rude remarks that some of the
lower order made-the gentry who
drove in donkey carts and green gro
GERS vans--were quite shocking, all
having reference to the elderly spin
aida