Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-07-11
JUST IN TIME.

JUST In TIME.
A little "sitting room," furnished
as these rooms are in most Ameri
can country places. In one rock
ing chair sat a man Of fifty, saving
himself backward and forward. Ii
the other Il woman, some five years
younger, darniHg stockings Oh. q
mock orange.
Some one ran down the stairs
which led from the room above,
and bursting open the door at their
foot, launched herself into the
room with jump that made the
floor shake. A bouncing girl, with
high color and a waist that told OF
good healtll-a pretty girl full of
life and merriment.
She wore a bright muslin dress
and had plenty of ribbon at her
waist, in her hair and above her
throat, and she carried her hat in
her hand and crossed the room
without a pause until her hand WAS
on the door latch. Then:
Hello, there, Sylvia" cried the
man in the rocking-chair. "Whcre
are YOU going to3"
ayes, where be yon flynn this
time o. nightw echoed the woman.
A.Just a step" replied the girl.
"But where7" repeated the man,
sternly.
''To Bessie Smiths father" ans
wered the girl, looking down to the
floor.
"What forg" asked the woman.
od iifTa ;''n hH5iTer," said tile girl.
SWELL" said the mother, ''you kin
go them"
"Only be home by 10 o'clock"
said the father.
eyes, sir, 1 WILL" replied Sylvia,
and opened the door and sped
away; but once out of reach of any
eyes that might have followed her
from the door, she turned back up
on the path she bad taken, crossed
the road. and in the deep shadow
of tree and rock and bush passed
her own home again; the shadows
of her parents i'll their rocking.
chairs waving to and-lro upon the
blinds giving her a little qualm of
terror; and turning into "a green
lane, which led churchward, heard
low whistle, gave little chirp i'll
answer, and in moment more w;ls
clasped in some ones arms.
"You are here" said a voice in
her ear. 81 began to believe those
two dragons at home had locked
you up for the night. How late you
are. dearest"
"You must not speak so Of my
father and mother, Frank" said
Sylvia; "and really l had so much
to do | could not get off before
the dishes and''-
eyes, 1 know, all sorts of honse-
hold lrudgery," said the young
man whose dress and mai ners be.
tokened him Il man Of fashionable
habits, and Who wore diamonds
which, if the, were genuine, spoke
of wealth besides. "YeS, | quite
understand. HASN'T the old lady
more sense of the fitting than to
set you at such work7 You! Why
you should never be set at house.
maids tasks. Let me see the little
white hands, dear little hands, that
might he a queens. It's a burn
ing shame"
.You see, all girls do homework
out hert instllis country," said Syl-
via, looking mp into the eyes Of the
man beside her, which even in the
starlight one could see was hand
some. ssThe richest girls do
Squire Caulifiower's daughter often
washes, and Miss Cumbermede, the
minister's sister, is always busting,
and
aBut they are no example for
you." said Frank Shaw. "Miss
Caulihower is a great, fat, coarse,
young person, and Miss Cumber-
mede very excellent, no doubt, but
only a prim old maid, and an ugly
one. And you, Sylvia, might be a
princess. You are no more like the
other girls i'll Dingleberry thanpor.
cclaiu is like clay"
Sylvia bluslled with pleasure aud
fattcred vanity She had always
thought Miss Caulifower a hand
some, snowy girl, and as "the
Squirrels daughter a very band
some, aristocratic parsonage, while
Miss Cumbermede, whose thick
black silks rustl,d so grandly as
she passed up the church aisle, il
not so young as she had been, had
always seemed to her remarkably
ladylike and pleasant.
And now to be told that she ex
celIed them both, not only in beau
ty but gentility, was delightful.
"It's a shame," repeated the
Young man. "But you see YOU
parents don't know your value. Ii
! / had not come here, [ suppose
they would have married you tt
that rustic with the i'll tempered