The Penn's Grove record., 1886-05-15

some old darling of a Cora has been put
ting it in the wardrobe for me, I'll"
The wardrobe. The hat. Arlington
never wanted to die so badly in all his
life, as when he heard those words, and
be in the wardrobe, with the unfor-
tunate hat on his head, all askew. In
an agony of despair, he seized the
handle still tighter, swearing no human
power should move it a hairs breadth.
Madge would suppose the door locked,
or the spring of the knob broken, and
perhaps 60 down for help, or leave the
search for another time. Her light,
quick step crossed the room, and then
her hand touched the knob, that was as
firm as a rock. She gave it a twist, but
of no avail. "That's singular" Ar
lington heard her say.
81 wonder what can have possessed
that door-knobp Something is wrong,
| must have my hat. I'll ask Fhil, or
Mr.. Partic. Dig. to see he's always so
obliging and.
She was stopped most abruptly by the
sound of an unmIstakable sneeze COM
ing from the inside Of the closet. Poor
Arlingtoni he hadn't sneezed before all
the summer, and now-to sneeze after
the most frlghtful efforts to prevent it.
Madge sprang back, and then-the
door opened, and Arlington walked
out, handsomer than ever before in his
life, because the delicious ridiculous
ness of the entire affair had actually
delighted him. He bowed lowly, hat
and all.
"Madge. you see how it is, do take
off this hat, won't you?--and tell me
you are not awfully enraged at my stu
%pidness."
But, to his surprise, the hot blood
rushed to her cheeks, and tears trem-
bled in her eyes.
"0h, Mr.. Arlington!n
That was all, but it wasn't shame, or
contempt, or disgust. but a sympathy,
or pity, that was all the sweeter from
being so unexpected.
"You see, l thought l vas in my own
room, until L was fairly in. And then
then well, l had a hat something
like that once, and"
Madge's eyes began to twinkle.
"You had such an overwhelming APP
probation of the eternal fitness of
things that you tried 1t on, and then
1 surprised you, and you trapped your
self, and sneezed. It's no wonder you
did sneeze, Mr.. Arlington" she added,
gravely, ''because all my furs and my
sealskin sacque are in that closet, and
they're just packed in pepper"
Arlington laughed, but still there was
deep earneStneSS IN his eyes.
"Will you help me off with this mas
querade, Madge? There, L want to
tell you one reason why L ventured to
put it on, why 1 touched your slippers,
and kissed that red ribbon yonder,
because, Madge, everything of yours is
so dear to me. You are the woman |
love and hope to win for my wife.
Madge, am | presumptuous?"
The hat was on the floor now, and the
girls hands prisoned in his, so perfectly
her lord and master, despite the funny
contretemps a moment earlier. Then.
a moment later, she lifted her eyes,
from which all the sauciness was gone
in which all the tenderness of loves
young dream was shining.
''If | am worthy; because you have
taught me there is such a thing as love,
duu tudL kuClC 10 ~ ouNh AONOA oo JcNA
SELF"
1t was the transition from girlhood
to womanhood from childish mischief
to tender gravity. for love had graced
her life and cast behind her feet her
c-areleSsness.
They laugh often about 1.-THE
strange freak of Cupid, who trans
formed the wild girl into the digniied
woman for the lover with whom he
played such undigniied tricks. Bat
everybody is satisfied. And what more
can be added, except that Madge
insists, defanthy, that she never in the
world would have "had" Dick If
he had not proved most ~conclusiVely
that he could enjoy a good joke with all
his particular dignity" and the
''keen appreciation of the eternal fitness
of things" especially the eternal eft
ness'' of the unfortunate hat.