St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-24
AN AWAKENING.

AN AWAKENING.
''Wiu you come down to our place next
Monday. Charlie, for a couple of days
shooting?''
Monday? Yes. Delighted, old chap"
Then the friends proceeded to settle de-
tails. They would meet at the station
and 90 by the $50 train, which would
land them in comfortable time for dinner.
Now, if Charlie West had a wea knesS it
was that he was prone to be little Obliv-
iOus about time and was in the habit of
running his engagements rather fine. The
Monday afternoon. to beguile the time be-
tween luncheon and the train, he called on
pretty woman of his acquaintance, and
she was so amusing that he stopped until
the last moment and then jumped into
hanson, telling his jehu to drive like the
devil. Unfortunately his own watch had
stopped Che forgot to wind it up the pre-
yiOuS night. and how could he know that
his hostess clock was a quarter OF an hour
slow?
When he arrived on the platform he was
met by his servant, who, with cOunte-
nance inexpensive of emotion, pleasurabe
or otherwise. informed him that the train
had departed, bearing Capt. Leslie with it.
The captain had left word that he hoped
Mr.. West would go by the next train, which
was not until $50, and reached D. at
10:15. He would drive the dog cart over to
meet hunt was six miles from the
station.
Charlie swOre eXhaustively. He was not
iil-tempered, but urely, if man might be
justified (Which l by no means admit i'll
INDUCING in bad language, here was a case
in, To md in, nn
of London. with two hours and fifty min
uteS on hand; to have foregone pleasant
dinner and evening; to have put your host
to great inconvenience, and probably to
have given a bad impression to his family
before your arrival-au these things are ex-
tremely veXing.
But having a tolerably happy disposition
Charlie, after his first outburst of wrath
and disgust, took it very well. He got
into another hanson, returned to his club
at the West End, read the papers, dined
lightly and took excellent care to be in time
for the $50.
1t was a slow train: it stopped at nearly
every station and arrived at last thirty
five minutes late. His friend, who had
time to recover his first feeling of resent
ment at Charles COMPOUNDED inconsider-
ateness, met him very cordially. The dog
cart was capaciOus and managed to cram
in the servant and luggage and went off at
a spanking pace to the court. The moon
shone brightly; the roads were excellent.
''JOve!" uttered Charlie, drawing long
breath. ''HOw good everything smells and
what blessing it is to get out of London!"
They drove through long avenue of
trees and came to big ld-fashioned red
house with great mere shining like q
mirror in front of it.
81 expect" said George Leslie, ''that
we shall find everybody gone to bed; all my
people are tremendous early"
And so it proved. The friends refreshed
themselves in the dining-room tete- a-tete.
then returned to the smoking-rCom, and
the hour of 1 had given tongue from the
stable clock before they thought of turning
in. Leslie showed Charlie his room, spa
ciOus and tapestry-huug and the young
gentleman, having drawn back the curtains
which the housemaid, after the manner of
her kind. had Theoretically closed. and
thrown one window wide open, retired to
bed, to sleep the sleep of the just
He awOke Ell sersaut by hearing his
name. Charlie! Charlie! do wake upr'
1t was pretty feminine voice; and Charlie
was not i'll the habit of being called in this
fashion.
He started and looked I'D. What he saw
was slim young lady, with very pretty
figure. in a blue cotton gown. and the back
of a charming head with golden plaits.
The fair one was looking out of the WIN
dow and apOstrophiZing him at the same
time.
lit IS such glorious morning; aren't you
ashamed of yourself. you great, idle crea-
IN Ia lx-in mi al
lovely sunshine? Do get up and come out
with me before breakfast"
Charlie is not shy, but very decided
feeling of embarrassment creeps over him.
OF course it is mistake. He has known
some rapid young ladies in his time, but
never one who would have come to his room
to call him before she had even been
introduced to him. But how in the world
was he to intimate to her that she was in
error about his identity? She had called
him Charlie, too! Leslie's name was
George, and he had no brothers. In any
case twas rather strong order for girl to
come into any mans room who was not her
brother.
Charlie buried his head under the clothes
and awaited the deDOuement. 1t was not
long in coming.
Charlie" said the fair one again, and
this time her voice indicated that her face
was turned in his direction, ''if you don't
wake up this instant L will throw a wet
sponge at you! You are lazy pigI'
Then he heard her proceed to the wash
ing stand and dip sponge in water and
partly wiring it. Next moment, with I'M
usually good aim for girl, it bounced on
his head. which was protected by the bed
clothes.
Charlie srnothered a laugh; it was be-
coming too ridiculous.
VERY well, then," said the voice, APP
preaching; Il shall come and drag the
clothes off YOU"
Now ne must act with prompitude. He
raised himself little, and put the clothes
just far enough back for his assalant to
see his laughing blue eyes. The damsel
stopped midway in her career: an express
sion of stony horror flashed into her face;
her cheeks dyed with crimson. and, utter
ing an agonized little groan, she turned and
fed.
Charlie laughed all the time he was
getting up. He could not help wondering
how she would meet him at breakfast. By
.JOve, what a pretty creature she wasl
Would she tell any one or would she ignore
the incident? He would take his cue from
her. The family were all assembled in the
breakfast-rOom when he came down. and
he was presented to his host and hostess;
to three nice, fresh-looking girls, Leslie's
sisters, and fair young fellow about his
own height and coloring as ''my Cousin
Fame" But where was the fourth.
his charming visitant? There was
no other place laid at the
table, and breakfast came and went
and she did not appear. He heard the other
girls address the cousin as Charlie, and COM
pretended that this was the young gentle
man for whom he had been mistaken, Still.
he did not quite approve of girl. such a
pretty girl, too. making SO free with a
cousin. "A brother is all very WE'LL" etc.