Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-25

Yes, yes, my dear; remember" he
answers, as soon as he RECEIVERS his
breath. "But here is Mr.. Herbert wait
Ing TO 90 out waiting too"
Mr.. HERBERT" says my landlady,
surprised In her turn.
yes, Mr.. Herbert" repeats Crumms;
and his laughter bursts out again like a
smouldering fire.
immediately began to enlist Mrs.
Crumms on my side. She is a merry,
good-natured woman, with rather a
Partially to 'wild young gents" as
she calls them, and is fond OF telling
tales about the young fellows round
Newford when she was at the hotel.
Ihere isn't anything particular wild in
my going out waiting with Crumms,
out his wife seems 10 think there ia,
aud 1t puts me in mind, she says, Of
Mr.. Somebody at her old place.
1T is just what he would do, sir" she
continues, ''and I did think you were
such a quiet young gentleman, Mr..
Herbert. Law! Crumms," she adds,
turning TO him, ''You wouldn't spoil a
bit OF fun like that, know"
but Mr.. Domville"-begins her
husband.
Nonsense, Mr.. Domviliew she re-
plies. HE needn't know; and If he
does, why, he'd laugh as much as any
one"
But you will be careful, sir, won't
you? says Cruums, yielding to the two
Of Us. You won't let Mr.. Domville
know. There isn't any one likely 60 be
there as will recognize you, hope"
satisfy him on these points; then
Mrs. Crumms, with due regard for her
position among her neighbors, raises
one nearer home. "It won't do, though,
sir, )" she says, "for you and Crumms to
go out together. The people about
/ here all know that he Is gelng out wait
ing; and may be, II they saw you
together they might think you were a
waiter, too" 1 don't see that it would
matter If they did, but to my landlady
/ such a mistake seems to represent some
/ dreadful calamity; so il IS arranged that
CrummS shall go first and send cab,
and then wait for me in the crescent, a
little distance of.
Three O'Clock. -Crumms and l are in
the cab on our way TO Bedford Square
The whole time he is either laughing at
my going out with him or nervous over
/ the result. In the latter mood he Is al
most piteOus in his entreaties to me to be
careful, and repeats over and over again
/ his directions how to wait. We stop
the cab at the corner of the street lead
ing 10 the square and walk on to the
house.
1t is big house with large hall.
d I'M 10 ~ ka cfr II a
one end, and a broad staircase at the
other. The dining-room is fair-sized;
the walls are painted and hung round
with pictures. 1t is rather dark and
heaving-looking however, and the fur
/ niture is old and massive. There are
three servants going about with trays
and piles Of plates, busy laying out the
| table. They stare at me as l stand by
the side OF Crumms, who introduces me
as young friend who wants to see a
/ genteel waiting, and whom he has made
/ bold enough to bring. Then, as II that
/ settled the matter, he goes off into bust
ness, and asks several questions as to
/ the number and names of the guests.
I notice that the servants all treat
| him with great respect, and he, in turn,
is condeScending and polite to them.
/ With me, when they are In the room,
/ he assumes an authoritative air and all
/ the time he is very grave and looks as
/ If the cares Of his position were too
/ much for him. He SMILES once when
we are alone, as hand him jelly and
\ then, when his muscles being relaxed,
\ his old fit of laughing suddenly breaks
out again. He cannot laugh aloud, but
he laughs inwardly and shakes so tre-
mendously that the jelly rolls and trem-
| bles to an alarming degree, and 1t Is
/ only by the means of promptly taking
! IL under my own precaution that save
I it from being shaken on to the floor.
/ 30 Lor'! TO think of you being here,
/ ne mutters; and the next instant Is
gravity itself, as Mrs. Domville's voice
is heard on the stairs.
She is a mlddle-aged lady, and speaks
/ in friendly manner 10 Crumms, and Is
particular in her inquiries after his
/ wife and children. He points me out as
a Young friend of his, who has come TO
I help him; and Mrs. Domville seems
quite satisfied, and goes upstairs to the
| drawing-rOOm.
Four O'clOck.-The dinner is ready
and all the guests have arrived. CrummS
stations me behind the door, and goes
himself to the head OF the table, and
watch the people as they come into the
room and take their places.
They are mostly middle-aged, like
their host and hostess, and evidently
old friends, as several nod to Crumms,
and one gentleman is quite hearty In his
greeting, and says II would not seem
| like a Christmas dinner without him.
MT. Domville laugh and asks after
Mrs. Crumms; but Crumms refuses TO
be thswed, and replies ia tone as II
such triflng questions interfered with
the responsibility of his position.
So far everything has gone right.
Then comes q slight mishap. just as
everybody is seated and silent, and Mr..
Domville is going to say grace, Crumms
gives me q signal, and l step FORWARD
quietly to close the door. The move
ment attracts the attention or young
lady who is sitting with her back TO me
and she turns round. She evidently
had not noticed me before, and her
laughing gray eyes scan me with sur
nriSe. NV face is a new ore to her
among the many well-knOwn faces
around the table. l suppose she thinks
lam "A guest who has arrived lata and
inst come into the room, and, seeing me
standing there and no one taking any
notice of me, she says, cOurteously;
,Isn't there a chair for you2" Then
turning round to Mrs. Domvilie,
80. aunt, here is a gentleman left out
side in the cold!
Mr.. pomville, instead Of saying grace,
looks up, stares and half rises from his