The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-07-19
TEN MINUTES FICTION
FOR
Globe Readers.
AFTER ALL.

among his friends as d very particular
man" and hard to please, " which last
phrase generally means one thing-hard
70 please In q matrimonial way. He was
sitting before a blazing coal fire, thinking
how dismally cold II must be without. and
was eating very ~leisurely his late dinner
and thinking how excessively comfortable
1t was in his sanctum, when the door
opened, and a tall, stylish lady, whose like
ness to himself spoke her relationship,
came sweeping in.
Elmer" she exclaimed. at dinner,
Why, it is 9 o'clock, and 1 am ready for
the ball at Mrs. Stewards"
so L perceive, - he said lazily, looking
at her stately figure in its rich evening
dress. Il cannot GO for an honr, Clara,
SO sit down and be comfortable. Ten
o'clock is early enOugh-just right for a
sensation"
But what makes yOu dine at this hour"
Il was detained and gave Mrs Burns
directions TO wait for me Let Inc offer
you something"
You savage! You want 4 wife, Elmer,
to keep you in order If Mrs. Fireman
ruled the house, you would nave 70 come
TO you dinner at IA civilized hour.
Let us be thankful, then, that she does
not rule the house. Where is Charley"
III " d~llIllpJOll. NcflJ InlS morning,
which accounts for my calling fcI you,
But, Elmer, seriously, do you never intend
to give me a sister, / gave You Charley
for a brother years ago, and as there are
only you and ! left in the family it is but
fair that you should return the favor. You
are getting old, too, sir"
Am I? How Hair turning%''
"No, you conccited fellow, you are as
handsome as ever, but you grow more
fussy and bachclory every day. Burns
spoils you"
Burns gives me all the comforts Of a
married man and nome of the bother. /
will wager that Charley himself is not
better cared for than I am"
But, Elmer, surely you intend to mar
ry some timc?'
"Oh, yes, if I ever find anybody to suit
me"
There is Lizzie Nixon. You Were very
attentive to her at one timc.'
"Clara,' said Elmer solemnIy, "she
paints. | saw it come off one warm even
ing on her handkerchief Don't tell, but
it is a fact. l was so glad that I had not
actually proposed!'
well, Elmer, ] am sure Alice Cochin
didn't paint"
But, Clara, she was SO f~carfully ugly.
l tried in vain to be sensible and prefer
mind, intellect and talent to mere beauty,
but she was so frightfully strong minded
and made such terrible speeches about
equal rights and malC tyranny hat she
fairly frightened me away
"Wcll, Lulu Swoop was not strong
minded"
Milk and water" said Elmer con
temptuously.
"Wilda Wilson,"
dressed so shockingly. Venus herself
could not look well in an enormous red
and green plaid, with a blue bonnet"
"Kittic Johnson had exquisite taste in
dress"
But such a voice! She addressed you
with tcndcr cloquence and told her most
cherished secrets in the voice of q fish wO-
man crying shad."
"Well, Elmer, one morc-Maud Ayers?"
All, Clara, there l was touched. Beau
ty, talent, feminine graccs, every attrac-
ton, but sho lived next door to IL grocery
store.
Nov, Elmer, what could that nave to
do with it,
1t was in the summer, and we were at
the open parlor window. was just on
the point of offering myself when the wind
blew Il strong Whit of salt mackcrcl be-
tween us. You know my aversion to mack
crcl. The smell made me sick, and | for
got sentiment. | left, and the next day
Robinson proposed and was accepted
"Nou had better havc n wife made to or
der, Elmer Particular, for | am sure the
paragon Goes not exist who will fill your
ideas of Mrs. Fireman. l shouldn't won
der if you married Burns after all
Not a bit of danger. If | ever marry,
| my wife must bc refined in manner lady
like in appearance, pretty enough to es-
cape the charge of positive uglincSS, at
least 30 years of age and of good birth and
p~Osition.'
And with sufficient good taste to ap-
prCCiatC yOur condrsCcnsion and say, Yes,
if you will be good enough to nave me, >
when you propose. Come; YOU have fin
ishcd your dinner. Go dress Yourself"
Six hours later Elmer was a doomed
man. How it came about he never knew.
After all his resolutions never to marry in
haste, to weigh well all her projections
and impcrfcctions before addressing any
lady-in fact, To walk slowy and dclibcr-
atcly into n cool. sensible state Of affec-
tion-hc suddenly found himself deeply in
love. One word, one look, and he was
gone.
Mis- Nellie Brown Che hated the name
of Brown), let me introduce Mr.. fireman. -
He bowed to Miss Brown and looked at
her. \ little delicate figure, n pair Of soft
blue eyes. n maze OF white lace anda tiny,
! delicatcly glovcd hand. \ voice low and
sweet, modulatcd like music, well chosen
phrases, and Il modest yet self possessed
manner and n graceful department finish
ed the fascination.
In a sort OF misty pleasure Elmer waltz
ed with his wee fairy who had somehow
come right into his heart, whose door he
fanCicd so strongly fortified. He called
and found his faScinator in a neat wrap
| per teaching two sisters grammar. He
learned that her father WAS a wholesale
| grocer and found she had three strong
| minded sisters. He spent n week with
her married brother in the country and
breakfasted every day on salt maCkercl be
cause she sat opposite 10 him and did the
same. He helped her over a stilc when her
| wrapper was green and her ~sunbonnct
blue, while a red shawl of her sister hung
over her arm.
| He heard her scream with terror over
l her 1irrl, D,DHaC who foil into rho horse