The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-29
"MOVING."


of miscellaneous objects in his pockets.
Evidently nothing remained but to bur
den his stomach, and this he proceeded
to do in sullen and desperate manner.
Having thus brought himself to an even
keel. he paused and looked at me- My
features wore their usual winning smile
which is an invitation to confidence that
would be worth good deal i'll tho con-
fdence trick line.
Il don't see what could have done
with it., muttered the stranger, and
then he began to rummage around his
pockets. caught hurried glimpses of
many queer things. Among them were
two gloves. one male and the other fe-
male, rolled together; small hand mir
ror, screw driver, an iron caster that
might have come off the leg of bed,
soiled collar, several mantel shelf orna-
ments and a bottle of brown shoe dress
ing. Lastly he produced three gilded
balls and laid them OH the table.
You can't commence business here
without license said /.
"These things came off the end of cur
tain pourchairs, you know, as
the French call them, said he.
1--WE wanted to move the first of the
month" he croaked, "but one thing
and another delayed us. The principal
trouble was that we couldn get man
with van to move us. Three days ago,
however, l induced an old fellow out
there to make Il beginning with us. We
had our place in town engaged, and the
rent had begun to run, so | thought we'd
better run after it before it got too far
ahead of us.
1.-The old fellows name was Wenner.
He came round with his wagon Tuesday
morning just rs was ready to leave
for town. My wife was pumping air
into my ears so that l could run for my
train without getting ont of breath.
That is the way playfully refer to her
parting adnionitions. 1 explained to her
that Mr.. Wenner could take only one or
two loads that day. so she'd better send
ornamental than useful things. And
for heavens sake. added, don't pack
away my pipe and tobacco the first
thing, as you did the last time we
moved.
When l got home that evening. ]
found my wife weeping in the midst of
our dismantled home. That dreadful
old villain, Wenner, said She hash t
kept his word. He's moved only half
our things
Well, said /, that's all right.
He'll come again tomorrow and get the
rest. Let's have some dinner and try to
forget our sorrows.
"She looked ut me rather strangely.
but made no objection. She put the din
ner on the table. for we had sent our
servant away, and we sat down to eat.
While we were thus more or less pleas
antly engaged my wife's sister an
nounced herself. She had come To take
us by surprise. They're surprising
family that I've married into, Int
they ceased to surprise me. I'm BE-
You'd 1t. Whatever clazy trick they dc
I'm expecting it. This refers to the rest
OF them. not to my wife. She sill las
latent possibilities which could amaze
anybody. One Of them dcvcoprG after
dinner that night.
She called me aside and said: John
ny, it's perfectly awful! DO Won know
there isn't Il bed in the house: What
become Of them | asked. Sent 'cMi
all away by Wenncr, said she Lis
ten, Johnny and don't be angry i;
won't do any good. That man rlom., Il
that he would move al our things To-
day. thought we could get into or
fat this evening. And said to myself.
What shall we need most: Why, the
beds, of course So sent them all oil
on the first lead
Then We'll have to 90 to London
and sleep i'll that fiat. said |.
. But listen. johnny. she sand.
There wasn't room for the mattresses
on the first load, so sent them ON the
second.
Well, what of it,
"'They didn't get as far as London.
she walled Wcnner's got that second
load i'll his warehouse. | sent little
boy over to see about it,
This staggered me. SO orr beds
are in London, gasped. and orr mat
tresses are i'll Wcnner ) warehouse on
the other side of the forest: Suppose we
go and sleep in his warehouses;
She said that | was very bitter and
cruel to suggest such thing. Perhaps
we could get along very well for one
night if | wouldn't make such a fuss.
There was one old mattrcss in the attic.
Oho an" LiHZlc Noulu Steep on llat. ana
could have little canvas cot. 1t was
very nice. comfortable bed. and she
knew it. She WAS logically convinced
of it because she'd had 10 90 over The
arguments with our servant almos: cv.
cry day since the girl began to try 10
sleep on cot. Say, did you ever try to
sleep ON canvas cot: 1t looks easy. but
1t isn't. l retired at midnight in the
north room. One of my wifc's relations