Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-12-17
ROMANCE OF A FLAT

Mr. Ogglesby Possiter smoothed out
his cards, and, with great deliberation,
laid them before him on the table,
leaned back in his chair and gazed in
tently at his wife,
well, neveri You've gone and
trumped my ace on the second hand
around" F" he cried.
Mrs. Ogglesby Possiter's fine eye
brows arched perceptibly.
"Oh. how stupid of mer she ex-
claimed. Really, my dear, l WASH Z
thinking when did 1t.
ut is but just that in payment for SO
charming partner you should waste q
few trumps," said Lieutenant Swash
gallantly.
This COM liment rather conciliated
Mr.. Possiter, for he picked up his hand
and said: my wife can play good
whist. but when she gets talking her
game Is bominable-atrocious. She''-
''it is your lead. interrupted 1. with
q glance at my fair opponent.
She played a two Of hearts, and Swash
followed with three. Then my wife
entered the game by venturing from the
corner where she sat at some fancy
work: do go on, Mrs. Possiter. You
were saying that your cousin, Jack
Dimly, was not acceptable to Mr.. Pyp
as son-in-lsw
Mr.. Possiter sighed, and his wife,
after following suit on my lead Of clubs,
took up the thread OF her tale.
To me thers is great deal that is
romantic about q fiat, commonplace
things though they generally are. I
know that when l was first married it
seemed to me as if was in fairy pal
ace when every morning there came q
low whistle at the speaking tube, and
then rattle in our dear little kitchen,
and l would run out and just throw
open little door, and there before me
was everything for breakfast scuttle
Of coal, milk, eggs and bread 1t was as
though some genii. some invisible spir.
its. were serving me. just used to
dote"-
My DEAR" exclaimed the fair story
teller's husband as he for moment stop
ped dealing, ''if you can find me fat
house where they have genii as janitoss
I'll move at once
''Of course know you have to tip
them; but, Ogglesby, you are SO prosaic.
You have no romance at all. / knew the
janitor did it all. but then there was no
reason why I should always Oh.
beg pardon. 1t is my lead. Anyway
Jack Dimly and Evangeline Pyn had
the loveliest adventure, the most 70
mantle
There you go, leading spades when
I signaled for trumps," cried Mr.. Pos.
sitter, humping the table testify.
Dear. how stupidl saw you frown-
ing and thought you wanted black
card. /"
81 played six spot, then a two on
Mr.. Dockboy's lead, = retorted Possiter.
"You made the same mistake two hands
ago, when the lieutenant led the three
Of spades.
"You shall have the trumps very first
chance get, said his wife. 81 dom
see why you always interrupt the game.
My lead? Therel Well. when Mr.. Pyn
found out that Evsngeline had made up
her mind to marry my cousin, Jack
Dimly, in spite of his poverty, he deter
mined to use every means in his power
to keep them apart and to accomplish
this he had virtually to keep his daugh-
ter prisoner. He took fat on the
sixth floor of house SO as to have her
as high up as possible, and removed the
fire escape to cut off that means Of exit,
He kept no servant for fear that il he
had one she might enter into collusion
with his daughter. He never let Evan
geline out Of his sight except at night,
and then he locked the door and slept
with the key under his pillow. What
does my cousin Jack Dimly do? Does he
give up in despair? By no means. Ny
cousin Jack Dimly inherited from his
ancestors-my ancestors. too-at least
one Of their good qalities-he had grit.
He never went into anything except
with vim and determination, whether
In love or in sports orr
I'm debt" yentured Mr.. Possiter,
shutting his cards nervously.
"Ogglesby, how could your said his
wife reproachfully. What Have I re-
voked? Dear. deari There. lieutenant.
just put this heart on that trick and give
me back my spade. Now it's all right,
and you needn't score three. AS have
said already, my cousin, Jack Dimly,
did not know the meaning of the word
surrender-not he. For time nothing
was seen of him. and to Mr.. Pyn every
thing seemed to be going splendidly.
Nothing was heard of the detested
young man, and the old gentleman had
almost decided that his own determine
tion had won the day, when a slight In
cident aroused his sleeping suspicion.
While pokiDg about the kitchen one day
he happened to open a small door, and
before him. on the dumb waiter, lay a
box OF candy. OF course he called Evan
geline, and of course she denied all
knowledge Of it and suggested that IL
belonged to some other family on the
same shaft. He whistled down the tube.
Yes, thank you. Mr.. Dookboy, you may
deal for me. The janitor, my genius,
answered Tt was "a r1iafaka The hnw