Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-02-06
ROMANCE OF A FLAT.

Mr.. Ogglesby Possitcr 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, 1 never! You've gone and
trumped my ace on the second hand
around" he cried.
Mrs Ogglosby Possiter's fine eye
brows arched perceptibly.
"Oh. bow stupid of me!' she ex-
claimed. Really, my dear, 1 WASH t
thinking when did it,
1t is but just that in payment for so
charming partner you should waste a
few trumps," said Lieutenant Swash
gallantly.
This compliment 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 ominable-atrocious She''-
''lt is your lead, interrupted l, with
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. Pyn
as IA son in-law "
Mr.. Possiter sighed and his wife,
after following suit on my lead of clubs,
took up the thread of her tale.
ITO me there is a great deal that is
romantic about a flat, commonplace
things though they generally are. |
know that when l was first married it
seemed to me as if | was i'll "a fairy pal
low whistle at the speaking tube, and
then rattle i'll our dear little kitchen,
and L would run out and Just throw
open Il little door, and there before me
was everything for breakfast-a 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 a fiat
house where they have genii as janitors
III 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 10
reason why | should always Oh, [
beg pardon. 1t is my lead Anyway
Jack Dimly and EvangeIine Pyn had
the loVelicst adventure, the most TO-
mantic"-
''There you go, leading spades when
| signaled for trumps,' cried Mr. Pos
sitter, humping the table testify.
Dear, how stupid! | saw you frown-
ing and thought you wanted "a black
card
81 played a six spot, then a two on
MIR Dockboy' lead, )" retorted Possiter.
"4ou made the same mistake two hands
ago, when the lieutenant led the three
of spades. -
"4ou shall have the trumps very first
chance | get, said his wife. 81 don't
see why you always interrupt the game.
My lead? There! Well, when Mr.. Pyn
found out that Evange!ine had made up
her mind to marry my cousin, Jack
Dlmly, i'll spite of his poverty, he deter
mined to use every means in his power
to keep them apart, and to accomplish
this ne had virtually to keep his daugh-
ter prisoner. He took fat on the
sixth floor of "a 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 if 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. My
cousin Jack Dimly inherited from his
ancestors-my ancestors, too-at least
one OF their good qalities-he had grit.
He never went inro anything except
with vim and determination, whether
in love or in sports orr
I'm debit ventured Mr.. Possiter,
shu11ilng his cards nervously.
"Ogglesby, how could you?' said his
wife eproachfully. "What! Have re-
'ohtN' Lear, utdI! Inere, l1euCenanC.
just put this heart on that trick and give
me back my spade. Now it's all right,
ana you needn't score three. AS / have
sand already. nay cousin. lack Dimlv,
dld not know the meaning or 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 poking about the kitchen one day
he happened to open small door, and
before him. on the dumb waiter, lay
box of candy. OF course he called Evan
gellne, and of course she denied all
knowledge of it and suggested that it
belonged to some other family on the
same shaft. He whistled down the tube
Yes, thank you, Mr.. Dockboy, you may
deal for me. The janitor. my genius,
answered. 1t was mistake. The box
was intended for the family two floors
below, SO down it went. But that box
of candy became "a weight on Mr.. Pyn's
MIND. He pondered over the incident
and trled to make himself believe that