Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-10-10

them soon engaged IN a whispered
| conversation in a corner OF the tea
room. / did not observe them again
for some little time, being just then
tackled by wealthy and hypochron-
driacal old lady-one of my best pa
| tientS-WhO insisted on recounting to
me long history of all that she had
| suffered since our last meeting. / was
| inexpressibly bored by this tiresome
old person. But could not offend her,
SO was .obliged to listen. And when
at last was free from her-which was
not for twenty minutes-I noted, with
a grain of amusement. that Margaretta
(aided, no doubt, by my wife,, had
made her pounce, and was in the act
of sailing out of the tea room upon the
arm of our stately vicar, who did not,
indeed, seem at all 10th to lead forth
this beautious damsel into the greater
seclusion of the dimly lighted pas
Sages.
Il looked round for my wife. All,
There she was hobbing and nobbing
with old Joshua Barker, not three
yards from where l stood! Presently
| heard her say to him:
Don't you think this room rather
hot, Mr. Barker? Shall we go out into
the lobby for few minutes?'
'Certainly-a good idea answered
the brewer, offering her his arm.
"And off they went-my wife throw
ing me meaning but mystifying
glance over her shoulder as she passed
That she was up to some mischief |
could see plainly. That this mischief
was in connection with the vicar and
Margaretta l could conjecture with toll
cradle certainty. But beyond that gen.
eral impression, l was quite in the
dark, and, being detached just then
and seeing nobody about with whom |
had the least desire to converse, l
strolled out myself into the lobby with
the idea of seeing if possible what my
Wife's little game was.
LAS | sauntered slowly along one of
the side passages, heard the sound of
murmured conversation on my right.
CHANGING in that direction, l decried
the vicar and Margaretta seated in
contiguous chairs, screened by big
palm. They were too much taken up
to have observed me. And, | am half
ashamed to confess it. but l did a low
thing. I slipped behind a brawny
plaster Hercules, which stood adjacent,
! and played the eavesdropper.
''The vicar was bending close to
Margaretta, uttering many pretty
speeches-but no wise committing him
self-and she was listening with
heightening color and downcast eyes,
ever and anon, however, raising those
features and darting at him glances Of
radiant tenderness, meant, doubtless,
to evoke something from his lips more
practical than these mere empty COM
pliments. Once or twice half thought
that a declaration was coming: but
on such occasions he pulled himself up
just at the critical point, and turned
what looked like being proposal into
mere piece of flirtatious rhetoric. 1t
must have been uncommonly tantaliz-
ing for Margaretta. But she kept her
! head and her temper admirably, and
continued to smile on him as blandly
as heretofore
AT last-having, as | supposed,
given up all hope for that occasion,
since | was not then aware of the
wonderful resourcefulness Of the wo-
man-Margaretta suggested that they
should be rejoinng the others. The
vicar agreed. They rose from their
seats, and as they did so Margaretta,
happening to glance down at her par
ticularly neat little toes, uttered a sud-
den ejaculation.
ooh! Look! The ankle strap of my
shoe has come unbuttoned. Oh, dear!
lift it would not be presuming too
much upon your kindness, Mr.. Trav-
ers, IL
Don't mention it! With pleasure
murmured the reverend gentleman, as
he sank gracefully upon one knee and
proceeded to negotiate the strap round
her pretty ankle.
'Ha! my FRIEND I chuckled to my
self from behind my Hercules. In the
gallant impulse of the moment you
have forgotten your lumbago. Facillis
decensus! Sed revocare gradum! Now
| shall see sport
Il did. For as the vicar, still OBJ
livious of his lumbar disability, gayly
essayed to rise to his feet in the usual
way he was suddenly gripped and
pulled back with spasmodic jerk. He
made another effort and another,
adopting that gingerly, feeling-your-
way sort of movement which is so
eminently characteristic of lumbago. 1t
was a supreme ridiculous spectacle,
this reverend dignified parson fixed on
one knee and vainly trying to side up
ward. | was within an ace of betray-
ing my presence by bursting into a
roar of laughter. But l just managed
to control myself.
"'Oh, please get up, Mr. Travers,'
murmured Miss Margaretta, blushing-
ly, affecting to be ignorant of the true
state of the case. oh, please get up!
Somebody will see you
"I-I-will you-give me your
hand?' gasped the vicar, desperately.
she did so, in the prettiest con-
fusion. She vicar clasped it with all
the fervor of lumbago.
"Then it all came about more sud-
denly than you would believe. For
there stood Joshua Barker and there
stood my wife, as though they had
dropped from the clouds. And Joshua
was shaking the still kneeling vicar
by the hand and saying:
Congratulate you, my dear vicar,
congratulate you! | ought not to in
trude just now. But was passing, by
Jove, and couldn't help seeing, and my
feelings as father got the better Of
my discretion. You have won a treas