The congressman's wife, a story of American politicsBarry, John D. (John Daniel)
General
The congressman's wife, a story of American politics
Barry, John D. (John Daniel)
Legislators' spouses -- Fiction; Political fiction; Washington (D.C.) -- Fiction
As soon as they had left the conservatory Fanny turned to her
companion. “Uncle and Auntie are just like lovers, aren’t they? Do you
suppose you’ll be like that when you’ve been married ten years?”
Guy lost no time in seizing the advantage. “That’ll depend a good deal
on you,” he said, insinuatingly.
Fanny drew back from him and tried to look taller. “What a horrid thing
to say! You make me very uncomfortable when you talk like that.” But
she could not maintain a severe demeanor for more than a moment. “Isn’t
it beautiful to be allowed to stay up just as late as you please!” she
exclaimed, rapturously. “It makes me feel really grown. It’s almost as
good as wearing long dresses. Just listen to that music, will you?”
She struck an attitude, her arms extended. “Want to try?” she asked,
holding her hands toward the young fellow.
He fairly dived into her arms, and they swung about together, brushing
against the palm leaves and breathing hard. Suddenly she thrust him
back from her and continued alone.
“You haven’t improved a bit. Oh-h-h!”
From the waltz Fanny broke into a Spanish dance she had learned
at school, using her fan with a skill that caused Guy to applaud
enthusiastically. “Oh, isn’t it great!” she cried. “I could dance like
this all night. Look out! Don’t get in my way and spoil it!” While in
the midst of one of her most elaborate effects, she suddenly stopped. A
voice had just exclaimed:
“What in the world are you two people doing?”
Fanny turned and confronted a large, smooth-faced, white-haired old
gentleman, who was looking down in astonishment from the head of the
steps.
“Oh, is that you, dad?” she said, tossing back her hair. “I’m just
practising being in society. How d’you like it?” Then she went on,
glancing at Guy: “Oh, you haven’t met dad, have you? Well, this is
_It_, dad--Mr. Fullerton, Mr. Guy Fullerton.”
Jonathan Wallace walked deliberately down the steps and offered Guy his
hand. “How do you do, sir?” he said, with ponderous gravity.
Before Guy had a chance to speak Fanny broke in: “Mr. Fullerton’s
the young man I’ve been writing to you about--the one that’s been so
attentive this Winter. Here, come and let me fix that tie of yours.”
She gave her father’s tie a deft twist and patted the broad shoulders.
“There! That’s better. Now they’d never know you come from the country.”
Wallace turned to Guy. The expression in his flushed face began to
soften. “You mustn’t mind _her_,” he said, quietly. “She’s always
letting her tongue run away with her. We let her talk to keep her out
of worse mischief.”
Fanny walked over to Guy, who looked as if he were trying hard to
think of something worth saying. “Well, you _have_ been paying
me attentions, haven’t you, Guy?” she said, her voice growing tender
as she finished the question. Then she triumphantly exclaimed to her
father: “Now!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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