One night, or rather one morning, for it was nearly two o'clock, he was awakened by a series of violent shakes, and opened his eyes to find his wife bending over him. She had been out, attending a special meeting of the Chapter, and had hastened upstairs without stopping to take off her wraps.
“Daniel, Daniel, wake up!” she cried.
The captain groaned. “Hey! what is it?” he asked sleepily. Then, with a little more interest, “Is the house afire?”
“No, no, but do wake up and listen. I've had the greatest honor done me. You will hardly believe it. The delegates to the Atterbury Convention were elected to-night. Annette Black is one—I just KNEW she'd win—and Mrs. Lake is another, and who do you suppose is the third?”
Captain Dan sat up in bed. “Not you?” he shouted.
“Yes, I. And, more than that, I was the one selected to read a paper there. Annette expected to do that, but, when it came to the vote, my last paper, the one I read Thursday night, the one Cousin Percy helped me so in preparing, was selected over all the rest. The vote was nearly two to one. I am to read it on the second day of the Convention. Isn't it wonderful! Annette was so jealous she hardly said good-night to me. But I don't care. There, Daniel Dott! aren't you proud of your wife?”
There was a little hesitation in her husband's manner, and yet he tried his best to be enthusiastic. “Oh, yes,” he said, “but then I was proud of you before, Serena. But—but what does this mean? Have you and I got to traipse way over to Atterbury?”
“Not you. You're not going. None of the men are. This is a women's convention. Men are not invited.”
“I know. But I've got to go there with you. You ain't goin' off travelin' by yourself.”
“I'm going with the other Chapter delegates; we will travel together.”