Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-10-15
00BASHFUL.
BY HARLAN Z. WARD.

low 90
A great, handsome good natured,
honest-kearted fellow, was Charlie
Winter, but 80 very bashfui, that In
the presence of the gentler sex he
never could have told whether he
was standing on his feet or on his
head. Just now bis failing was i'm
mensely aggravated by the fact that
he was over head and ears in leye
with Clarice Wilmer, the sweetest,
prettiest, most bewildering little
creature, in all the region round
about her.
80 dear, l wish l knew way to
tell my love, and not be there my
self. Deuce take the girls, they
bother you on purpose, | believe, and
always manage SO your courage oezes
out of your fingers ends before you
arequite ready to ask the fatefal
question ~
"Why don't you write ?"
"Write ! shouldn't know what
to say; and then I'd never dare to
look her in the face again."
go, what spoony Simply say
you love her, and ask her if she will
make you happy. Then face the
music like man, and meet her the
next time as if Rothing bad happen
ed-unless she answers yes, and
then, of course you will actsas if
something had happened"
Charley groared desparingly.
EASY enough for you to talk" he
muttered dubieusly. "You who have
been married seven years-with me
the case is different. 1 ellyoU, Tom
you don't know any thing about it."
eyes l do. Didn't l have to do
my counting just the way you've got
to do your's9 Didn't Nellie act
just as Clarice does, bewitching me
at one moment, and driving me
crazy the next ? You're lunatic,
you are, and hope Clarice VIII give
you the mitten."
"I'm afraid she will"
Faint heart never won fairlady,"
quoted Tom Ridgely, Indignantly las
he rose to take his leave. SERIOUS
ly, however, Charley, advise you
to put your keart on paper, and for
ward it to Ciarice by the post"
Charley thought about it after he
was gone. The more he thought the
better pleased with it he was.
cts terrible, but 1 suppose l
must J" he groaned, seating himself
at his writing desk, and clutching
wildly at paper, pen and ink.
An hour of torture. Charley be-
gan dozen billet-dour and tore them
up, then wrote dozen more and
tore them up also.
"It's utterly useless" he moaaed
at last; and then the great BOBBY
Hi his head upon the desk, and
fairly sobbed.
'I'll write and ask her to &C to
the ,pera with me tomorrow night,
anyway, and then perhaps" he
dared % think no further.
"My dear-no, that never'll dc
was evela mortal so perplexed as /
am /? l wish the girls were all at
the bottom of the ocean, and Eve
had never lsen created. Well, T'll
begin again.
This time he was more successful.
His note was short enough and some
young ladies might take umbrage at
such an invitation, but Clarics knew
his bashfulness. 1t read as follows,
and was not dated at all:
"Will you be kind enough to hon
or me by the acceptance of my es-
cort to the opera tomorrow eve p"
And that was all beside the sigma
ture.
"Well, there" said Charley, as
he got it done. 81 promised sister
Minnie, 1 would write to her this
week, 50 l will do it now while my
hand is in"
And tossing the note to one side,
he soon began his letter:
'SIsTER MIN, lit ready: Yours
of the 1.-the came to hand, and l have
meant to answer it before. The
fact is, | am deeply in love with
young lady-Clarice Wilmer, of
\ whom you've head me speak, and I
am afraid she don't return IL. Won