The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-30

you. y, Fanny, l adore you; say you
will be my wife" >e
=" gave you an answer the other
day." she replied, zone which thought
you should have remembered, she
added, laughing little notwithstand-
ing her terror.
81 remember it perfectly" I an
swered, ''but l intend to have a differ
ent reply to that. You see those five
sandbags; / shall ask you five times to
become my wife. Every time you re-
fuse shall throw over a sandbag So,
lady fair Gas the cabmen would say) re-
consider your decision and consent to
become Mrs. Jenkyns."
81 won't" she said. 81 never will!
and, let me tell you, thatyou are acting
in a very ungentlemanly way to press
me thus"
4" You acted in a very lady-like way
the other day, did you not" / rejoined,
"when you knocked me out of the boat?"
She laughed again, for she was plucky
girl, and no mistake-a very plucky
girl. However, went on, cts no
good arguing about twill you prom
Use to give me your hand?"
| " Never" she answered. ''rll go to
Ursa Major first, though L have got a
| big enough bear here, in all conscience.
Stay; you'd prefer Aguarius, wouldn't
youP"
She looked so pretty that l was almost
inclined to let her off q was only trying
| to frighten her, of course-I knew how
high we could go safely well enough,
and how valuable the life of Jenkyns
was to his country; but resolution is
one OF the strong points of my charac-
ter, and when I've begun thing like
to carry it through, so l threw over
another sandbag and whistled the dead
March in Saul"
{" Come, Mr.. Jenkyns," she said, sud
denly-''come, Tom, letus descend now,
andTll promise to say nothing whatever
about all this" 1 continued the execu-
ton of the dead March. "But if
you do not begin to descend at once I'll
tell papa the moment | set foot on
ground!'' l laughed, seized another
bag, and looking steadily at her, said:
''Will you promise to give me your
hand?'
1--we answered you already?" was
| tIIS lNplJ' ONOL NNlu bllC
and the solemn notes of the dead
March" resounded through the car.
81 thought you were a gentleman p
said Fanny, rising up in a terrible rage
from the bottom of the car, where she
had been sitting, and looking perfectly
beautiful in her wrath; 81 thought you
were a gentleman, but l find 1 was
Mistaken why, chimney-sweeper
would not treat a lady in such way
Do you know that you are risking your
oa0n life as well as mine by your mad
ness!" | explained that | adored her
| so much that to die in her company
would be perfect bliss, so that begged
she would not consider ma feelings at
all. She dashed her beautiful hair
from her face, and, standing perfectly
erect, looking like the Goddess of An
ger Tor Boadicea-if you can fancy that
parsonage in balloon)- she said; 81
command you to begin the descent this
instant" The Dead March, whis-
tied in a manner essentially gay and
| lively" was the only response. After
a few minutes silence took up another
bag and said eve are getting rather
high; if you do not decide pretty soon
we shall have Mercury coming to tell
us that we are trespassing-will you
promise me your hand pr She sat in
sulky silence at the bottom of the car.
threw over the sand. Then she tried
another plan. Throwing herself upon
her knees, and bursting into tears, she
said; 80, forgive me for what L did
the other day; | was very wrong, and |
am very sorry. Take me home and |
will be a sister to you" Not wife?"
said [. Il can't; [ can't she an
swered.
Over went the fourth bag, and 1 be-
gan to think she would beat me after
all, for | did not like the idea of going
much higher. would not give in Just
yet, however. / whistled for few
moments to give her time for reflection,
and then said: Fanny, they say that
marriages are made in Heaven-if YOU
do not take care ours will be solemn
lied there" | took up the fifth bag
and last. Come" | said, "my wife
in life, or my companion in death,
which is it to be?' and / patted the
sandbag in my arms as if it had been
baby. Come, Fanny, give me your
| pIOlnlSc. L COulu near HcE SODS. III
the most soft-hearted creature breath
ing, and would not pain any living
thing, and confess she had beaten me-
forgave her the ducking; l forgave
her for rejecting me. l was on the
point of tlinging the bag back into the
car, and saying: dearest Fanny, for
give me for trying to brighten you.
Marry whomsoevGr you will Give
your lovely hand to the lowest groom
in your stables-endow with your price
less beauty the Chief of the Panki-
wanki Indians. Whatever happens,
Jenkyns is your slave; your dog; your
footstool. His duty henceforth, is to
go whithersoever you shall order, to do
whatsoever you shall command"
was on the point of saying this, I
repeat, when Fanny suddenly looked
up and said, with a queerish expression
upon her face: "You need not throw
that last bag over. l promise to give
you my hand"
with all your hearth" 1 asked,
quickly.
"With all my heart" she answered
with the same strange look.
tossed the bag into the bottom of
Nl,.,, IL