Daily globe., 1883-05-27
DID HE PROPOSE !?

"I couldn't do it," said Martin Ell
lerslie, with shudder. Itwas just the
seductive hour before the gas-jets are
lighted and window blinds turned down
the delicious twilight, when crate fires
shine like burning masses of ruby, and
people sitting beside them grow strictly
confidential. It was showing little
outside; all the better; for the click of
the crystallized pearl against the glass
filled up the silence, and made the
cozy warmth of the room luxuriously
delightful. And Martin Ellerslie's
pleasant brown eyes, fixed full on the
fire, saw-no one can tell what or how
much they saw!
Suppose she should say no." he
burst out, seemingly apropos to moth
ing at all.
Suppose she shouldn't" observed
Guy Barnes, dryly.
Il tell you, old fellow, it's just ex-
actly like having tooth pulled out.
Your friends stand by and say: BE a
man; it's nothing It's not they who
are under the doctors forceps."
Complimentary to Miss Glen"
Nonsense You know what I mean.
But, really and truly, I've tried and I
can't do it..
Very well, said Barnes indifferently,
"then it is an understood thing that
you are to live and die an old bachelor"
Il didn't say that"
"Oh, [ beg pardon. You expect
Fanny is going topropose to you; that's
it."
"You are a heartless miscreant, +"
Ellerslie cried out, half laughing, half
impatient, as he sprang to his feet, and
tossed the remnant of his cigar into the
fire, "and shall not waste any more
time upon you-unless indeed you go
round to the fair with me-"
"Where Fanny Glen has a stand?
Not if I know it! The money market
IS rather tight for me at present, and
these fancy fairs are no more than a
den of robbers where a defenseless
young man IS concerned"
And Martin Ellerslie went on his way
alone.
The hall was all a glitter of gas
lights and fragrant with flowers when
he got there. The pretty feminine
sparks lruked each behind her table,
well laden, were all smiles and dimples.
while the throng of victims ebbed and
flowed around them.
Mr.. Ellerslie found himself greeted
with acclamations.
"You will take a share, Mr.. Eller-
slie?"
"Do please put your name down
here, Mr.. Ellerslie; there are only ten
blanks left"
"Oh, Mr.. Ellerslie, you are the very
one we are waiting for. I have kept
seven for you seven always was a
lucky number"
"Mr. Ellerslie! don't pray, spend all
your money till you have taken share
in this mammoth doll, with trunk full
of Clothes"
And thus our hero was flung hither
and yon on the waves of the fair, draw
ing nearer, however, with every sub
scription to the table over which shone
the blue stars of Fanny Clen's eyes.
But when he got there he was smit-
ten with sudden silence.
Fanny looked wonderingly up.
"It's fine evening"" he hazarded.
"Is it?" asked Fanny; "why, I
thought it was snowing."
$50 it is," said our hero, growing
very red, and overturning with his ell
bow a crimson Venetian flask, for which
he Immediately had to pay a sovereign.
II mean it isn't very fine even
ing"
"Oh!" said Fanny.
YES" said Martin, feeling acutely
that he had made donkey of himself.
Then he went away and didn't see
Fanny Glen again the whole evening"
probably because she was the only per-
son in the whole room he cared flo
about seeing at all. But so unkind is
fate to lovers.
Just as he was edging his way out of