Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-04-07
DID HE PROPOSE ?


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. 1t was snow
ing little outside; all the better ;
for the click of the crystallized
pearl against the glass filled up the
silence, and made the cosy 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
nothing at all.
Suppose she shouldn't" OBJ
served Guy Barnes. dryly.
''I tell you, old fellow, it's just
exactly like having a 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 ]
mean. But really and truly, I've
tried it and 1 can't do it."
avery WE'LL" said Barnes indif-
ferentIy, "then it is an understood
thing that you are to live and die
an old bachelor"
"I didn't say that"
"Oh, beg pardon. You expect
Fanny is going to propose to you;
that's it,"
"You are heartless miscreant,"
Ellerslie cried out, half laughing,
half impatient, as he sprang to his
feet, and tossed the remnant of
his cigar in the fire, "and l shall
not waste any more time upon you
unless, indeed, you go round to
the fair with me-"
Not if l know it. The money mar
ket is rather tight for me at present,
and these fancy fairs are no more
than a den of robbers where a de-
fenceless young man is concerned"
And Martin Ellerslie went on his
way alone.
The hall was all a-glitter with
gas lights and fragrant with flowers
when he got there. The pretty
feminine sparks lurked each behind
her table, we'll laden, were all
smiles and dimples, while the
throng of victims ebbed and flowed
around them.
Mr.. Ellerslie found himself greet
ed with acclamations.
"You will take share, Mr.. ELL
erslie?"
"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. l.
have kept seven for yOu-seven
always was lucky number"
"Mr. Ellerslie! don't, pray, spend
all your money till you have taken
a share in this mammoth doll,
with a trunk full of Clothes"
And thus our hero was flung
hither and yOn on the waves of the
fair, drawing nearer, however, with
every subscription to the table over
which shown the blue stars of Fan
ny Clen's eyes.
But when he got there he was
smitten with sudden silence.
Fanny looked wOnderingly up.
"It's fine evening"" he haZ-
arded.
els it ?" asked Fanny. Why, 1 !
thought it was showing"
$50 it is" said our hero, growing |
very red, and uverturning with his |
elbow a crimson Venetian flask, for |
which he Immediately had to pay
a sovereign. "I-mean it isn't a
very fine evening""
"Oh :" said Fanny.
FooI;n0
cutely that he had made a donkey |
of himself.
Then he went away and didn't |
see Fanny Glen again the whole
evening-probably because she was
the only person in the whole room
that he cared fig about seeing at
all. But so unkind is fate tc low
ers.
Just as he was edging his way
out of the place, in a very desperate
and detected frame of mind, there
was a rush and fiutter, and he /
heard his own name called in all
the notes of the human gamut.
"What is it?" he asked, vaguely
staring around him.
you've drawn the doll ?" cried
little Sybil Percy, dancing up to
him, and laying in his arms the
huge waXen abOmination, with its
flossy yellow curls and imposing
pink and white complexion while
else brought the big and
little handbook. "It's just like trav-
cling with wife," said Sybil, mis-
"But what the-ahem, what am
tn do with il ?" asked our beWil-
dered hero.
"Give it to somebody" said Sy-
bill, inwardly hoping he would act
promptly on the suggestion and
bestOw the prize upon her. "Any
one would be delighted to get such
a present"
"Do you think they would ?"
asked Mr.. Ellerslie, vacantly, and
he went away.
"Great stupid fellow ~ cried Sy-
bill, spuefully, and she tripped back
to the table.
81 never saw such a goose" said
Laura Darlington, who had three
sisters Of her own ut home.
"But what am 10 do with it?"
said Martin to himself, as he
the wintry gloom of the
oNASCAS"
"Oh, have it! I'll give it to
Fanny Glen and she can make a
Christmas present of it to her little
cousin"
He laid the doll, rejoicing, on the ,,
sofa, and went to bed, sinking into .
ireamland just about the time that !.
Fanny Glen was taking the hair
pins out of her magnificent golden
lair before the dressing bureau in
her own department.
"Why, Fanny, what ails your"
,ried Dora, her elder sister. "You
ire crying"
~ am so tired" guilty confessed
DOor Fanny.
And she wept herself to sleep,
linking how foolish she had been, /.
md that of course Martin Ellerslie !
lidn't care a straw about her. Why :
hOuld he? :
Mr.. EIlerslie rose the next morn
ng full Of his momeDtous resolve,
nd made such toilet that the :
little boy, seeing him go !
ut with big doll, neatly incased =
n her pasteboard box under his =
rm, calculated profoundly: Z
sob, my eye, what swell J" =