The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-29

was in the habit of rising to great heights of sentiment during bali, and in corner of the supper room, fixing his expressive eyes on his partners, and whispering in trembling accents :: "Then will you have mel" It mat tered little whether the answer was ''yes" or ''no. :" for he was not a marry ing man, and uniformly replied either that it was a pity, for he had longed to dance the cotillion with her, or that he was delighted, for he certainly would not have waited to dance 1t with any one else. But he played his little joke too often, and after time found it difficult to get partners. He has sunk very low now, and lives, I believe, on his paternal acres in Essex, in gaiters and dirty shooting jacket i; fattening pigs, and digging up weeds with spud. And I can remember him one of the smartest men in town l!
 Of course, with girl in her first or even, perhaps, her second season, there is little difficulty. Her eyes will show you pretty we'll what answer is ready behind her ivory teeth. Butt do not be too easily satisfied by the quick heaving of her bosom. There is a good deal of excitement to girl in refusing man, and that excitement may be the cause of the unwonted heaves. Always propose-or lead up to pro- posal-seated. When you are standing up you are to some extent in a worse position than she is. Probably she has something in her hand-a fan or 8 parasol-and even if she has nothing, a woman can manage her arms better than a man. Besides, bear in mind that if you are accepted your attitude must be one of sudden rapture, and if you are standing (she will, of course, be standing, too-you couldn't pro- pose standing to girl sitting), you must at once seize her, or attempt to seize her, in a close embrace. Now, even Blondin would find it difficult not to overbalance himself and topple forward when drawn suddenly on- ward by modest, retiring damsel about whom his arms are entwined 1; while he cannot move either foot for ward for tear of treading on her feet or frock. It would be ominous to be- gin by tearing her dress out at the gathers.
 No. Propose sitting. If the girl be willing-and be not fool (we need not count fool-girls; they can be pro- posed to in any rough and unscien- tific style)-she will allow one little white hand, as you are growing terri ply and meaningly tender, to hang somewhere within your reach. You gently take possession of it. It re- mains-passiye, perhaps, but still it does reniain-in yours. The battle is won. You are engaged from that mo- ment, and all the rest of the interview is only leather and prunella.
 But if, when you take the hand that has been hanging there as bait, it is briskly withdrawn, and the dignity of outraged propriety shines out of the eyes so falsely tender moment since, then recognize at once your dan- ger and rise to the occasion.
 "Why do you object to our being friends, Miss Blank?" you should say little coldly and with--if you can manage the thing-just slight suspi- cion of amusement in your eyes-or mouth-practice before the glass and see which comes easiest).
 This is rather a poser. She can't well say that friends don't take each others hands; still less can she say that she suspected you did not intend to stop there. Then you can go on.
 "I had so hoped we might be. You know that l never intend to marry (put in some reason for your celibacy here if you have a nice one, but 1t is not of much importance), and it seems hard that therefore should be shut out from friendliness Cor intimacy, the latter for choice) with nice women"
 Here, again, you see you have her at disadvantage. If she has any con- science, she cannot, after drawing you on so prettily, say that she doesn't want to be friends with you; yet If she says she does, she actually of her own accord cuts the ground from un- der her own feet, turns all sentiment out of the thing and altogether elim- mates the little conquest she had up to that moment deemed at her mercy.
 Should she, however, find herself obliged to do this, then, if you have the nerve, you can infiict very sweet little bit of punishment by confiding to her some love affair of your own, apocryphal or not, and you can force her, with rage at her defeat in her heart, to listen to your impassioned tale of sorrow, of two hearts that beat as one, of suspicious husbands; or, if she be 6 shockabie young woman (though these are rare now), of stern and sordid parents.
 Consumption Cured.