Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-01-25
AMANDA oUIcKsTEP's RUsE.
The Little Strategem That Gave
Mr.. McPellcan Courage Enough to


Mr.. MoPellcan Courage Enough to
Propose.
"Have you ever experienced the feel
ing, Mr.. Mcclellan" said the young
lady softly. "that some great opportuni-
ty was within your grasp, but you had
hardly tho presence of mind, the-the
courage, rs it were, to avail yourself OF
it?"
"Why -er-yes, Miss Quickstep, I
have sometimes had kind of feeling as
II | had been sort OF sent for and
couldn't go, you know"
Miss Amanda sighed dreamily and
there was pause, during which the
two sat in the seml-darkness of the
Quickstep parlor and exchanged pro-
found silences.
The door opened and Miss Amanda's
elderly female relative looked in.
The book you are looking for,
auntie," said the young lady, with entire
self-posession and some emphasis, lis
probably in the library"
The elderly female relative withdrew
and Miss Amanda spoke again in the
soft, musical, persuasive voice OF a
trained applicant for charity.
''She will not disturb us again, Mr..
Mcclellan"
"She-she wasn't disturbing me any,"
he protested.
And he sat and looked helplessly at
the glowing Goals in the CRATE, with the
feeling that every breath he drew was
Notifying and CHASTITY blunder.
GAS you were about to say, Mr. Nc
Pelican" resumed the young lady,
there are times when it seems TO all
of us that we must speak what is in our
h in our minds
Eyes, vaguely answered the bewild-
cred youth, and he tried to remember
when he had started to say anything of
the kind; 'yes, of course"
And while / am not sure that
ought TO listen TO you, Mr. Pelican, "
she said, with down-cast eyes, "when
| you speak TO me in this-in this person
al manner, yeti
The young man could feel his pulse
beating tattoo on the drums of his
ears, but he sat like q bound boy at a
corn-husking and said nothing.
''By the way" exclaimed Mis- 5
Amanda presently, II have a new book
of engravings, Mr. Mcclellan, that 1
am sure you will enjoy seeing. 1t is n
large book, and you'll have to move
your chair-why, certainly, you can
sit here with me on the sofa l never
| thought of that!'
The pictures danced before the eyes
of the young man in blurred, confused
! images.
isn't this engraving of the Court
ship of Florence Dombey and Walter
Gay perfectly lovely?n
"Wh-which is Waltz he gasped.
There! Look closer. Don't you see
him?n
"W-who's he courtingP"
You'll have to come closer. Mr..
Mcclellan. / declare, though" and
she looked archly at the trembling
youth. IL am almost afraid TO let you
come any nearer You look exactly
like Walter in the picturew
And then the arm of that helpless
young man stole in a timid, apologize,
sneaking way around the waist of the
charming Amanda Quickstep, her head
sunk on his shoulder, and the book OF
engravings fell neglected TO the floor.
Alfred" she said, an hour later, as
she toyed with button of his coat,
'you bold boy! How on earth did you
ever muster up the courage to ask me
TO be your wife? You know well enough
l never gave you particle of encour-
J agement."
: The young man patted her condos
cendingly on the head and then spoke
proudly with the voice OF an Ajax defy
ing the lightning.
when | make up my mind to dc
anything, Amanda, no obstacle on
earth can stop mel"
Innocent young Mr. McPelican.-Ex.