St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-16
QUICKsTEP's RUsE.
The Little Strategem That Gave
IS Mr.. McPelican Courage Enough
- to PropoSe.

The Little Strategem That Gave
IS Mr.. McPelican Courage Enough
= to Propose.
Chicago Tribune.
4 "Have you experienced the feeling
Mr.. McPelican," said the young lady
softly, that some great opportunity
was within your grasp, but you had
hardly the presence of mind, the-the
courage, as it were, to avail yourself of
it9?'' 80 .=
IssWhy--er-yes, Miss Quickstep, I
have sometimes had kind OF feeling as
if I'd been sort of sent for and could't
go, you know"
Miss Amanda sighed dreamily and
there was a pause, during which the
two sat in the semi-darkness of the
Quickstep parlor and exchanged pro
found silence.
The door opened and Miss Quickstep's
elderly female relative looked in.
1.-THE book you are looking for,
auntie," said the young lady with entire
self-pOssessiOn and some emphasis, ''iS
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..
McPelican."
"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 a
notifying and CHASTITY blunder.
.'As 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 i'll our
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 personal manner,
yeti
The young man could feel his pulse
beating tattoo on the drums of his
ears, but he sat like bound boy at a
corn-husking ana said nothing.
''By the way" exclaimed Miss AM
aada. presently, 81 have new book of
engravings, MI. Pelican, that | am sure
you will enjoy seeing. 1t is a large
book, and you will 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
Cay perfectly lovely?' %
'.Wh-which is Walt ?" he gasped.
'sThere! Look closer. Don't you see
him ?''
.'W-who's he courting?"
you'll have to come closer, Mr.. Nc
Pelican. / declare, though" and she
looked archly at the trembling youth,
81 am almost afraid to let you come any
nearer. You look exactly like Walter
in the pictured"
And then the arm of that helpless
young man stole in 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.
assAlfred," 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
Inever gave you particle of encour-
agement.'
The young man patted her conde-
scendingIy on the head and then spoke
proudly, with the voice of an Ajax defy
ing the lightning:
"When 1 make up my mind to do any
thing, Amanda, no obstacle on earth
can stop mel"
innocent young Mr.. McPelican!