Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-17
'M.PeLlcAN.s woolNo.

The Rare Nerve That Carried Nm
Through the Popping Ordeal
"Have you ever experienced the
feeling, Mr.. Mcclellan" 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, t.
avail yourself of it?''
"Why-er-yes, Miss Quickstep,
have sometimes had q kind of feeling
as if I'd been sort Of sent for and
couldn't 60, you know"
Miss Amanda sighed dreamily, and
there was pause, during which the
two sat in the semi-darkness of the
Quickstep parlor and exchanged pro-
found silences.
The door opened and Miss Amanda
elderly female relative looked in.
1.-The book you are looking for,
auntie. !" said the young lady. with en-
tire self-pOssession and some empha-
sis. sis probably in the library"
The elderly female relative with
drew, and 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.
"As you were about to say, Mr.. Nc
Pelican" resumed the young lady.
"there are times when it seems to all
of IS va urst speak what is in our
h in our minds
YES" vaguely answered the be-
wildered youth, and he tried to re-
member when he had started to say
any thing of the kind; Eyes, o course"
land while l am not sure that I
ought to listen to you, Mr.. Mcclellan"
she said, with downcast eyes, "when
you speak to me in this-in this per-
sonal manner, yet
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 and said nothing.
"By the way" exclaimed Miss
Amanda, presently. Il have a new
book of engravings, Mr. McP Pelican, that
am sure you will enjoy seeing. It is
large book, and you'll have to move
your chair-why, certainly, you can
sit here with me on the sofa. / 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?"
(Which is Waltz" he gasped.
There! Look closer. Don't you
see him?'
"W-who's he courting?"
you'll have to come closer, MIR.
Mcclellan. 1 declare, though" and
she looked archly at the trembling
youth, Il am almost afraid to let you
come any nearer. lou look exactly
like Walter in the pictureH'
And then the arm of that helpless
young man stole in timid, apologetic,
sneaking way around the waist of the
charming Amanda Quickstep, her
head sank 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
encouragement"
The young man patted her conde-
scendingly on the head and then spoke
proudly, with the voice of an Ajax de-
flying the lightning:
"When l make up my mind to do
any thing, Amanda, no obstacle on