The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-09
MY OFFER.

From the Home Queen.
An offer of marriage is n delicate thing
to indite. but when i had written mime tn
Miss Marian Lee ] felt that il was. take IL
all in all, n very tolcrable composition.
II was a warm day and ! had no particu-
lar fancy for the long walk to the postof-
fec, and just then l heard my sister Au-
gusta call tai the nurscrymaid. whom she
always addressed as "Bobbins." though,
of course. she had some baptismal name
of her own.
"Take these invitations tn the pOstof-
flee, Bobbins." she said. ''If you hurry
you'll catch the last mail"
I was not anxious that my sister should
see thc:.addrcss OH the letter and comment
on il, and ] waited until she returned tn
the house. and then slipped out Of the Ii
brary and called Jack.
Jack" said L., run after B"bbin- and
lack snatche<l il and obeyed me. saw
him hand the letter tai Bobbins. I saw
her turn and look at me. Even at that
distance the shy look in her Hat blue eyes
struck me. and saw her put II carefully
in her pocket and walk ON.
My heart began to beat furiously. l had
"o All IL" so asia do WAS %.ss e, S's wa IL And 1 did
wait. A day passed two-three-and
still no reply. Under ordinary circum-
stances I should have called; hut. with
that letter pending. of course that was
I en,ieavored to possess my soul with
VIZ ~ s"s
il was some time before i mo-
ticcd that Bobbins was behaving herself
i'm u very peculiar way.
At last one evening, as l sat upon the
porch in the twilight. smoking "a cigar
and wondering when ! should get a reply
tn my letter. Bohbins fiutteredo out i'm ~ mi-
r~aculously tiutcd cap and apron and sidled
into the corner behind me.
ITS Master Jacks hat as ne LEFT h out
found the hat she still remained in the
corner.
more easily, but this was not evidently
what she wanted for i'm u moment "a
small pink claw rested ON my shoulder,
and the voice of its owner said: "Oh, Mr..
Reginald. COW 'appy ] ham. tn he surew
.f'm very glad to hear il, Bobbins.''
"And don't you think, SIR said she,
'that when n young person 'as not the
pen of "a steady writer, hanswcrs by word
as is in love. and waiting for them anx-
ious like"
who did something athletic i'm a &
warehouse, and was spoken of 10y the
other servants with admiration on account
of his size, but ! had not expected To re-
s,eive her confidence i'm the matter. Was
il possible that she discerned i'm me that
fellow-fccling which makes us all akin:
At all events l could answer her as one
"Yes. Bobbins." said /: .'iever intrust
tn the postman what you can do with your
own que
"And Il you think so. SIR said Bobbins.
''the difficulty of N want OF hearty hetlu-
batuni. as l heard my master say the
other day. and my reply is this: Hif You
loves a,c as ! love you M" knife can cut
Both sensible and poctical, Bobbins,"
said ].
hin" s'n, Whas Iowa you are, sal" Bob
Bobbins was an absurd little crcature;
but she was a girl and l was a young man.
Ii seemed to me at that moment the
proper thing tn kiss Robbins, and l died IL.
At that momcn the voice of my beloved
!Where ' IS my hat Il sa"eaisi.
And Robbins fled, with much show of
trepidation' while 1 busted my lips, con-
tact with Bobbins' check having proved
to them that she was not behind her bet
tiers in the use of violet powder.
s.I, h tx "veLihns .asn ",ss,ms1 Isl, MN.
ReHgy had n mash ON Bobbins." for
which yuigarity. am glad to say. he was
his so's, however. that ',c saw him kiss
her."
My sister was very grave with me that
evening. but BObbins was so curiously
prim and SO positively plai.i.and my opin-
ion of her appeared so thoroughly cstab-
and having escaped this time, 1 was de-
terminede not to allow Bobbins to place
me in a false position, again. And this
was why when 1 saw her the next day
than usually affected fashion. I hid be-
hind the carriage house.
She had just parted from her athletic
sweetheart, and he was coming toward
the gate i'm what seemed to be "a rather UNI
pleasant state of mind. However, that
was nothing to me. and ! 4 came from my
retirement i'm an uncertain fashion, whist
ling and expecting that Bohbin young
man would he sensible enough to steer
himself out OF the. way. However, he did
not. He came straight OH, his fist doubled,
his brow bent, his lower jaw p~rotruding.
and our toes met, and my eyes or a level
with bis scarf. pin-a small golden hogs
head Then he stood still and il was my
i~ntetenti0n that he should "turn to the
right. a. the law Directs" and not I. I
stood still also.
''What do you mean by this here ?' said
he, in low and awful tones. Come. now
1 want 20 know"
what has happened to you. my good
man ?' i asked, i'm as sarcastic and cxas-
perating q name as I could assume.
ssDo YOU know who I am 2" asked he.
.I have understood that your reason for
being about the premises now and then
was Bohbine," I safd.
Hop asd he. "And amt there nothin'
saycrSd I'm yoR srists critic heyes? Hain't
= poor mans young LADY has much is own
NJ Q sWell's In Z"