The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-17

be single obstacle. The demand for
Gertrude's hand was a pure formality,
! but as such it must be gone through.
Binks clutched the stick more tightly
and began:
MY visits to this house form the pleas
ATTEST part OF my life, Mrs. Huck well. "
Indeed, I'm sure Pm only too glad, !"
murmured Mrs. Huckwell. at ia very,
very kind of you to saw so"
"You have seen for some time" went
on Binks, that / have a motive in COM
ing here-a motive, ma am"
Indeed, have thought so sometimes.
but of course it was not for me to speak, p"
said Mrs. Huckwell, showing a suspicious
! ly even row of teeth. al think several
people have noticed it," she added with a
shipper.
"I-ah-yes, perhaps So" said Binks,
rather pleased at this remark. II con-
clude, then, that may take your consent
| for eEanted ?"
"lndeed-really-yes l suppose So.
This is very happy day for me,
| Timothy" she went on, much to
Binks' surprise, coming very near
him. You poor dear fellow, | believe
you have been trying to propose for years.
OF course, though gave you every en-
courngement, l was powerless in the mat
ter. My poor father used to say that men
were fools in such affairs. and that a
woman had to do half the work II she ever
wanted to get husband at all.
Now there were several things in this
| speech that Jared upon Binks, who is, as
he often tells me. a man OF peculiarly re-
! fined susceptibiIities. In the first place
he disliked being called Timothy, and in
| the second place he thought Mrs Huck-
/ wells manner bordered on familiarity.
/ He drew little away from her as he re-
| piled:
"Oh, well, as for years. OF course that is
not the case. have been deeply attached
| for some months L own"
"As if everybody had not seen it," said
Mrs. Huck we'll playiuly, stealing bony
! hand into his. why. my poor, dear
Timothy, don't you suppose know the
signs we'll enough? Since my William 8
death, can assure you, have had hard
work to keep widow"
She sighed deeply. and Binks took adj
vantage of her temporary pensiveness to
try to wriggle his hand away from hers,
but she held it fast.
II am sure" she said, with blush,
that it don't seem quite fair on the girls.
but when one is in love one scatters every
consideration to the winds, doesn't one,
/ Timothy ?"
This speech, the squeeze che gave his
hand, little puzzled Binks, who was
already hopelessiy confused, and supposed
| that she alluded TO the fact that it was
hard on the elder girls to assist at their
youngest sisters wedding in the character
| of spinsters. He. therefore, made a gut
tural sound of assent.
Not but what they are quite prepared
for 1t, Timothy-quite prepared. Girls
are so sharp about these things. / must
tell you what Gertrude said when she cav
/ you coming in az the door, am sure you
will not mind, YOU are go good. natured.
She rushed up to me at once. Mamma.
she said, there is Mr.. Binks standing on
the doorsteps, and he has light kid gloves
on, and such bunch OF roses in his but
tonholel 1 am sure be has come to pro-
pose You mustn't be angry, Timothy, "
added Mrs. Huckwell, rather auxiously. as
she observed a cloud lowering over Binks'
| polished forehead. Girls are a little
giddy, YOU know aud will have laugh al
us elderly folks; but no one appreciates
the goodness of your heart better than
] Gertrude"
Il hope your daughter lie no. inclined ia
be tlippant, ma'am." said Binks, frown-
ing. and unappeased by the appealing
pressure of her fingers.
"0h, dear no! | should not allow such
a thing for a moment! And You have nc
| idea how the-the result of this afternoon
viii please her. OF course it is not unex
pected, but still She is so Quick
When you gave her that bracelet las
week-so generous of you, dear Timothy
she came to me afterward and put he
check against mine and said, j think il il
my future papa who has given me this
isn't it, mammal Wasn't it sharp OF tn,
dear child? Fancy you Gertrude's papa =
Binks told me that he heard these ter
rible words as in dream 1t must hav,
been quite five minutes before he graspet
the full horror of the situation. He Ger
trude's papa"
He said he had not the least idea how HI
got out of the house. He remem here,
rising in dezed sort of way. He remem
bered the tea-RoYned figure with it
blinking chatelai6e rustling snxiousll
after him, and asking if he 'felt faint,
and his reply, wild with despair, 81 mus
get away. l want air. Don't follow me-
The next thing he remembered was that
be reached his own house in such a tot
tering condition that the butler though
he was drunk, and offered 10 help him NJ
stairs. He reached his own room, some
| how set his heel on the rosebuds, ant
deliriously threw the yellow kid glove
out of the window. Then he sat down &
collect himself.
Here endeth the story as told TO me b.
| Binks.