The record-union., 1893-05-20

! 10 DS single obstacle. Inc demand LOT
Gertrude's hand was pure formality,
! but as such it must be gone through.
Blnks clutched the stick more tightly,
and began:
My visits to this house form the pleas
ATTEST part of my life, Mrs. HuckweI."
Indeed, I'm sure Pm only too glad"
murmured Mrs. HuckweIl. 1T is very
kind OF you to say So"
you must have seen for some time"
went on Binks, that have motive in
coming here-a motive, ma 'am."
Indeed, have thought so sometimes,
but of course it was not for me to speak,"
said Mrs. Huckwell, showing sus-
piciously even row of teeth. II think
several people have noticed it," she
added with a simper.
"I-ah-yes. perhaps So" said Binks,
rather pleased at this remark. 81 con-
clude, then, that l may take your consent
for grantedY'
"Indeed-really-yes, 1 suppose so.
rms IS very happy day for me, Timo-
thy" she went on, much to Binks' sur
prise, coming very near him. 'l on
poor dear fellow, l believe you have been
trying to propose for years. OF course,
though L gave you every encouragement,
L was powerless in the matter. My poor
father used to say that men were fools in
such matters and that a woman had TO do
half the work if 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, u man of peculiarly
refined susceptibilities. In the first
place he disliked being called Timothy,
and In the second place he thought Mrs.
HuckWeiPs manner bOrdered on famili-
arlty. He drew little away from her as
he replied:
''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. Huckwen playfully, stealing a
bony hand into his. why, my poor.
dear Timothy, don't you suppose l know
the signs well enough? Since my Will
iam's death, L can assure you 1 have had
hard work to keep widow"
She sighed deeply and Binks took adj
vantage OF her temporary pensiveness to
try and wriggle his hand away from hers,
but she held it fast
Il am sure" she said with a blush,
that 1t doesn't seem quite fair on the
girls, but when one is in love one scatters
every consideration to the winds, doesn't
one, Tmothy?"
This speech, and the squeeze she gave
his hand, little puzzled Binks, who was
already hopeIeSsly confused and he sup
posed that she alluded to the fact that it
was hard on the elder girls TO assist at
their younger sisters wedding, in the
OA SpllSItTS. he therefore
| made cultural sound of assent.
Not but what they are quite prepared
Tor 1t, Iimothy-quite prepared. 1 must
| tell you what Gertrude said when she saw
you coming in at the door-I am sure YOU
Will not mind, you are so good-natured.
She rushed up to me at once. Mamma
she said, there is Mr.. Binks standing on
the doorsteps, and ne has light kid gloves
on, and such a bunch of roses in his but
tOnhOle! am sure he has come to pro-
pOse.' You mustn't be angry, Timothy"
added Mrs. Huckwell, rather anxiously,
as she observed cloud lowering over
Binks' polished forehead. Girls are a
little giddy, you know, and viii have a
laugh at US elderly folks; but no one ap-
preciates the goodness of your heart bet
ter than Gertrude"
Il hope your daughter is not inclined
to be Hippant, ma'am," said Binks,
trowning, and unappeased by the appeal
ing pressure of her nngers.
"Oh, dear no! should not allow such
a thing for a moment! And you have no
idea how the-The result OF this afternoon
Will please her. OF course it is not unex-
pected, but still She is so quick !
When you gave her that bracelet last
week-so generous OF you, dear Timothy
she came to me afterwards, and put her
cheek against mine and said, L think IL is
my future papa who has given me this,
isn't it, mammaY Wasn't it sharp Of
the dear child? Fancy you Gertrudes
papap'
Binks told me that he heard these ter
| rible words as in dream. 1t must have
been quite five minutes before he grasped
the full horror of the situation. He Ger
trude's papap'
He said he had not the least idea how
he got out OF the house. He remembered
rising in dazed sort of way. He re-
membered the tea-gowned figure with its
pl n inn l.
after him, and asking if he ''felt faint
and his reply, wild with despair, II must
get away. l want air. Don't follow me.n
The next thing he remembered was
that he reached his own house
in. in s2 such tottering condition
drunk and offered to help him up stairs.
He reached his own room somehow, set
| his heel on the rosebud, and deliriously
threw the yellow kid gloves out of the
window. Then he sat down to collect
| himself
Here endeth the story as told me by
Binks.
CHAPTER III.
! An hour later, having watched Binks'
reeling progress home, / called to inquire
for him, and was not surprised when the
butler, while readily admitting such an
| honored friend as myself, confided to me
that he feared his master was in no fit
condition to receive visitors. He lowered
his voice as he said that he had lived with
| Mr.. Binks, man and boy, for thirty years,
and had never seen him the worse for
! drink before.
| hardly knew whether to save Binks'
| reputation from the stigma of drunken
ness by revealing that his affections had
| just been shattered, as a legitimate excuse
! for his condition, or not. But it occurred
to me that | should be violating his con-
fidence by laying bare the romance of his
bosom to the vulgar eye of a common
menial; and besides, how did | know for
certain that Binks had been refused
Might not his tremulOusness proceed
from excess of joy? L only shook my
head, therefore, and proceeded up stairs
to Binks' bedroom, whittier he had tot
tered unaided. l expected to find him
either Tapping about the room in a state
of indignant excitement, or else sunk
into state of hopeless collapse. But to
my surprise he neither tapped nor
| walled. He was energetically engaged in
ramming things into portmanteaus with
an air OF sullen determination.
threshold of his chamber, "what the
deuce are you doing?''
q am packing. Can't you see that for
yourself, you idiot?" responded Binks
| sulkily.
He went on with the work, and I sat on
the edge of the bed and watched him.
Where are you going?' L asked at last.
| ITO the uttermOst parts of the earth, ,"
| responded Binks, scripturally if rather
vaguely. Il am going abroad for years.
| Perhaps l may never come nome again"
had not given Binks credit for loving
so deeply and passionately. was sorry