The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-17
A SKATING ROMANCE.

HlDerniap way OF yielulng TO the tncli-
nation of tho moment without regarding
consequences During his fourth evenings
skating at Niagara he came his cropper.
1t was then getting late. Many Of tho
skaters had left the ioe. Dennis and tho
learning lady were In q corner apart by
themselves They were standing still, en-
gagged In conversation, when her feet shot
suddenly forward as the feet Of learners
have way Of doing. Dennis was just in
time to catch her in his arms before sho
could strike the ioe with the back of her
head.
Who that has thus held lady novice
overbalanced backward does not know the
difficulty Of restoring her to the perpen-
dicularf With each effort to raise her her
feet will slip away, and back she sinks,
hoad resting on his shoulder. That was
what happened now. The young lady lay
In Dennis arms, her head resting on his
shoulder. She was certainly good look
ing. Her eyes were very lustrous. Her
complexion was clear and good. She had
pink little mouth. A sudden impulse
overlook tho Irishman. Tho absence of
near spectators aided and abetted 1t. He
whispered something In that coral ear.
Thcn-I am ashamed to write it-he-
WELL yes, he didl-he kissed the pink lit
tie mouth
Sho struggled little to disengago hor-
self from his arms But what could she
dor Her feet slipped away. again. She
only sank upon him with increased weight.
Dennis whispered something else, and re-
peated tho offense. believe he repeated ID
more than once before she was restored to
the perpendicular. Tho youag lady, you
see, was helpless. She was obliged to &C.
cept the inevitable. She could not offer
that resistance which her maiden modesty
demanded. Dennis was master of the sit
uation. He used his advantage reoklessly.
That is, In fact, how he came his cropper.
Dennis was genuinely astonished when
he discovered that the young lady had
taken, him seriously. He explained to tho
young lady as delicately as he could that
she was laboring under delusion. For a
long time she would not believe that he
was in earnest. She surmised that he was
perpetrating some lovers Jest upon her.
But, by and by, when she found that he
really meant 1t, she turned upon Dennis
in manner that made him quake.
"Do you stand there before me, she ex-
claimed, with indescribable Indignation,
land dare to deny that you asked me to-
to marry your
d my dear girl" returned Dennis, look
Ing anxiously around to see that no in
quisitive skaters were within earshot, "you
must know that never asked you any
thing Of the kind"
"Never asked me anything Of the kindi"
cried the young lady in an ascending scale
of shrillness which came euncommonly near
the high C. "Are--are you mad. Mr.. De-
royt, or am I2''
"I dom think am," answered Dennis
perhaps rather rudely.
The young lady burst into tears.
lyon insult me, SIR" she sobbed.
"w-whnt do yon take mo forp Do you sup
pose that I should have let you m-m-m-
make love to me and XXX kiss me unless
you had first asked me to marry your
my dear girl, answered Dennis hur-
riodly, for he saw that 1t was necessary to
Roothe her at once il he was to escape a
scene in the public place, "pray compose
yourself. I never took you for anything
else but what you are-the dearest little
thing alive. But as for marrying, never
thought of that. Couldn't possibly man
age it, don't you know. Haven't the
means"
"YoH might have thought of that be-
fore you proposed to me, she retorted in
dignantly
"But you are mistaken about that, Miss
Linkley, upon my soul you arc, protested
Dennis.
"I wasn't Miss Linkley four days ago."
she interposed, with queer look.
"Ah, well, Florrie, then, y he hnstened
to correct himself. That look of hers made
him wish himself woll out of 1t. "But
you arc mistaken really. do like you,
of course, awfully, butt
"You didn't like me four days ago."
she interjected, with n still more danger
Gus look. Dennis felt half afraid that she
Vuinrht hoyn caIf Inv
him in the disgrace of a physical tussle be-
fore all those skaters.
"I-L-mean to say I-I-loye YOU
upon my soul, ], do" said Dennis, ready,
at the minute, to say anything that would
pacify her.
with all your hearth" she inquired,
subjecting his face to searching gaze of
her dark eyes.
| "Yes-ah-with all my heart, assented
Dennis meekly.
The young lady still continued to soru-
tinize his face closely. Dennis wished that
her large eyes were not quite SO penetrat-
ing.
"And you really mean that D-Dennis
upon your honor?'' she persisted.
Upon my honor" replied the Irish
man.
She came nearer and clung to his arm.
She looked up fondly into his face. Dennis
began to feel still more uncomfortable.
He had a suspicion that he should not find
It so easy to get out of this foolish little
entanglement.
"Yes, he should put the truth to her fair
and straight-in, writing" Dennis hated
to speak unpleasant things. But he could
be as bold as a lion--on paper.
Next morning Dennis indited this let
ter. By return he had a communication,
not from Florrie, but from Florrie's pa,
the dry goods man In the Kings road,
Chelsea:
sIH-I am at a loss to understand the das-
tardly letter which my daughter has this day
received from you. If you think that shall
permit you to play fast and loose with INV
ohilds affections, you arc very much mistal-
en-. Either you must retract every word
which you have written in your unmanly Lett
ter and express yourself ready to carry out
your engagement with my daughter, or you
must be prepared to meet whatever steps
shall considerit necessary to take for the vim
dication of that too oonfiding angel. You're
to command, JOHN LIHKLEY.
"Hum" said Dennis, as he read the let
ter with an angry frown. "Too confiding
angel Good heavens, what rubbish I
shall just sit tight, and they WOE, u carry
the matter further. When they see am
determined, they will desist from their i'm
pudent attempt.
That is how Dennis encouraged himself.
But the encouragement was short lived.
Three days afterward he heard from some
solicitors in Lincoln's Inn to the effect that
they wero issuing writ against him for
breach Of promise at the instance of their
client, Miss Einkley who would accept
service thereof in his behalf. Then Dennis
saw that merely sitting tight was OF no
use. And he did the first wise thing that
he had done in tho course Of the affair-he
took cab and drove straight to the Offices
of Mr. Rsttleyboy, his family solicitor
Dear, dearln said Rattleyboy when he
, I'D heard the story. "This sounds like a
lad business. Dennis"
Its an Internal shame" calculated
Dennis Indignantly, "It's a deliberate
attempt to blsckmail me. Tho girl Knows