Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-09-21
A SKATING ROMANCE.

Dennis Deroyt was impulsive. He had
a Hibernian way of yielding to the incli-
nation of the moment without regarding
consequences. During his fourth evenings
skating at Niagara he came his cropper.
1t was then getting late. Many of the
skaters had left the ice. Dennis and the
learning lady were in a 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 she
could strike the ice 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-
dicular? With each effort to raise her her
feet will slip away, and back she sinks,
head 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. The absence of
near spectators aided and abetted it, He
whispered something in that coral ear.
Then-I am ashamed to write it-he-
we'll, yes, he did The kissed the pink lit
tie mouth!
She struggled little to disengage her
self from his arms. But what could she
do? Her feet slipped away again. She
only sank upon him with increased weight.
Dennis whispered something else and re-
peated the offense. believe he repeated 1t
more than once before she was restored to
the perpendicular. The young lady, you
see, was helpless. She was obliged to &C.
cept the inevitable. She could not offer
that resistance which her maiden modesty
uation. He used his advantage recklessly.
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 delioately 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 it, 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
my dear girl, " returned Dennis, look
ing anxiously around to see that no in
quisitive skaters were within earshot, "you
hot r civ
thing of the kind"
Never asked me anything of the kind!"
cried the young lady in an ascending scale
Of shrillness which came uncommonly near
the high c. "Are-are you mad, Mr.. De-
royt, or am I?''
II don't think am" answered Dennis
perhaps rather rudely.
The young lady burst into tears.
"You insult me, SIR" she sobbed.
"W-what do you take me forP Do you sup
pose that should have let you m-m-m-
make love to me and k-k-k-kiss me unless
you had first asked me to marry your
my dear girl, " answered Dennis hur-
riedly, for he saw that it was necessary to
soothe her at once If he was to escape a
scene in the public place, "pray compose
yourself. never took you for anything
else but what you arctic dearest little
thought Of that. Couldn't possibly man
age 1T, don't you know. Haven't the
means"
"You 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 are, protested
Dennis.
II wasn't Miss Linkley four days ago."
she interposed, with queer look.
"Ah, we'll, Florrie, then, he fastened
to correct himself. That look Of hers made
him wish himself we'll out of 1t. "But
you are mistaken really. do like you,
Of course, awfully, butt
"You didn't like me four days ago."
she interjectdd, with still more danger
GUS look. Dennis felt half afraid that she
might lose her self control and involve
him in the disgrace Of physical tussle be-
fore all those skaters.
"I-I-mean to say I-I-love you
upon my soul, Il do, said Dennis, ready,
at the minute, to say anything that would
pacify her.
Win oil your neartF Sne inquired,
subjecting his face to searching gaze of
her dark eyes.
"Yes-ah--with all my heart, +" assented
Dennis meokly.
The young lady still continued to scru-
tinize his oelclosely. Dennis wished that
her large eyes were not quite so penetrat-
ing.
"And you really mean that, D-Dennis
upon your honotf" she persisted.
upon my HONOR" replied the Irish
man.
She came nearer and chung to his arm.
She looked up fondN into his face. Dennis
began to feel still more uncomfortable.
He had suspicion that he should not find
1t go easy to get out Of this foolish little
ENHANCEMENT,
Eyes, he should put the truth to her fair
and straight-in writing" Dennis hated
to speak unpleasant things. But he could
be as bold 9s a lion--on paper.
Next morning Dennis indited this lot.
ter. BY return he had communication,
not fron( Tlorrie, but from Florrie's pa,
the dry goods man In the Kings road,
SIR-1 nnh at loss to understand the tlas.
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