Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-08-07

draughts of their fresh young beauty
by looking first at one and then at the
other, and then dwelling upon the
features of both with one eye sweep,
'that he proposed to you last night.
"Oh, not to both, you know" Mr..
Dimmock," interjected young Brom'
ley.
"He asked me to be his wife," said
Millie demurely.
'He told me that he couldn't live
without me-" said Mollie mischievous.
ly.
'How is this?" said the old man,
turning to young Bromley with q
severe look.
The young man blushed furiously
and lifted his hands in protest.
"I'm sure" he stammered, zone Of
you is mistaken. I asked you, Millie,
to be my wife in the summer house
and-and-I kissed you. That was
before supper, and later in the even.
ing, when we sat on the front steps, ]
said that I couldn't live without
you and that we must get married.
"Before we go any further" inter.
rupted the old coal merchant, (Which
is Millie and which is Mollie? When
your dear mother was alive she could
tell the difference sometimes, but
don't know to this day."
"Oh, how dull you are, papa!' said
the girls in duet.
"I think that is Millie on the right u
spoke up young Bromley.
"Why, Mr.. Bromley" said she, 81
am Mollie."
Every good, now let's go on" said
their father, "where were we? Oh,
yes, young Bromley says that he asked
you to be his wife, Millie, and de.
clared he couldn't do without you."
II beg your pardon, papa" said
Mollie, che told me that he couldn't
live without me-"
"Well, let's get our bearings" con.
tinued the old coal merchant. "Brom.
ley, you asked Millie to marry you
down in the summer house, and you
kissed her! That's correct, isn't it?'
"There's no doubt about that, sir, y
said Bromley eagerly.
"And after supper when you sal
together on the stoop you told Mollie
that you couldn't live without her?"
"That I deny, sir. Oh! I bey your
pardon, Mollie, you needn't look SC
angry. I meant no offence"
"Did you kiss Mollie?" went on the
old man relentlessly.
"No, sir. l..
eyes, you did, Mr.. Bromley" flared
up Mollie.
"T admit" said the young man,
struggling with his emotions, "that ]
kissed her when I said I could not live
without her, but it wasn't Mollie."
ooh, Mollie!' said Millie, chow
could you?"
"Now, Millie, do be reasonable, y
said Mollie.
Old Mr.. Dimmock looked mystifed.
"It seems to me-" said, with g
show of impatience, 'that if were in
love with one of those girls 1 could tell
the difference between them. So fal
as can make out, young man, you
have asked Millie to be your wife, and
have tried to make Mollie believe that
you could not live without her. Now,
to any one who does not know Millie
and Mollie your conduct would ap'
pear to be perfdious. OF course, as
between You and Mollie, I must be-
lieve Mollie, for the girl certainly
knows whether you kissed her."
The old man eyed both his daugh-
ters hard. NIillie was biting her
neither lip and so was Mollie; but Mol
lie was trying to keep from laughing.
Old Mr.. Dimmock had an idea.
"I would like to clear up this thing
to your satisfaction and my own,
Bromley" said he. "Let me ask you
whether Mollie kissed you when you
told her you couldn't live without
her?"
The young man got very red in the
face.
"You mean Millie, of course" he
replied, with embarrassment. "Per
haps she wouldn't mind my saying
that she did kiss me in the summer
house. But she didn't kiss me on the
stoop. kissed her."
Chow is that, Millie? Mollie?'
asked their father.
"Papa," said Mollie decidedly. 81
couldn't keep Mr.. Bromley from kiss
ing me, but assure you didn't kiss
him."
Mollie looked her father straight il
the eye and then she shot an indignan
shaft at Bromley.
Millie hung her head and her face
was as red as a poppy.
II think" said the old man dryly
"that it's plain I'll keep Mollie, ant
we'll have that marriage before yor
make another mistake, young man. -
New York Sun.