The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-22

Mr.. NUBB|NS' PROPOSAL
He Proposed to Remain a Bach
elor and Had a Narrow Es-
cape From Matrimony.

o He Proposed to Remain Bach 0
10 elor and Had a Marrow Es- Q
Q cape From Matrimony. .
0eoOoooeoe0eo o o Q 0 cse
1t lacked five minutes of the time for
the departure of the Montreal express
from the Grand Central station, and
the cars were rapidly filling up. Ma
thaniel Nubbins, well dressed, meek
looking little gentleman. had just got
comfortably settled down in a corner
seat of the car next to the smoker,
when he heard familiar voice ad-
dressing him:
"Why, hello, Nubbins. How are you?
I'm right in luck today. l was just
looking for some one to take charge of
Aunt AbigaiPs bundles and assist her
off the train with them when she
reaches Troy. You're going through,
of course?"
"Y-yes," answered Nubbins family
as he glanced up and recognized his
friend Travers with his arms full of
bundles of all shapes and sizes and
aunt Abigail grimly looking up in an
aisle behind him like one of NapoleOn's
grenadiers.
Now, Nathaniel Nubbins was of de-
cidedly shy and retiring disposition, be-
sides being a dyed in the wool old
bachelor (Nubbins was 80, still single.
and not only willing, but anxious to re-
main sol, and if he could have had his
=, To-
charge, face a gang Of mutineers or a
midnight burglar or encounter most
any other trifie in that line rather than
take charge of woman and her lug
gage for a $50 mile railroad journey.
| Therefore the reader will kindly mag
Inc the remarks (they will hardly do
for print that Nubbins made under his
breath as he got up and with forced
politeness bowed the waiting female to
the seat next to the window.
Thank you," said Travers as he be-
gan piling bundles on Nubbins' feet
and into his lap, whichever came the
handiest. 81 knew you'd just as soon
do me the favor to take charge Of Aunt
Abigail as not, and I'm glad l happen
ed to run across you. She is a trifie
hard of hearing and-er-a little &C.
centric in some respects, but you'll find
her first rate company when you get
acquainted with her, By the way,
came near forgetting to introduce you
to each other. Mr.. Nubbins, this is
my aunt, Miss Abigail Doolittle."
Then, raising his voice. he shouted,
Aunt Abigail, allow me to present
my bachelor friend, Mr.. Nubbins, who
will look after you and see you safely
off the train with your baggage when
you reach Troy"
$50 good Of him, Pm sure. Happy
to meet you, Mr.. Nubbins," responded
Miss Doolittle, with what was meant
| to be a winsome smile in Nubbins di-
rection.
| At this moment the starters bell
rang, the train began slowly moving
out of the station, and with hurried
goodby Travers dashed out of the car,
leaving Nubbins alone to face the re-
sponsibility of delivering Miss Doolit-
tie and her collection of baggage safe
| ly at the Troy station, responsibility
which even the bravest of Nubbins'
sex might well have hesitated to face.
| Now, Nubbins, as | have previously
intimated, was not cast In a heroic
mold. He was a timid little gentle
man, measuring probably 5 feet 2
inches in his patent feathers. and his
| great aim in life, so far as the SO call
ed gentler sex was concerned, was to
leave them severely alone and quietly
| flock by himself, as Lord Dundreary
used to express it.
| Miss Abigail Doolittle, on the con-
trary, though she had chiefly flocked
by herself through five and forty sim
mering summers and the same number
of dreary winters. had done SO unwill-
ingly and under protest, as it were.
For a full quarter Of century the
tall and stately Miss Doolittle, who
doomed nearly a foot above Nubbins
and looked every inch grenadier, as
believe have before limited, had been
on the matrimonial bargain counter
she had a snug little fortune in her
own right-waiting patiently for some
enterprising and appreciative gentle
man to appear on the scepe and take
possession Of her willing heart and
other personal property. But alas!
Thus far her waiting had been In vain.
| Among her list of acquaintances other
| maidens, young and old, attractive or
| otherwise, some with fortunes and
some without, had been taken, and she
alone had been left to mourn over the
| perverseness of mankind.
Much bsooding on the subject, cou-
pied with her infirmity Of hearing, had
at last resulted in the harmless delu-
sion that every man who treated her at
all politely was desperately in love
with her, and as Nubbins had not been
warned of this fact it can readily be
Eurmised that his present position was
one of extreme peril-that Is, so far as
his peace of mind was concerned. at
least
After the Forty-second street tunnel
had been passed and the train had
| emerged once more into daylight Nub-
bins transferred the most of the bun
dies from his lap to the rack overhead
and presently ventured upon the re-
mark that it was fine day.
BEG pardon. STRIP said the female
grenadier. suddenly Strengthening up
and gianctng inquiringly at Nubbins.
II said it's fine day." exclaimed
Nubbins, raising his voice to shout
Gay? oh, well, try to be, but it's
rather hard sometimes for lone fe-
male to keep up her spir''-
A clammy perspiration broke out on
Nubbins. Excuse me-" he interrupted
hastily. Il said fine day; not gay,
but day; day, day!"
Say? Let 'em say what they're a
mind to. guess Abigail Doolittle has
got money enough, so she don't ask
any odds of anybody present compa-
ny excepted. OF course it is different
with you. The minute my nephew in
troduced us to each other | felt that
we were going to be friends-intimate
friends, as l might say"
Nubbins' face was now the color Of
an Italian sunset, and he was earnest
ly longing for the bottom to drop out
of the car and let him through or for
some other catastrophe to come to his
rescue, but as usual in such cases his
longings were In vain. and amid the
subdued chickering's Of the more
thoughtless of the passengers his com
! panion calmly went on:
eyes Mr. NuhhinS thp very instant I