The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-12-01
DUE TO A G2AMOPHONE.
HELP TO a sS.sHFuL MAN.

We'll, WELL my boy, what is tho
matter with You of late? You are NOT
your real self. because you are not
nan as jolly as rcu are accustomed
70 be- Perhaps you are not well ar
excuse me if | an too abrupt you
might be in love"
The speaker was tail oooa M
tured, tathcllylooking old gent lie
was sitting in an old-fashioned ann
clI'ir, his elbows On his knees. ana
ms chin resting in the palms of his
hands.
HIS nepHrw. lIarDld Martin. was
sum" '"n>I'c The nd man. ana from
~ app .ran,"s one would think .s
d.d his uucir, ,hat he was not in fine
nest Of health, int as we shall lato,.
Ff't'vc h" was not physically In
l'."t' nj Cupid had made its appc
ai.y1.
wen. Uncle Jack, seeing that Won
h'N' ~'ru"k it right. will be frank
N.tA Won lac fact is am in love.
W.. ;.!'. :,Hclr, She is "A dream. can
mol I'- clihe her in words, but one
lhih@ am sure of, aud that is | love
hcf, ana am quite sure she returns
my affections"
Nv ny not marry. then" said her I'M
Gle, IF She loves you and you love
her? What is it that stands bctwceny'
1T is the simple reason that do
no know how to ask her to e my bet
ter half"
"Ha. han' laughed the old man. fall.
ing back in his chair and letting the
| pipe which he had been smoking lall
to the floor. THAT rem nds me of
when | was hashful youth of about
your age. |, too, wa in love. She WAS
not Il dream, however. as YOU describe
her, but one who would make auy
man happy.
I'VE had been keeping company for
two years, and ut tie end of tnat time
thought | would learn my fate.
1T was about tWo weeks before my
twentieth birthday, and neither was
busy preparing & reception which
/ was TO celebrate the occasion. OF
course my lady love was to lie present
/ and had determined on that night to
have a decided answer. As aid be
| fore, was baShful and did not know
how to present myself. so in the after
noon of the eventful day | went in
the parlor to reheaISe what | would
say to her that evening so as not t,
be clumsy. Wen, | had my rehcars,
al all right and thought myself pre-.
pared
1t was early in the evening and
many guests had arrived, among them
/ my lady love. They were in the recep.
tion room looking ut some plants
which mother had brought from
abroad. While they were thus engaged
| went to Pearl Chat was her nalneJ
and after receiving her congratula
tons and many happy returns of the
day escorted her to the parlor to see
my presents.
"Well, we were laughing and enjoy
ing ourselves, such as lovers do, when
suddenly her eyes frightened, and go
ing to n corner of the room, she eN
claimed: "Oh. Jack. do make this in
strument talk. I'd Just love to hear
it.
II went to where she was standing
and there in the corner was a graph
OphOne. | had not seen it before, bu
as | afterward learned. it was a pres
ent from friend. and mother had put
it there that morning so as to surprise
me.
Il fixed it so that it would talk and
we sat down to be entertained. You
can imagine the plight | was in, boy
when it repeated word after word the
rehearsal | had that afternoon. Great
as was my establishment, it was moth
ing compared with Pearls. Well, boy
! will not go into particulars. and &c
make long story short we Were mar
ricd shortly after and Il happier cOu,
pie never lived"
Whether Harold followed his uncle'S
method of proposal or not it is hard
to say, but nevertheless lie was acc pit
ed. because one month later the mar
riage of Miss Vera Staplrton to Mr.
Harold Martin was announced, and
soon after the wedding took place
Many valuable presents were laviShcd
upon the par, among them Uncle
Jacks graphophone.