Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-12-16
DUE TO A 0RAM0PHQNF.

matter With y1u OF late? You are
not your real sill, because you are
not half a. jolly as you ale accus-
toned to be- Perhaps you are no.
well, or-exouse ne il am too alb
rupt- you might be in love.
The speaker was tall, gocd-na
turei, tatl erly.lookine cid gent He
was sitting 10 an old fashioned arm
chair, his elbows on his knees, and
his chin resting 10 the palms Of his
hands.
His nephew, Harold Martin, was
sitting opposite the Of man. and
from all appearances one would
think, as did his uncle, that be was
not in the best OF health, but as we
shall later perceive, be wac not
physically injured. but. Cupid had
male its appearance.
"Well, Uncle Jack, seeing that
you have struck it right, [ will be
frank with you. The fact is 1 am
il love, and alb, uncle, she is dream,
/ cannot describe her in words, but
one thing an sure Of, and that is
love her, and | am quite sure she
returns my affections.
"Wby not marry, then,' said his
uncle. 'If she lOv,s you and you love
her? What j.. it that stands between?'
at is tho simple reason that do
not know how to ask her to be my
better half"
"Ra, hall laughel the old man,
falling back in his chair and letting
the pipe which be hal ben smoking
fall to the floor. "That reminds me
of when l was bashiul youth of
about your age. I, too, was in love
She was not dream, however, as
you describe her, but one who would
make any man happy.
ave had been keeping company
for two years. and at the end of
that time | thought | would learn
my fate.
at was about two weeks before
my twentieth birth lay, and mother
WIS busy preparing a reception
which was to cele brate the occasion.
OF course my lady love was to be
present and | had determined on
that night to have a decided answer
AS l said before, was bashful and
did not know how to present myself,
SO in the afternoon of the eventful
day l went in the parlor to rehearse
what would say to her that even
ing so as not to be clumsy. Well,
l had my rehearsal all right, snd
thought myself prepared.
at was early in the evening and
many guests had arrived, among
them my lady love. They were in
the reception room looking at some
plants which mother had brought
from abroad. While they were thus
engaged went to Pearl, (that was
her name) and after receiving her
congratulations and many happy
returns of the day escorted her 10
the parlor to see my presents.
"Well, we were laughing and en-
joying ourselves, such as lovers do,
when suddenly her eyss frightened
and going to corner of the room,
she exclaimed; "Oh, Jack, do make
this instrument talk. I'd just love
to hear it,
81 went to where she was stand
ing and there 10 the corner was q
graphophone. had not seen it be-
fore, but as l alterward learned, it
was a present from a friend, and
mother had put it there that morn
ing so as to surprise me.
81 fixed it 80 that it would talk
and we sat dowd to be entertained.
You can imagine the plight l was
in, boy, when it repeated word for
word the rehearsal l had that after
noon. Great as was my astonish-
ment, it was nothing compared with
Pearls. Well, boy, 1 will not go
into particulars, and to make long
story short we were married shortly
after and happier couple never IL
we'd"
Whether Harold followed his I'M
cle's method of proposal or not it is
hard 10 say, but nevertheless be was
accepted, because one month later
the marriage OF Miss Vera Stapleton
to Mr.. Harold Martin was annonn-
ced, and soon after the wedding took
place. Many valuable presents were
lavished upon the pair, among them
Uncle Jacks graphophone.