Evening journal., 1900-01-18
DUE TO A GRAMoPHoNE.



HELP TO A HAsHFUL MAN.
"Well, well, my boy, what Is the
matter with you OF late? You are moi
yonr real self. because you are not
half as Jolly as you are accustomed
10 be. Perhaps you are not wen. or
excuse me 70 / am TOO abrupt--you
might be Ia love"
The speaker IVES a tall rood-na-
turcd, fatherly- old gent. Ec
was sitting in an old-fashioned arm
chair. his elbows ON hls knees, AMI
his chin resting in the palms OF bis
hands.
His nephew. Harold Martin. was
sitting opposite the old man. and from
ali appearances one would think. as
did his uncle. that he was not ia the
best Of health, but as we shall later
perceive, he was not physically in
iured. hut Cupid had made It's appear
ance.
'Well. Uncle Jack. seeing that you
have struck III right. / viii be frank
with YOU. The fact Is | am Ia love.
and all. uncle, she is a dream. i can
not describe her in words, but one
thing | am sure Of, and that is love
her and | am quite sure she returns
my affections
why not marry, then" said her I'M
Gle. III She loves you and you love
hcrg What Is II that stands hctweenY'
1T is The simple reason that do
no know how TO ask her 20 he my bet
ter hale
TIA. haw laughed the old man. fall
inc back in his chair and letting the
pipe which he had been smoking fall
70 the floor. "That reminds me Of
when I was a hashful youth OF about
your age. l. 100. was IN love. She was
not a~aam veyer, as you describe
ner, mi - would make any
nan b." -.
I've - ~ ,sepmg company for
wo ye"r ne end OF that tim.
I thought soLid learn my fate.
1T Hls ahon two weeks before my
twentieth birthday and mother was
busy preparing reception which
was 90 celebrate the occasion. Of
rourse my lady love was to be present
and / had determined on that night to
have decided answer. AS | said be-
fore, was bashful and did not know
how TO present myself. so IN the after.
noon of the eventfnl day ! went In
the parlor TO rehearsc what / would
say 90 her that evening so as not "a
be clumsy Well. 1 had nv reheafs
al an 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
ton room looking ut some plant.
which mother had brought from
abroad. While they were thus engaged
went TO Pearl Chat was her name
md after receiving her congratula
ions and many happy returns Of ih
lay 1 escorted her to the parlor to SCI
my presents.
, well, we were laughing and enjoy
7 ne ourselves, such as lovers do, whe
suddenly her eyes frightened, and e
ne to q corner OF the room, she G,
claimed: ooh. Jack. do make this IL
/ strument talk. I'd Just love TO hea
j IT,
h Il went to where she was standin
D aud there In the corner was a graph
ophonc. / had not seen It before. bu
as / afterward learned. it was a pre-.
I ent from a friend. and mother had pu
/ Il there that morning so as 10 surpris
5 me.
Il fixed it so that Il would talk an
we sat down to be entertained. 40
1. can imagine the plight l was in, DO,
I. when It repeated word after word th
. rehearsal1I had that afternoon. Grea
( as was my astOnishmcnt, it was notl
e ing compared with PEARLS. Well. DO,
e ] win not 20 into particulars. and
make a long story short we were mai
ricd shortly after and a happier COZ
7 NE never lived"
o Whether Harold followed his uncle
7 method Of proposal or not it Is liar
> to say, but nevertheless he was acc. p
ed. because one month later the ma
riage Of Miss Vera Stapieton to NJ
Harold Martin was announced. 90
. soon after the wedding took plac
\ Many valuable presents were layishq
a upon the pair, among them UncI
t Jacks graphophonc-