The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-01-26
ANTOINETTE's PREDICAMENT,
How the Bashful Man and Fate Con-
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ANTOINETTE'S PREDICAMENT. How the Bashful Man and Fate Con-
 spired Against Her.
 He was one of Antionette's beauX, and Antoinette said he was an awful bore, in which belief the family con- cured. He used to come around Sun day nights and sit on a low chair in one corner of the room without saying i word and just follow Antoinette with ! his eyes He seemed to be content to i be merely where he could see or hear her, for she often had the bad grace to leave him alone in his meditations, while she went out and made sport Of him to her big sister Nell Antoinette grew tired of trying to interest him in anything, although she said she real ized that he had moments of intelli- gence, at which times he sputtered like an animated dictionary and quoted Huxley and Bacon and the stock re- ports impartially, In these moods An- tonette said he resembled an intellectual sl1yrocket but the demise of these moods were even more pitiful than the rockets glittering end, and the strain
 
 tonette fled precipitately before the ghastly climax arrived.
 One night he sat quite mute after some such peroration and twirled big solitaire on his finger for seventeen minutes by the clock. When Antoinette felt herself getting wabbly watching him and was about to make her usual escape, he stiffened suddenly like man in an electric chair and fixed his eyes upon her, with his hand outstretched.
 Do you see it?" he gasped.
 'Se what?" said Antoinette, wonder ing if it was time to call the patrol.
 This" he said, in the same way, as though he were choking with emotion or shad bone, and pointing to the ring, Will you wear 1t to please me-oh, to please me? " he pleaded, as he saw re- fusal and distrust in her eyes.
 Why should I wear it?" asked An toinette, indignantly.
 "Well-well-I though maybe you'd like to wear something I'd given Ayou," he answered, in a tone that might have meant shoes, cravat, or even the ex- aggerated muff1er he wore around his
 "Oh, 1t is immaterial to me-" said An tonette, but I think I'd rather not"
 "Oh, that's nothing" he said, still speaking like an automa ton. Then he made a quick rush for the girl, seized her hand and thrust the ring upon her third finger It 1-as almost half an inch too large, and he pulled 1t off and replaced it again on his own hand, while Antoinette heaved a sigh of relief at what she hoped had terminated an embarrassing predicament.
 But she reckoned unwisely, Next day he returned with handsome box and placed it hastily under her nose before she had time to say How do you do?" It was the ring, made smaller and he grabbed her hand again without re- moving his own gloves in his impa- tience, rammed the gem on her finger, gasped Were engaged, aren't we?" and backed rapidly out of the house, with his gaze still fixed on Antoinette
 Antoinette heard the street door close before she recovered her wits. Then she rushed frantically after him, but he was gone. With stamp of her foot -he flung the ring from her. It rolled perilously near the open register of the furnace.
 Good gracious!" she screamed, darting after it. 'If I'm not in fix! If lose that hateful thing he'll sue me for larceny as bailee and if I wear it he'll marry me in spite of myself! Whatever shall do?" And she sank into heap and wept, while her brother in the next room whistled tantalizingly; "Just because she made them goo-goo s."-Chicago News.
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