Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-03-05
HOW THE BACHELOR TIED
BOWS.

"Mr. Bradley, can you Tie oowsT-
"Cau l tie what ?"
"Tie bowsI Didn't you understand
what l said ? Bows, bows, plain every
day bows"
"Well, what Of it If l can tie bows p''
"Ncthlng, but if you can-if you are
sure you csn-wby, | want you to Tie
these"
With this bare announcement to in
troduce her upon the scene Mre. Tor
rey entered the door through which
she had been GRAZING her neck, ad.
ysnced to where Mr.. Bradley, g gruff.
erlZzled bachelor Of forty-five, sat por'
ing over a volume of forgotten lore,
and, deity slipping a shawl from her
shaply shoulders, turned her back upon
Bradley, saying ss she did 30. just as
fast ss she could talk
"Now, hurry, please; do hurry aud
tie those bows together on the back OF
my waist. II you don't can never get
downtown to meet Mr.. rorrey, because
there is not woman in the building
this minute ID do IL for me. Pve been
all around, and then / thought OF you.
OF course, you'll think Pm horrid. but
YOU know Fred better than anybody
else, and you know how he will fume
and fuss Il Pan not on time, 30 you
must, that's all. You see can't twis
mg arms around that far, don't you ?
Well, why dob'G you 60 on and tit
tnem for me ? Please hurry.
P-l-e.a.s.e.'
Bradley stood sgbsst. He wore upon
MS face such look as one would ex'
pect 70 see If his graDdmotheI's spirit
form was standirg before MIN. For be
it known tIst Bradley was emineLtv
The most Cyerproper woman hstsr OF
his tribe. But Mrs. Torrey knew few
thiogs besides the fact tnat she must
cave tnose bows tie0; she knew by
such an onslaught ss she made-by
simply rushing him-and never ceasiDg
talking she could get the bothersome
things tied. In other words she intend
I'd to "hlmf4m" Bradley into doing her
bidding. And what's more, she did il.
Bradley commenced on bow No. l,
his fingers trembling and his breath
coming hard, while Mrs. Torrey con-
tiDued:
Fred simply insisted that 1 wear
Ibis wsist, or would not have both
cred You, but-oh, dear, please hurry,
Mr.. Bradley. There's the clock strik.
ing 3 now, and I'm sure to be late"
Bradley, poor chap, his bands about
as ierkey and useless to him as those
on 8 jumping jack, was doing bis level
best At that, be was proving himself
unequal to the situation; the wife of bic
best friend was thoroughly aware Of his
perturbation, and was secretly laugh.
iDg at him.
On be struggled with the refractory
ribbons. Counting down from the top,
be was at No. 6. such tricks were as
foreign to him as fondlipg babies,
creatures he invariably ran from. 10
TACT, Bradley had no use for any man
uer OF creature that wore skirts.
Disposing of No. 6-and "disposing"
lie good-he dropped to No. z, which
effort brought beads Of perspiration to
his brow. In the course of time he tied
them sll, and made the fact known by
a sigh oil relief that seemed to come
from his boots.
With an Oh, thank you, Mr.. Brad
ley,n Mrs. Torrey was gone.
Bradley gszsd long and intently Out
of the window. The first expression
hard and stern, gave way to what those
| who knew him best would have said
wss the softest, kindliest, the most rem
Iniscsht ever seen on his rather hsrc
| features, but this was lost the moment
ne turned to his book and he was again
the Bradley they knew him. BE closed
| the incident thus:
damn women"
The severity of his chsgrin might
have been ameliorated could he have
seen Mrs. Torrey the following day
teat selissme waist on her knees, needle
thread and scissors 10 hand. Every
knot that Bradley tied. he tied we'll
and 10 order to remove the waist each
sOd every one had to be cut.-C Milwsu'
kee Sentinel.