Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-04-20
A LORD PROPOSES.
BY CosMo HAMILTON.

pocket, looking at Julie. She, Julie
with the face of spring, leans on the
mantleboard, intently studying a high
art pot, goodness only knows how
many thousand miles after the Japa-
nese.
An elderly woman, a spinster-judg-
ing from the sentimental angle of her
head--opens the piano at the other
end of the room, and commences TO
play a Frank Lambert waltz, with an
almost ludicrously overdone express
sion.
Lancing (inding q voice that isn't
a bit like his own)-It's delightful
weather-for the time of year.
Julie-Is it?
Lancing-Isn't it? There are frogs
galore and mud in Jumps, and when
it rains 1t sleets.
Julie-O yes, quite delightful.
Lancing Catching the note of sar-
easm)-I said for the time of year.
Julie-Yes. / noted that. Won't you
sit down, Lord Lancing?
Lancing-Not yet, If you don't mind.
{ cant. as a matter of fact. There's
something on my mind which
Julie (gravely)-I didn't ask you to
sit on your head.
Lancing-Ha! Ia! No, but under
The circumstances-will you let me
:ome straight to the point, as a great
tavor? .-
Julie (sitting down and putting her
'iny feet ON the fender)-Why, yes;
.ertainly. Having been in the city
low nearly Is weeks, and having met
| good many OF your countrymen, |
Know that you haven'th half exhausted
Ill the interesting remarks you have
{ make about the weather.
Lancing docking at his boots)-I
have just proposed to your dear
mother, Miss Julie.
Julie (sitting up suddenly)-Wh-at?
Lancing 0umping)-What / mean is,
I have just proposed to your dear
mother for you.
Julie (subsiding)-0i
Lancing Qamely)-Do you mind
much?
juliet am given to understand that
this is a free country, Lord Lancing'
and, of course, / believe it. l guess
| can't prevent you from enllvening
mamma with all sorts of light topics
of conversation, anyway.
Lancing-Do you call proposing for
you a light topic, then?
Julie with q laugh)--See here. what
ever mamma may have replied, lab
solutely refuse TO have it described rs
a heavy one! a.'f
Lancing-You're in great form this
afternoon, Miss Julie.
Julie-What did momma say?
Observation-Disclosures least nothing
that mattered, q
Julie (pensiyelyl-She is no dialoG-
uist. !. ..,f,,r .
Lancing-1 didn't, mean 70, imply
that. oh, look here, Julie. do help me
out of this. .
Julie with a. natural touch of heat),,
Help you-out? Well! ''4
Lancing-Af never proposed to a girl
before.
Julie-That's very evident.
/ ancingd-Well, then, give me a lead.
Don't looli at me so as to throw me
INTO a whirl of fright. Just turn your
head slightly away and c-ross-eXamine
me gently. Drag out of me the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. Put me through the most
searching examination.
Julie-You haven't evidently asked
yourself whether all this won't be
wasting my time.
Lancing misunderstanding your
time?
JULIE meal how do you know that
| want to search and riddle and cross-
examine?
Lancing-How do you mean?
Julie-This how. I'm sure it's very
kind of you to want 10 keep me bright
and busy on a dull afternoon by suG-
costing a game of law courts
Lancing-Game.
Julie--But, honestly, perhaps ! would
rather know nothing that you cannot
tell me yourself.
Lancing (humbly)-You mean that
you are not in the least interested.
Julie-No, ! don't, and I don't wish
you 10 put into my mouth things |
don't wish to taste.
Lancing-I beg your pardon, but
what, in heavens name, do you mean?
Can't you hear what a state / am in?
The banging Of my heart is worse than
a drum.
Julie Laughing and giving a sigh
o you make me very nearly very
angry, Lord Lancing. Just as though
I want to go through the performance
of initiating II of your gentlemen
with ~clean-shaved faces and bullying
ways when all you have to say can
be said inside in eight words.
L~ancing-Can it? How; what are
they?
Julie-say, am / proposing. or are
you?
Lancing-Don't waste time by ask
Ing silly questions. Julie, for PHYS
sake tell mo what I ought m cav