Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-29
THE EVENING STORY. 4
HELPING OUT ALovER.
BY LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY.

y BY LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY.
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
AIRY Press.)
Young Bert Enright had arrived at
the age of twenty-five, and though he
was no sissy, he was spoken Of as
bashful, modest and retiring. He
could not help it. It was something
he had inherited from his father,
who was wholesale merchant, and
too modest to make more than SO per
cent profit.
Burt Enright was heart free when
he was formally introduced to Ethel
Garrison at summer hotel. Any
other young man would have been
wandering around the paths and
glens with her in less than an hour.
Mr. Burt stood aloof. His bashful-
ness kept him in the background
until a dozen hints were thrown out.
Then he wandered, but he did not.
take much comfort and he did not
talk much. His mother had warned
him not to. She said that the young
man that talked too much found
himself engaged without knowing
how he got there.
The young man ought to have
realized that a Irritation was on. A
Irritation at the seashore or the noun
tains is part of the program. It be-
longs to the scenery. It is paid for in
the hotel bill. It reaches its climax
the middle of August, and is frost-bit-
ten the first Of September. 1t began
with Irritation, but as he could not
keep his end up 1t degenerated into a
real love affair after q fortnight. That
is, Miss Ethel thought him nice boy
"A good boy--a boy to be very nice
and sweet to. b.
It is doubtful If he would have
noticed the simmer Of the moon
light on the lake If she had not called
his attention to it. Moonlight SHIN
mers bring sentiment.
There were grottoes. He had not
even peered into one until Miss Ethel
said she was tired and begged him to
sit down in one. Grottoes are in
saparably connected with loving
hearts.
There were cooling doves Mr.. En-
right had not decided whether they
were doves or crows when the brand
of bird was explained to him and he
was told that they cooed their love
as twilight came down-just the
time he wasn't cooling his.
He was encouraged to talk and to
sigh and to start to say something
and then stop and blush. In the
three weeks he was led on and on
until at the close Of the season he
almost asked the privilege OF calling
on Miss Ethel at her home in the
nj 1ot A
said he knew her fathers house and
often passed 1t and hoped to again
some time. He was strafghtway in
vited to call.
In the course of time things had
reached that pass where papa must
be asked If he could spare his charm
ing young daughter.
The usual course is to walk in on
the old gentleman with a ready made
speech, and the old gentleman is pre-
pared with another, but in this ease
there was lion in the path. Mr..
Garrison wasn't very old, but he had
been blown upon an occasion by q
barrel Of gunpowder and was as deaf
as q post.
BY yelling through a trumpet
placed at his ear he could catch now
and then a word, but to make an i'm
FASHIONED appeal to him was. out of
the question Miss Ethel had fore
seen the difficulty and was ready
with a suggestion. 1t was gratefully
adopted.
Young Mr.. Burt wrote letter to
the father, saying all that could be
said, and ten times more than he
could have said with his tongue. Mr..
Garrison was tinkering with his ear
trumpet when the letter arrived, and
he placed it on shelf in the library
and forgot all about 1t.
Mr.. Enright had asked for an inter-
view, but he didn't get it. A week
went past and no word came from
him. Then Miss Ethel came to the
front again. AS a matter Of fact,
papa didn't even know Mr.. Enright
by sight. They had been introduced,
but he paid no attention to callers.
They might have taken the letter as
hoax or a piece Of impudence. She
would descend on the parent and an
nounce that the young man wished a
word with him. and thus pave the
way
The father was found in his usual
corner and the announcement made
"Who? Enright?' he queried. "And
what does he want. knew an En-
right once, but he went into 5ank
ruptcy and hung himself"
Five minutes later the young man
stood in the awful presence, and was
received with:
"If you are collector or book
agent it will be useless"
II have called, sir have called.
was shouted in the trumpet.
Il .ouder!"
The words were shouted again.
Eyes, know you've called, but
what of it? If you have scheme TO
work it won't go here"
ut is about your daughter
Eyes, I have daughter somewhere
around. Are you music teacher.
and does she want to take lessons of
you?"
At this juncture the ear trumpet
fell apart. 1t was of two pieces and
held by a clasp. The clasp had
broken. Mr.. Garrison swore. Then
he kicked the two sections across the
roo-,, and continued to swear Then