The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-18

10 putin this little affair up to Pr1s-
ella, the loose ends of my nerves are all
srubbinb sandpaper, and I've not only
got Charley horse, I've got ten -mule
team. amt there, that's all. !"
Drive on" said Amos.
''Did you. ever read mythology
much?" asked Joe.
''Not much, but have got the rudi-
ments. know all about Brutus Civ
ing the boot to Uncle julius Caesar, but
am not fancy student. There may
be some things about it that I don't
know"
''But you must have heard Of Miles
Standish?''
Perhaps"
well, guy named Alden made
sacrifice hit for him once"
''How did you get all that deep
stuff" asked Amos.
well, when got to thinking about
Priscilla, remembered that there was
Priscilla mixed up in that game and
80 asked Jim Larkin, the sporting
editor of the Medina Star, about it one
day, just sort of casual, and he tips
it off that this Standish wanted Pris-
ella to punch lot of holes in his meal
ticket and he wasn't there with the
sand to ask her. Just like me. So
he gets Alden to hit for him, see! Alden
asks her to marry Standish and every
thing was all right after that. That's
all Larkin had time to tell me, for I
was next up and had to quit him."
A vague sort of idea began to form
in the brain of Amos and he said:
"Well, that sounds reasonable. You
want me to ask her, sort of offhand, IL
she would just as soon take few min
utes off some pleasant afternoon and
get married"
'To me?' interrupted Joe.
Certainly to you.'
''That is sort of rough outline OF
what am proposing. Don't ask her
as though you. were inviting her to have
an oyster stew or an ice cream soda,
but make it serious. Put your heart
into It,"
"My hearth" asked Amos, with a
start.
Certainly" said Joe. mine by
proxy. Put up a good talk and make
me look as good as you can, Amos. n
you can make cabbage look like a
rose, do it. I don't care what you
say, as long as you make good. As
to personal qualifications, be diplo-
mat"
IA diplomat is a person who tells
something he knows isn't so to a per-
son who doesn't believe it, but he tells
it so well that no questions are asked"
II can do that with my hands tied
behind me. I'm there with the parlor
magic, Joe. And another lucky thing.
know your history"
"Well, if you do, forget it," said
Joe. ''Sordid facts don't interest girls
like Priscilla. Just you give free reign
to your imagination. Amos, and slosh
around in the realm of romance. Let
the facts take care of themselves. Girls
don't want to know whether silver ore
was discovered in the crater of Mount
Popocatepetl in 1855 or whether the
average annual rainfall Of Shanghai is
three and one-half inches. What they
want to hear is that the moon Is made
Of green cheese. Something Eighty,
understand. Nothing substantial. I
know women"
'That's what they all say"
''Well, will you do it?"
I'm on, Joe," replied Amos, and
they shook hands. ..-
"When'll I see her?" asked Amos.
Friday night-she'll be at the fire.
mems annual ball. You and I'll be
there, too. Put it up to her then. III
be waitin' around and when you give
me the office, I'll be on the job. All
I want you to do is to ask her to marry.
me-"
That's enough" said Amos laconic
ally, as the friends separated.
Priscilla Brown was the stenographer
of Hotchkiss, the baseball magnate, and
had been all that summer, but neither
Joe nor Amos knew it. They had not
been in the boss's Office for several
months-in fact not since they had
signed up for the season just past.
Amos, after leaving Joe, wandered
aimlessly about thinking of the divinity
of the first row in the grand stand.
He was almost certain that the tender
glances of this fascinating party had
been directed at the gentlemanly short
stop and not at the handsome second
baseman.
His mind was somewhat fuddled in
regard to the duty he was to perform.
He wouldn't go back on his word to
Joe, but he wanted to know more about
that Miles Standish affair. He want
ed to know just how Alden went about
that delicate task. He needed advice
and, as was customary with him, when
ever he needed advice, he thought Of
the boss.
Hotchkiss was hard taskmaster,
but he was just. There was nothing he
would not do for his ball players II
they were on the square. Amos knew
this and he decided to put the matter
up to the boss-not Joe's secret, but
the Alden and Priscilla matter.
more light" muttered Amos to
himself. 'That's what l need. If it
was any other girl than Priscilla-
Slowly Amos's feet carried him to the
Office of the boss, which was located on
the second floor of the Medina Bank
Building.