A Bold, Bold Man.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 87

A Bold, Bold Man.

— Bashfulness She Despised— She Liked Him.— "I hate a bashful man!" she suddenly cried. And as for him, his teeth chattered, he turned as red as a peony, dropped his handkerchief, picked it up, and wiped the perspiration from his brow. "Now, you," she said with openest admiration—"you are not bashful." "No-o, 1 he gulped. "No," she cried; "you're a great bold thing and there are times when I'm afraid of you. Oh, you !" And she shook her index finger at him and chidingly shook her head. "Yes," he said. "I— l know I am. "New. you take some men," she briskly continued .- "tliey make a, girl tired. TheT sit away off in a corner and they look scared to death." She moved to the end of the tete-a-tete and g*ve him an encouraging look as he sat over in his comer — a look that said "A -hem!" "That's right," he murmured. He dropped his handkerchief again, roughed, picked it up, dropped his eyeglasses picked them up, and feebly moistened his lips. '•Of course," she said, "there are nocne men who aren't up in such things. They don't know how to pick tip the family album and ask whose picture this is? But vou — you know!" She pointed her Snger at h.m again, lowered her head, and looked at him ro^imhlv through her eyelashes. "Yes," he quavered, "you're right; I "There's an old family album on the centre table," she briskly mentioned. "Yes. I—l was looking at it the other night while I was waiting for you." She smothered a sigh, got up, and fetched tho album and sat down again. 'Did you see thiß picture?" she asked.

"Which one?" he inquired, over in. his corner. "This one!" she cried. "Is it the old man with the dog*?" "No, it isn't." "Is it the lady in. the crinoline V "No, sir." "Which one is it, then?" "Can't you come and see?" Swallowing hard, he went over to see, and she mado room for him in such an ostentatious -nay that down he sat beside her. . . "Why !" he said in some surprise, ' it is the old man with the dog." "No," she said, turning the page, "I didn't mean that one. I meant this one." "Why !" he cried again, "that's the lady in the crinoline." She gave him a look and turned another page. "Can't you wait until I get to it?" she reproached him. "I bog your pardon," said he. "Oh, that's all right." "I'm awfully sorry," said he. "Oh, don't mention it." "I hop« you won't think I was intentionally lude." "Oh, not at all, Mr Hoppergrass. Ah, here it is !"' They looked at it together. "That's my grandfather and grandmother the day they were married." j Ho dropped his eyeglasses ; she helped him pick them up, and then they looked at the picture again. "Yes, sir," 6he said, "bride and bridegroom. Think of that ; bride and bridcgioom !" He thought of it. "You can see the pattern of the lace on the bonnet if you look close," she said. They looked very close. "I wonder," she said, "tee-hee— l wonder — tee-hee— if you'll ever be a bridegroom, Mr Hoppergrass !" "No one uould have me," he stammered. "Why, Mr Hoppergrass! Don't say that!"" , , . "But they wouldn't! im so shy and nervous " „, Sho caught his eyeglasses as they tell and gently put them back upon his nose. '•Don't say that," she pleaded. "Don t say that no one would have you, Mr Hoppersrrass! Why, I—lI — I '' , A"nd as he gently took her hand and gently let her kiss' him. she paused first a moment to exclaim : "Oh you bold, bold man !"— New York J World.