NOTHING GOULD STOP HIM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2736, 25 January 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

NOTHING GOULD STOP HIM.

" Have you ever experienced the feeling, Mr MTelican," said the young lady softly, "that some great opportunity was within your grasp, but you had hardly the presence of mind, the—the courage, as it were, to avail yourself of it?" Why—er—yes, Misss Quickstep, 1 have sometimes had a kind of feeling as if I'd been sent for and couldn't go, you know." Miss Amanda sighed dreamily, and there was a pause, during which the two sat in the semi-darkness of the Quickstep parlour in profound silence. He sat and looked helplessly at tbe glowing coals in the grate, with the feeling that every breath he drew was a mortifying and ghastly blunder. "As you were about to sa]', Mr M'Pelican," resumed the young lady, " there are times when it seems to all of us that we must speak what is in our h—in our minds." " Yes, ,, vaguely answered the bewildered youth, and he tried to remember when he hud begun to say anything of the kind — "yes, of course." " And, while I am not suru that I ought to listen to you, Mr McPelican," she said, with downcast eyes, '• when you speak to me in this— this personal manner, yet " The young man could feel his pulse beating a tatoo on the drums of his ears ; but he sat like a boy with his master's eye upon him, and said nothiug. "By-the-way," exclaimed Miss Amanda presently, "I have a new book of engravings, Mr M'Pelican, that I am sure you will enjoy seeing. It is a large book, and you'll have to move your chair. Yes; you can sit here, with me on the safa. I never thought of that!'' The pictures danced before the eyes of the young man in blurred confused images. "Isn't this engraving of the "Courtship of Florence Dombey and Walter Gay," perfectly lovely?" " Wh—which is Walter?" ho gasped. "There! Look closer ! Don't you see him ? " " Wh-who's he courting?" "You'll have to coma closer, Mr M'Pelican. I declare, though " —and die looked archly at the trembling youth—"l am iilmost afraid to ltt you come any nearer! You look exactly like Walter in the picture." And then the arm of that helpless young man stole in a timid, apologetic, sneaking way round the waist of tho charming Amanda Quickstep, her head sank upon his shoulder, and the book of engravings fell neglected to his floor. "Alfred," she said, an hour later, as she toyed with a button of his coat,, '• you bold boy ! How on earth did you ever mnster up courage to ask tne to be your wife ? You know well enough I never gave you a particle of encouragement." The younjr man patted her condescendingly on the head, and then said proudly, with the voice of an Ajax defying the lightning, " When I make up my miud to do anything, Amanda, no obstacle on earth can stop me !"