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J " BASHFUL JAMES
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.Theudden and Une?:pecte4
Ending, of a Love Affah-.
"James had often admired her
pretty ,1blueeyes, the dimples in
hen cheeks, and her trim little fig
ure? :!but he never had felt the
thrijl of hope.concernjng her so
strongly Tefore4he riight that
Mrs. Bateswas ill, and Alice, took
her place-at serving the boarders.
Mrsv Bates always made it a
point to, wait on her boarders
herseff, and when the spring
brought rheumatism to her,
'Alice, who worked in the big de
artmentrstore downtown, volun
teered to take the work upon her
self. i With her pretty arms uncover
ed to 'the elbows, Tier face flushed
from hurried trips to and From
thejritchen, she seemed the incar
nation of all that was best in the
world to JameS.
Now James helped with the big
presses in a newspaper office, and
he was only one of a dozen young
men -who ate in stolid silence in
the morning, and made feeble at
temptsat jest;ingand hilarity
during dinner.
James always had liked Alice,
but the' girl was changeable in
tierimoods as an Aprildayj and,
besides, there were many other
young 'men- who thought as
Janjes'did.
Old Sfan Riggs,-a church jani
tdr, whose fund of anecdote was
as startlingas it was enter tam
ing, had noticed James particu-;
larly. Once the young man con-1"1
fessed his feelings to hipV.Where
upqnithe battle-scarred veterair "
replied:
UMy boy,you've jus,t?got tod
rush m and' carry her off. - It's
easy enough. Take her fora stroll
in the park and Jpok at Jhe lake
until the moon conies up. When T
yoU walk home, pop the question."
Doit qqick, and grab her an'd
don't give 'her time to get her'
breath tp answer. What you need;
my boy, is more hatte. YouVe al-
inos.t lqst your nerve over this al
ready." So James made up his mind. '
They' took the walk in the twi- t
light and watched the moon as
it rose in the clear sky and sank K
in the trembling lake. Alice gur
gled with glee at all the -siglits.
When she saw James wearing a.
serious face, she laughed at him "
and he was afraid to ask-the great
question. ' ' r
Thus it went on, and summer .
came, to the city and the shop girl
began to look thinner and was
less agreeable at the table. Alice
had dark rings under her eyess
and sometimes she would answer
questions with an exasperated "
petulance that James could not:,
for the life of him, understand. '
The situatibn maddened him. .
One morning he got up earlier '
than usual and walked with Alice
to the street car. The sun had
not yet had time to send down
burning rays, and a' damp cool-
ness was in the air. It seemed as
though something of .great potV
tent was 'about to happen. "But
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