An Awful Ordeal

"I have come this evening, Miss Mil dred," began the youth, flngering hii hat nervously and clearing his throat "to ask you - that is " He cleared his throat again, swallowed a lump that seemed to go down hard, and resumed: "I carne this evening to - tell you, Miss Mildred, that- h'm - that whether - I- h'm - ever come again or not will depend on your reply to what I- to what I carne to say this evening." "Why, Mr. Spoonamore," said the young lady, "what can you mean?" "I mean, Miss Billiwink- Miss Mildred - that the time has come when I can no longer - h'm - can no longer pretend to hide from myself the knowledge that I - h'm - have become too deeply interested ín you to endure the thoüght tiiac some otner man- h'm- ahem- some other man may win the prize on which I have set my heart." His voice was growing more husky, but he went on: "I feel that I am laboring under a disadvantage, Miss Mildred, and yet- ü'm- if you knew the strength of the- h'm- of the feeling that moves me- that compels me, I might say, to run the risk of- h'm- of seeming to be in too big a hurry, you would understand why I have come to say - h'm - to say what I have come to say this evening. H'm." "Don't you think, Mr. Spoonamore - " "Miss Mildred, a man in my condition doesn't think! He can't think. He can only- h'm- he can only feel. That is - h'm - what ails me. If you would would only - h'm - help me, out "