A Bashful Young Man

Mr. Alfred Ethelridgo isbashful; he does not deny it. He wishes lie wasn't, sometunes, but wiahipg doesn't seern to lielp him muon. Everybody in Burlington likes him, except the father of a young lady out on Pond street. With au instinctive knowledge of this old gentleman "s feelh,gs Alfred had forborne to aggravate thein, and kept out of the father's way as niueh as possible, atoning for this apparent neglect by seeiug the daughter twice as of ten. The other afternoou Alfie.l went up tlie steps aud rang the bell. Tho door opened, and Papa stoort glaring at him, looldng a thousaml things and saying uothing. Alfred Ethelridge had ne ver feit quite so lost for language in his life. Presently he stood on one foot and remarked : " Good af ternoon ! " "Gooftnooh," grunted papa.whicb is, by interpretaron, also good af ternoon. " Is - ah - is - er - er - Miss Lollipop -is yonr daughter at home?" asked Alfred, standing on the other foot. "Yes, sir," said papa, rather more shortly than Alfred thought was absolutely necessary. Then nobody Baid anything for a long time. Presentí; Alfred Ethelridge stood on both feet and asked : "Is she in?" " Yes, sir," said papa, not budgng a step from his position in the door, and looking as though he was dealing with a book agent iustead of one of the nicest young men in Burlington. Then Alfred Ethelridge stood on tho right foot and ;=aid : "Does she - can she receive company ? " " Yes, sir," papa said, savagely, not at all melted by the pleailing intonation of Alfred's voice, which everybody else thought wasso irresistibly sweet. Then Alfred Ethelridge stood 'on his left foot and said: " Is she at home." " Yes sir," papa said, kind of coldly. Alfred Ethelridge looked down 'the street and sighed ; then ho looked up at papa and shivered. Then he stood on his right foot and said : " Is abe in ? " " Yes, sir," papa said, grimly, and never taking his eyes off the ' young man's uneasy face. Alfred Ethelridge pighed and looked up the stroet ; then he stood on his left foot and looked at papa's knees, and said, tinoidly and in tremulous tones: " Can she see me V " "Yes, sir," papa said, but he never moved, and he never looked pleasant. He only stood still and repeated a second time, " Yes, sir." Alfred Ethelridge begon to feel ill. He looked up and down the street. and finally pinned his wandering gaze to the bald spot on the top of papa's head; then he s lid : . " Will yon pleaso teil her that Mr. Alfred Ethelridge called?" " Yes, sir," said papa, and he didn't sav any more. And somehow or other Alfred EUielridge kind of sort of got down off the poreh and went kind of out of the gatc like. He diseontinued liis visits there, and explained to a friend that the old man didn't say anything tliat wasn't all right and cordial enough, bnt the marnier of him was rathei formal. - Burlington Eije.