seek to show that she kept abreast of the times, and talk of
politics--then Jimmy seemed to harbor a great fear in his own soul. But
give him the chance to make a few remarks about his cousin Mary and he
approached eloquence. For this reason Lucy Putnam was wise enough to ask
him something about Mary every so often.

Now, the question arises: Why should Lucy Putnam, or any other girl,
take any interest in a man who was so thoroughly bashful that his
trembling efforts to converse made the light quivering aspen look like a
ten-ton obelisk for calmness? The reason was, and is, that woman has the
same eye for babies and men. The more helpless these objects, the more
interested are the women. The man who makes the highest appeal to a
woman is he whose tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth and who does
not know what to do with his hands in her presence. She must be a
princess, he a slave. Each knows this premise is unsupported by facts,
yet it is a joyous fiction while it lasts. James Trottingham Minton was
not a whit bashful when with men. No. He called on Mr. Putnam at his
office, and with the calmness of an agent collecting rent, asked him for
the hand of his daughter.

"Why, Jimmy," Mr. Putnam said good-naturedly, "of course I haven't any
objections to make. Seems to me that's a matter to be settled between
you and Lucy."

Jimmy smiled confidentially.

"I suppose you're right, Mr. Putnam. But, you see, I've never had the
nerve to say anything about it to her."

"Tut, tut. Nothing to be scared of. Nothing at all. What's the matter
with you, young man? In my day, if a fellow wanted to marry a girl he
wouldn't go and tell her father. He'd marry her first and then ask the
old man where they should live."

Mr. Putnam chuckled heavily. Mr. Putnam was possessed of a striking fund
of reminiscences of how young men used to do.

"Of course, Mr. Putnam," Jimmy said. "But the girls nowadays are
different, and a fel--"

"Not a bit of it. No, sir. Women haven't changed since Eve's time. You
mustn't get woman mixed up with dry goods stores, Jimmy. Don't you know
there's lots of fellows nowadays that fall in love with the fall styles?
Ha, ha!"

It was not all clear to Minton, but he laughed dutifully. His was a
diplomatic errand, and the half of diplomacy is making the victim think
you are in agreement with him.

"Yes, sir," Putnam chuckled on, "I'll bet that silk and ruffles and pink
shades over the lamp have caused more