ourtship. As Miss Doe
leaves the office you follow her, holding the potted plant in your left
hand. After she has gone a few paces you step up to her, remove your hat
(or cap) with your right hand, and offer her the geranium, remarking, "I
beg your pardon, miss, but didn't you drop this?" A great deal depends
upon the manner in which you offer the plant and the way she receives
it. If you hand it to her with the flower pointing upward it means,
"Dare I hope?" Reversed, it signifies, "Your petticoat shows about an
inch, or an inch and a half." If she receives the plant in her right
hand, it means, "I am"; left hand, "You are"; both hands--"He, she or it
is." If, however, she takes the pot firmly in both hands and breaks it
with great force on your head, the meaning is usually negative and your
only correct course of procedure is a hasty bow and a brief apology.

RECEIVING AN INVITATION TO CALL

Let us suppose, however, that she accepts the geranium in such a manner
that you are encouraged to continue the acquaintance. Your next move
should be a request for an invitation to call upon her at her home. This
should, above all things, not be done crudely. It is better merely to
suggest your wish by some indirect method such as, "Oh--so you live
on William Street. Well, well! I often walk on William Street in the
evening, but I have never called on any girl there--YET." The "yet"
may be accompanied by a slight raising of your eyebrows, a wink, or a
friendly nudge with your elbow. Unless she is unusually "dense" she
will probably "take the hint" and invite you to come and see her some
evening. At once you should say, "WHAT evening? How about TO-NIGHT?" If
she says that she is already engaged for that evening, take a calendar
out of your pocket and remark, "Tomorrow? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday?
I really have no engagements between now and October. Saturday? Sunday?"
This will show her that you are really desirous of calling upon her and
she will probably say, "Well, I think I am free Thursday night, but you
had better telephone me first."

THE ETIQUETTE OF TELEPHONING

On Thursday morning, therefore, you should go to a public
telephone-booth in order to call the young lady's house. The etiquette
of telephoning is quite important and many otherwise perfectly well-bred
people often make themselves conspicuous because they do not know
the correct procedure in using this modern but almost indispensable
invention. Upon enter