e indirect test. He would often contrive
little devices to test Miss Nermal's feelings towards him and in
each case the result was all that he could wish, yet he doubted. Miss
Nermal thoroughly understood Belton and was anxious for him to find
some way out of his dilemma. Of course it was out of the question
for her to volunteer to tell him that she loved him--loved him madly,
passionately; loved him in every fibre of her soul.

At last the opportunity that Belton was hoping for came. Miss Nermal
and Belton were invited out to a social gathering of young people one
night. He was Miss Nermal's escort.

At this gathering the young men and women played games such as pinning
on the donkey's tail, going to Jerusalem, menagerie, and various other
parlor games. In former days, these social gatherings played some
games that called for kissing by the young ladies and gentlemen, but
Miss Nermal had opposed such games so vigorously that they had long
since been dismissed from the best circles.

Belton had posted two or three young men to suggest a play involving
kissing, that play being called, "In the well." The suggestion was
made and just for the fun of having an old time game played, they
accepted the suggestion. The game was played as follows.

Young men and young women would move their chairs as close back to the
walls as possible. This would leave the center of the room clear. A
young man would take his place in the middle of the floor and say,
"I am in the well." A questioner would then ask, "How many feet?"
The party in the well would then say, for instance, "Three feet." The
questioner would then ask, "Whom will you have to take you out?"

Whosoever was named by the party in the well was required by the rules
of the game to go to him and kiss him the number of times equivalent
to the number of feet he was in the well.

The party thus called would then be in the well. The young men would
kiss the ladies out and vice versa.

Miss Nermal's views on kissing games were well known and the young men
all passed her by. Finally, a young lady called Belton to the well
to kiss her out. Belton now felt that his chance had came. He was so
excited that when he went to the well he forgot to kiss her. Belton
was not conscious of the omission but it pleased Antoinette immensely.

Belton said, "I am in the well." The questioner asked, "How many
feet?" Belton replied, "ONLY one." "Whom will you have to take you
out?" queried the q