The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-10-26
THE ~COLONEI.'S PROPOSAL.

was giving the last artistic touches
to a dress of my own construction when
a light, prolonged tapping assailed the
back.door of my room. | knew that
knock well.
"Come I'M" / cried.
A woolly head, above a long white
apron, showed itself NJ the aperture,
and the owner thereof said:
"Miss Alice-he, he, te, he he! dere
is a gemmen in de poller to see you,"
smoker, smoker, swallowed and smoth-
cred, followed this.
"Who is it, TobyP" l asked, SOL
EMMY.
"He's Colonel sumthun," Toby gasp.
ed, rolling his wonderful orbs.
Il "That's not at all definite" I went
on, still more solemnly. "Can't you
describe him, Toby?"
eyes, Miss" grinning ~bravely; "he
Is dc tall gemmen wild de quar- eye,"
and Toby grabbed his woolly head
with both hands and fairly shook with
laughter.
"That is Colonel Little" l answer
cd, reaching the superlatively solemn.
"Toby, you should not laugh at a
person for having quar- looks, as you
II say"
Is "No, Miss" Toby submissively re.
piled, looking as grave as a Judge.
= "Please, Miss Alice" he said, after
had given him my message, "please
4 Miss Alice, Use curious to know why
Colonel Little amt named Colonel Big
cause he's, o golly! awful tall"
"Never mind. Go on down, Toby
1 and, as he closed the door, Il rap on thu
opposite one was followed by the hastN
entrance of Cousin Kate, her sweet face
all awry with merriment.
sob! l shall die!" she managed t.
exclaim. "Cousin Alice, Col. Little il
in the parlor. He has come to propose
know he has. Think of calling at 1
O'Clock in the morning! l know he ha
come to propose, or to ask you to 60 t.
Barnum's Hippodrome. He adores tn
Hippodrome;" and Kate had anothe
spasm of laughter.
"Gracious!" l shouted, tragically
81 hope it's the latter. do want t
see the Hippodrome, but / do not wan
Col. Little. Stop laughing, Kate, an
tell me, must l change my dressP"
"No. You look very nice. Do hui
ry down; | know Colonel Little is di'
arranging every chair, sofa, and Otto
man cover in the parlor, and they wei
all fresh last week. You know he a
ways does it. Go! or mamma will tel
her hsir!"
81 shall pin him to the sofa," | sal
severely, as l took the shine off my mo-
with a little powder. "Don't you dal
listen, Kate"
"That's just what l 4 am going TODD,
she answered. 81 know the beau ide
of an observatory-it is the landing
the stairs. l shall lie Hat down the
and look through the banisters rig
into the parlor. Oh! oh! obi" and
left her with q scornful little shrug
my shoulders.
Cousin Lou waylaid me in the p:
sage. ale has come to propose!" S
said, her face ludicrous and scarlet.
SCOT ysur answer ready, SisP" ca
ed out a hoarse voice from the libra
as l passed its open door.
"Colonel Little has come to propc
to cousin Alice" l heard whispered
l shot by grandmother's room.
From all this you may imagine I "
fully prepared to have Colonel Littl
fame and fortune, six feet two, and c
eye laid at my feet.
I'm sorry to destroy a omance
, revealing that the Colonel had not !
! one of his really fine gray eyes in
service Of his country, although he |
fought bravely for her cause. The /
was occasioned by some accident wi
he was a boy. However, this is a
, gression.
/ "Good morning, Miss Allen," s
the Colonel, rising to his tremend
height, as l entered the room.
! "Good morning." l replied, look
up from my diminutive five feet two
81 hope l have o selected an
opportune hour for my call, Miss Al
l was up this way, and-in fact, l VIC
come to see you every day II / dare
and he looked pathetically sentimen
ooh! II you came every day
would often miss seeing me, for I
often out during some part Of e,
pleasant day,"I answered.
"I am glad l found the courage
come this morning." pursued the
W onel, after a short pause; "for l
several important questions to
you"
We were seated upon the sofa by
lime, and / endeavoring to prevent
restless Colonel from twisting the d
ask cover into a string.
"Tell me-" he continued, sd
they laugh at me in this house"
"Laugh at you!" / exclaimed,
voice Of supreme amazement. 1t
well done, for how was I to answer
or no to the question:
"Yes, laugh at me. l know the,
and because l come to see you SO O
OF course they know I come to see
for l come a dozen times now to W
] came once before you were here.