The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-12
HOW HE PROPOSED.
BY EBEN E. REXFORD.

"Confound it," exclaimed Bachelor Craig,
81 wish wasn't such fool"
After which wise wish he elevated his feet
on the table and thought desperately for
some time.
Now I've seen as many as a dozen women
1 would like to marry. and who would have
been willing to marry me, L M safe In saying,
and l never dared asked one of them to have
me- 1 don't see why 1 need be such fool
as to be afraid of woman, but am! need
a wife and / know it. Everything goes
wrong. don't 1--we since Jane married and
went away; Just drag out an existence. L
wish l could muster up enough courage to
propose to this widow, ii like her, and she
likes me- But thenl l know | couldn't IT,!
This widow was lady who was coming
to visit her sister, who lived in the city
They had written to him about her, and in
vited him to come down and stay week or
two.
IF only could screw my courage to the
sticking point and propose, could get along
after that. / guess" he said, dolefully. "But
it won't stick COnfound it! How could l
manage proposal, I'd like to know? I'd
faint, | know | wouldp
The bare thought of asking the awful
question gave him queer sensations. Ii he
ever got far enough along to begin to ask it,
he felt confident that 1t would stick in his
throat and choke him to death
"I'Tl go down, anyway" he concluded.
'Maybe" the way in which he said the
word had very big doubt it-''maybe L can
muster up courage, if like her. But may
not take fancy to her when | come TO see
her" and the possibility OF dlsllklng her
really afforded him some relief.
Accordingly with valise in hand, Mr. Craig
sailed forth next morning en- route for his
sisters When he got on board the train, he
saw with dismay that there were no vacant
seats.
He finally found seat which a lady had
possession OF, and, as he rather liked her
LOOKS, he wished she would let him sit there
with her, but didn't dare propose any such
thing While he was casting about in mis-
mind for some plan by whicn he could Sc
cure the place without asking for it in so
many words. she looked up, and, seeing the
pred scsment he was in, moved along and
told him he was welcome to sit there.
Mr.. Craig sat down, looking somewhat
pleased aud very bssbful. He knew he ought
to thank her, out the words stuck fast before
they got out, and he grew red in the face and
said Lotbing. His companion, however, was
inclined to talk, and hadn't any difficulty In
doing it, and gradually he thawed out of his
reserve and succeeded in overcoming his
bashfulness to such degree that in an hour
or two he felt quite at ease.
Suddenly there was a crash, aud the next
thing Mr.. Craig knew he was sitting serenely
in the mIdile of dirty little puddle of
was pulling weeds and grass out of her hair
close by.
Il declare" calculated Mr. Craig. Its a
mercy We amt deadl Alvira'd be half
scared TO death If she knew what had hap
pened."
Are you Alvira Bowen's brother" asked
the lady, fishing up a false curl from some
mysterious recess in the depths of the pond
with one hand, aud pulling long piece of
weed from her mouth with the other, after
the fashion of a conjurer drawing nbbons
from his mouth. II thought there was some
thing familiar in your looks"
Yes. I'm her brother" answered Mr..
Craig. 81 wonder if you're the w-woman she
wrote aboutr'
sQuite likely" answered she. my name 5
Stafford, Mr.. Craig. It's queer kind of a
place for an introduction, isn't it?' and then
she laughed in a way that completely won
Mr. Craigs heart. Now. if you'll be so kind
as TO help me out of this puddle, and fish
out that travelling bag you see floating about
over there, PIl be ever so much obliged to
you"
All of which Mr.. Craig proceeded to do.
1t was late at night before they reached
Alvira's OF course she was delighted to see
them, and frightened almost out of her
senses to think how near they had come to
being killed and cried over her brother.
who'd come within one of being an angel at
that identical moment.
"A miss is a. good as mile, Alvira," said
Mr.. Craig. tersely.
il hadn't been for your brother" said Mrs.
Stafford, bes:owing such a bewitchng smile
OIL Mr.. Craig that be felt warm all over in
stantly. He was so kind and thoughtful" +"
Pm satisfied If you are" said Mr.. Craig
'spm sure | didn't mind the bother any,"
After which clumsy attempt to be compli-
mentary be blushed up to the roots of his
hair, but wisely refrained from attempting
to explain, as in such q case he always made
bad matter worse.
A week went by, and Mr.. Craig acknowl-
edged TO himself that be had never begun to
be so deeply IN love before He began to
cast about in his own mind for some new
method of proposing which wouldn't re-
quire such an awful amount of courage as
the old way demanded. He knew that cour-
age was the very thing he lacked. II WASH
inclination by any means. But he felt that
he couldn't ask her in so many words to
marry him. 1t made him turn pale to think
of it.
At the end of week she got a dispatch
from her sister, asking her to come at once
to attend to a matter Of business.
you'll surely come back and finish your
VISIT won't you, nowr' said Mr.. Bowen.
And Mrs Stafford promised to come back in
few days and stay a week longer.
Mr.. Craig wanted to find out how he stood
in her estimation before she went away.
He might not be there when she came back.
It was with a vague idea of proposing to her
that he volunteered to take her down to the
depot, on the morning OF her departure.
Two or three times, before they reached the
station, he tried to say what he wanted to,
but the words stuck in his throat as he had
known they would, and choked him till he
was purple in the face, and made him feel
nre that he resembled nothing else in the