The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-09-01
A WIDOWS PROPOSALS;
or, Testing a Lover Worth Having
CHAPTER /.

q "My dear Mrs. Hartley, what can
say more to convince you OF the truth?'
Nothing, MIR. Roberts. am not a
girl now, but woman of thirty"
"Surely not. You don't look twenty
FIVE"
Mrs. Hartley's eyes opened little
more widely, and she gave Franz
Roberts SO searching look that he saw
that he had made mistake, and hast
ened to try and recover lost ground.
"You doubt me again, he whispered.
"I tell you that in my eyes you do not
seem to he twenty five. Mrs. Hartley
-Julia-why are you so hard upon the
man who loves you with all his heart :"
"Because | am widow, Mr.. Roberts,
and trouble las made me hard ana
worldly"
"les, because you were married to a
mau Who could not appreciate yom
worth, and W,to did not do his duty by
yoI."
"&upyosr y" say 70 more about my
lat3 nnah.u &, Mir Roberts," said til,
lady, cuidly. " Air. Hartley was jus
man, eyed II he vas stern"
Yes, yes, uf course" said the other
ooh, what an untucky wretch 1 am
Here am l trying to advance my cause,
came to the picnic on purpose; hav'
implored you to listen to me, and here
L am constantly saying things you don
like, and making myself stand lower i'll
your favor than did month ago.
"Nonsense, Mr. Roberts," said the
lady, smiling and her face wore very
winning expression as she spoke. "Why
cannot we remain friends as we have
been before? Why" she added, laugh
ing, "should marry again?"
"WhyY" he whispered, passionately,
ard certainly Frank Roberts just then
looked very manly and handsome as he
pleaded his cause with the fair widow.
"Why" he whispered, bending toward
her "as duty as woman-to make
the man happy who loves you with all
his heart and soul. Oh, Julia, be mer-
ciful to me when I plead to you like
this, when-Oh, Heaven! this is too
bad. You are laughing"
"Guilty, Mr.. Roberts," said the
widow; "but how could help it when
I find you talking to me like hero in
a story. l can only think it droll, and
of course laugh"
elf 1 did not know you to be all that
is tender and lovable and good" he
cried, 81 should think your heart was
of stone"
"Now you are trying the compli.
mentary tact, Mr.. Roberts, and you
know what 1 said about my age. Please
10 remember that am not a young
girl"
4" I remember nothing but that love
you passionately," he cried, "and that
would do anything, even to plunging
into yon river, if it would make you
happy" =,
"And pray how could your doing such
a silly thing as jumping into the water
and getting muddy and wet make me
happy p she asked, merrily.
a. You would pe happier if l were
dead" he cried, tragically.
"Good gracious, mop she cried.
"There's plenty of room in this world
for both. But now look here, Mr.. Rob-
erts, you say you have fallen deeply in
love with me-"
al adore you," he cried, rapturously
"Heavens, what goddess must be, u
she said, merriiy. "Well, then, you
worship me, and L understand from
your discourse, Mr.. Roberts, that you
would do anything to make me happy
"Indeed-on my soul would"
"There is no occasion to swear 1t, MIR
Roberts," said the widow. "Proot VII
do"
SHOW can I prove it? Tell me-" he
cried.
"By talking no more nonsense to me
for the rest of the day."
+" Mrs. Hartley Julia !"
"And by taking me at once back tt
the slope there, where they are spread
ing the cloths, and giving me some din
ner."
A" / WILL" he cried.
For l feel half starved-goddes
though be-" she said, mockingly.
"But one moment more" he said.
"No, no, nor half moment" sh,
said, firmly. "We shall have the good
natured people of the party making al
kinds of unpleasant remarks about m,
frivolous behavior as it is"
"Why should we care for the ill-na
tured remarks of the malevolent ?" h
exclaimed.
81 don't know whether you nee
care" she said, quietly, "but 1 care
great deal, and / do not disown it. Ill