The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-06-14
WHY I DIDN'T PROPOSE

Causos IL yoa uaV6 D6eD, ueeQn turn
the dictionary upside down to express
my sensations on the evening of the 18th
of December, 1900, and-no matter
when! l would have run my devoted
head against any number of stone walls
for Edith Morny,s sake. / would have
cut Of my right hand, or even my head
itself, and asked no questions! / be-
lieved that Edith was an angel, and was
ready to do battle with any man who
would presume to hint otherwise.
How lovely she looked in the soft
crushzof reception room, with the roses
lglowing on her cheeks. and the subdued
fire in her magnificent eyes, and the scar
let of her lips! And then her hair, black
as ravens wing, with its wonderful
floating ringlets! l felt my heart getting
tangled in those shining coils-I knew
it was q "gone case" for me, and didn't
care!
| She had on something pink and
glimmering, with cloud of white lace
floating over it, anu pearls upon her
throat and wrists, and there was a long
trail Of pink flowers hanging down her
lcurls.
1t was late when returned from the
party where had lost my heart. ]
|poked the fire and turned out the gas,
and sat down in nv patent leather boots
and lavender necktie, to revere over a
faded rose that Edith had given me, and
try to write wretched poetry, where
rhyme and reason we're equally afro
Icious.
IL will call at the Marklyn Hotel TO-
morrow morning and propose formally ;
| cannot live in this suspense"
Such was nv maudlin reflection as
crept to bed at a. m, with the rose un-
der my pillow and the poem unfinished.
could not find rhyme to "sylph," let
me cudgel my brains as l would, and
"sylph" was the only word In the En-
glish language capable of expressing
what my Edith really was.
"If you please, sir" said nv servant.
"there was card left for you last night.
1t was a bit Of pasteboard on which
was hurriedly written: "Charlie Dever-
enx, Marklyn Hotel, one day in town."
"Whst! it's my old college cronyr'
must see Charlie bv all means-and-
and afterward will lay my fate at Edith
Morny's feet.
Ny courage had cooled considerably
in the gray, unpromising light of the
winter morn. Not but that was as
deeply in love as ever-but then pro-
posal Isl a ticklish sort OF thing, as all
the masculine world knows.
Suppose she should make pretty lit
tie courtesy, and say, mo-. l thank
youp' Suppose she should declare 'that
she had always respected me as friend,
bat that IN any o.her light she could
never, never, etc. p felt my courage
oozing out, like Bob Acres, at these aw-
ful possibilities. But then, on the con-
trary, suppose she should say "Yes,'
and put her cherry lips to be kissed by
way of sign, seal and dclivery2 | at
once determined to propose.
So I put on my tighest boots, and
trimmest coat, and stiffest collar, and
pulled on pair of kid gloves, and view
ed myself with trembling agitation. OF
course the excitement Redeemed the tip
of py nose until it resembled carbun-
Gle; and, of course, poisonous little
pimple had blossomed out on my fore
head, until looked more like convict
from Van Dieman's land than respect
able young man of New York. Such
things always do happen when man
wants 10 look his best.
"I'll call on Charley first-that may
quiet my nerves little," l reflected.
"What is the number of Mr.. Dever-
eux's roomP" I demanded of the clerk
who sat in the office of the Marklyn Ho-
tel with pen behind his ear.
The clerk glanced up and then referred
to the ponderous book on the desk be
fore him.
"Mis-ter Dev-ereux2 Seventeen,
sir-second door to the left"
So I ascended the stairs, ,reverently re
membering how often Edith's tiny feet
must. have fitted up the velvet carpe'
(don't judge me harshly, reader-I was
only 20 and madly in love- and wonder.
ing what l should say if my queer
should unexpectedly encounter me.
The door was ajar-I determined tc
surprise old Charley.
won't he be astonishedP" ?" l said tc
myself with an immense chuckle as ]
softly pushed the door open and crept il
as noiselessly as the creaking boots
Iconfound them-would allow.
But the room was empty-a large
sized room, very dirty and very disor.
derly-with chairs scattered around il
!. methodless confusion, and the dressing
bureaus crowded with conglommera
; tion Of articles that could hardly asso
ciate in nay bewildered mind with Char
ley Devereux. There was daubed car
mine saucer and a bottle of rouge
What should Charley Devereux be doing
with rouge2 And box of pearl pow
der with a portion of its contents libe
; rally besprinkled over the toilet cover
and faded bouquet aud dirty Whit
: satin slipper, and-oh! worse than all,
wig of jet black curls, with long pin
, trail of fl)wers still clinging to its tres
ses.
stared round me hopelesslv. Hor
rors! there was set of false teeth in
tumbler of water grinning at me fror
the window sill.
Where was II What did this mean
Had Charley got married, and did hi
wife fall to pieces like wonderful
constructed machine, to be screwed to
gether in the morningp l felt my bloc
! run cold.
At the same moment the door to a
inner apartment opened, and tall fig
ure, clad in the most soiled and crum
. pied old silk wrapper it ever was m
! fortune to behold-a woman with slil
r psrs tapping down at the heel and
J coronet of curl papers around her heaf
! Pale and faded though she was, Wit
] cheeks and color of tallow candle, on
e dull eyes, recognized her at once.
u "Miss Edith Morny!"
"Good gracious! Mr.. Chelmsford
Such a shrek as she gave, cowerin
d down behind the window curtain.
e ell beg your pardon, Miss Morny
vi l .stammered. 81 have been directe
to the wrong room-I never imagine
d that"
n "Go-go!" she calculated, motionir
t-o - tho Jnor onA ;,,of;n otiualy ,,u