Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-02-21
Popping the Question.


Yes, 1 dare and will,' answered
DAISY Brown flushing a wee bit angrlly;
for the bevy Of girls around her had
been teasing her most numerically all
the evening about Henry Keene, the
stately as they termed him.
The gentleman in question was read
ing law under her father, Judge Brown
and was noted far and wide for the icy
reserve of his manners; or, as Lilly
White called it, his general un'come-
at-able-ness.'
This evening the girls fthe village
had met at Daisy Browns home to dis
cuss the ieap-year ball to be held al
the town ball, and it being decided that
Daisy hould invite and take Henry
Keene, Carrie Fuller had mischievouslJ
dared her TO 90 still further, and ask
him to marty her.
"A box Of Jouvln's best against
well, anything you choose to wager,
Daisy, that your heart fails you IN the
'supremev' Nellie Smith cried eagerly.
q accept the wager, and will give
YOU a box of the best if it does fail me,
she replied, defantly. III pop the
question to him next Thursday night
Just SO surely as my name ls Daisy
Brown
But how are we to know p they cho'
rused.
Any or all Of you may come Oh
home here in advance Of me at the
close of the ball and secrete yourselves
in the conservatory. l will follow
more leis urely with Mr.. Keene, and in
the hall will ask him for few minutes
conversation and when we are inside
and surrounded by the flowers will at
once proceed TO offer my band and
heart she concluded, laughing ner-
yously as she thought Of the ordeal.
A ringing, triumphant laugh greeted
this decision, and after little more
desultory chatting the girls separated
to 90 to their homes, leaving Daisy
alone to her by no means pleasant
thoughts of the coming trial.
The girls bad literally provoked her
INTO consennng to the wild scheme
| and although she half wished she had
utterly refused, she knew at what
cost it would have been.
She would have exposed herself t'
their merclless sarcasm, and she will
all a girls morbid sensitlveness
dreaded this immeasurably.
Truth to say, Daisy scarcely under
stood her feelings towards the grave
silent man who had been an inmate Q
her fathers house for little over
year.
He treated her with respectful defer
ence invariably whenever they wer
together, bot he never seemed especi
| ally desirous of being with her.
| At times, though, Daisy, though
| that his brown eyes wore tender loo
when they were gazing on her an
Inow she feared, il she were 10 do wha
she had rashly promised, she woul
lose his repect-a thought little Dais
| did not particularly relish.
'pm in for it, she mentally solilo
quized, making a little mouth at her
self in the mirror, and L could jus
pinch myself for being 80 foolish. Ho'
am l ever to get through with it"
And her dark eyes SWAN 10 teal
with modification at the thought.
Father says forewarned is Tor
Iarmed.' will tell Mr.. Keene- that
will, she is my sister. She had
. business to say she'd do it; and, besic'
be was really good to me yesterda
aud gave me that knife that I've wa
, ted ~ long. He shall know all abo
liz right away, and then, if he doesI
q want to be courted and bothered
! death BY those tiresome girls he ju'
needn't 90 TO the ball.
And Daisy's hopeful young broth
gathered up his marbles irom benea
the open window in which the fair col
spirators we're sitting, and marched
TO Mr.. Keene's room, where he bea'
rapid tattoo on the door before recci
inc permission from within TO enter.
j. Going straight up to HenrJ's side
=. said:
~ ~ Il say, you were really good Ia 81
n, me that knife, aud 80 l sm going
nd tell YOU something
I well, my little man. what is itT
vn questioned, with a slow smile u
ge lighted up his grave features wond
fully.
Nov von,li wh,stla when vOu ki10