Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-04-13
HOW BE PROPOSED.

49, ----- E'-C-Ay ---e--J ---e--A W ~f>sN-
puckered up her lips into the sweetest
Of all pouts, and piled her needle more
rapidly than ever. at does seem to me
very strange" she added after brief
pause, that a great big man should be
so timid about saying he loved a girl
Dear me, it's enough to aggravate a girl
into taking advantage Of"
And Miss Mary blushed rosily and
finished the sentence with a hysterical
laugh.
Mary BranwOod was Just at this mo-
ment thinking of John Walker, who for
the past two years had been her escort
upon every possible occasion. For
long time each had looked upon the
other with expressive eyes, and though
the gossips of that part of Harlem
looked upon the ending of their court
ship as a settled matter, John had not
asked the aIl-important question.
Mary's womanly intuition prompted the
thought that he had been trying to
voice the love he so often displayed,
but his natural bashfulness seemed an
insurmOuntable barrier
So Miss Mary sat that February
afternoon in her chair briskIy rocking
to and fro. The afternoon was nearly
gone and the girl was impatiently wait
ing for 8 o'clock, when the bashful
John would arrive to take her to the
class in vocal music at the church. Her
heart beat fast as the moments sped.
Her rosy cheeks flushed more deeply as
her mind dwelt upon the possible form
of the question that she felt must soOu
be asked. She knew there would be
nothing romantic about Johns asking,
for she was sure he would do so in a
laundering way. The thing that trou-
bled her most was that after he really
did muster up sufficient courage, he1
long knowledge of his purpose would
prevent her showing a proper amount
of surprise and embarrassment. She
knew she would blush, but she hoped il
would be so deep blush that JOIN
could not fail to see it.
She started suddenly and her face
flushed with a feeling that there was
tinge of immodesty and hypocrisy il
her train of thoughts. She felt guilt,
of being immodest in thinging of pro
/ posing herself and of hypocrisy in hop
| ing she would blush as though she ha'
| not expected the question. He
thoughts annoyed her, and falling t
l drive them away as she sat sewing, sh
y laid down her work and busted hersel
4 cleaning up the room.
= When both hands Of the clock reache
I eight the light ring of the door be
e told her of Johns arrival. AS he Ell
d tered it could be seen that though h
a youthful face was suffused with blusht
there was an unmistakeabIe air of maj
/ illness about him. When his brow
d eyes looked into Mary's she felt S
= strong and confident that her half u
q tered thoughts during the afternoon
n taking advantage of the season to rel
e der little assistance came to her, an
s a moment later she was oppressed wit
II the thought that if he had asked h'
then she really would not have blushet
lie Then she tried to drive away IL
L thought with a mighty effort as her Of
feeling of immOdesty and hypOeris
g came to her, and the crimson fus
1, covered his face as she saw that JOE
y was trying to say something.
lie A few minutes later the two we
s carefully walking along the icy sid
0t walk in the direction of the churc
+, They discussed the weather and ever
to thing in connection with the singh
school until they reached the chur,
and then they both joined heartily
the exercises. Mary sang exceeding
we'll. John was equally SUGGEST
ID until they sang the strain: