The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-26
HOW JOHN PROPOSED.
And They Both Agreed to "Woes
Their Mutual Shares"


say it, and can't see why he doesn't
say it" And pretty Mary Brentwood
puckered up her lips into the sweetest
of all pouts and piled her needle more
rapidly than ever. cit does seem to
me very strange she added, after a
brief pause, "that great big man
should be so tinid about saying he
loved girl. Dear me. it's enough to
aggravate a girl into taking advantage
Of
And Miss Mary blushed rosily and
finished the sentence with an hyster-
ical 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 courtship as settled matter,
John had not asked the all-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 bash
fulness seemed an insurmountable bar
rier.
So Miss Mary sat that February aft
ternoon in her chair briskly rocking to
and fro. The afternoon was nearly
gone and the girl was impatiently
waiting for eight 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 soon be
asked. She knew there would be moth
ing romantic about Johns asking, for
she was sure he would do So in q
laundering way. The thing that
troubled her most was that after he
really did muster up sufficient cour-
age, her long knowledge of his pur-
pose would prevent her showing a
proper amount of surprise and en-
barrassment. She knew she would
blush, but she hoped it would be so
deep blush that John could not fail
to see it. 49, ~ &%
She started suddenly, and her face
flushed with feelings that there was a
tinge of immodesty and hypocrisy in
her train of thoughts. She felt guilty
OF being immodest in thinking of pro-
posing herself and Of hypocrisy in
hoping she would blush as though she
had not expected the question. Her
thoughts annoyed her, and falling to
drive them away as she sat sewing, she
laid down her work and busted herself
clearing up the room.
When the hour hand of the clock
reached eight the light ring of the
door-bell told her of Johns arrival.
AS he entered it could be seen that.
though his youthful face was suffused
with bushes, there was an unmistak-
able air of manliness about him.
When his brown eyes looked into
Mary s she felt so strong and confident
that her half-uttered thoughts during
the afternoon of taking advantage of
the season to render little assistance
came to her. and d moment later she
was oppressed with the thought that if
he had asked her then she really
would not have blushed. Then she
tried to drive away the thought with a
mighty effort as her old feeling of i'm
modesty and hypocrisy came to her,
and the crimson flush covered her face
as she saw that John was trying to say
something.
A few minutes later the two were
carefully walking along the icy side
walk in the direction of the church.
They discussed the weather and every
thing in connection with the singing
school until they reached the church,
and they both joined heartily in the
exercises. Mary sang exceedingly well.
John was equally successful until they
sang the strain: