The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-05-31

HOW JOHN PROPOSED.
"Dear me, l know he is just ready to
say it, and I can't see why he doesn't
say it." And pretty Mary Branwood
puckered up her lips into the sweetest of
all pouts, and piled her needle more
rapidly than ever. "It does seem to me
very strange" she added after a brief
pause, that great big man should be
80 timid about saying he loved a girl.
Dear me, it's enough to aggravate girl
into taking advantage of -"
And Miss Mary blushed rosiy and
finished the sentence with a hysterical
laugh.
Mary Branwood was just at this
moment 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 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 80 often displayed, but this natural
bashfulness seemed an unsurmountable
barrier.
So Miss Mary sat that February after
noon in her chair, briskly rocking to and
fro. The afternoon was nearly gone, and
the girl was impatient 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
faster as the moments sped. Her rosy
cheeks flushed more deeply as her mind
| question that she felt must soon be asked.
She knew that there would be nothing
romantic about Johns asking her, for she
was sure he would do so in a laundering
way.
The thing that troubled her most was
that after he did muster up sufficient
courage her long knowledge of his pur-
pose would prevent her showing proper
amount of surprise and embarrassment.
She knew she would blush, but she hoped
that it would be so deep blush that John
could not fail to see it.
She started suddenly and her face
flushed with a feeling that there was
tinge of immodesty and hypocrisy in her
train of thoughts. She felt guilty of
being immodest in thinking of proposing
herself, and of hypocrisy in hoping she
would blush as though she had not ex-
pected the question. Her thoughts an
noyed her, and failing to drive them away
as she sat sewing she laid down her work
and busted herself cleaning up the room.
When both hands 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 unmistakable 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 a little assistance came
to her, and a 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 mighty effort as
her old feeling of immodesty and hypoc-
risy came to her, and the crimson flush
| covered her face as she saw thatJ ohm
was trying to say something.
A few minutes later the two were care
fully walking along the icy sidewalk in
the direction of the church. They dis
cussed the weather and everything in
connection with the singing school until
they reached the church, and then they
both joined heartily in the exercises.
Mary sang exceedingly we'll. John was
equally successful until they sang the
strain:
We share mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear
= Then it suddenly dawned upon him
how easy it would be to say, Mary, let
us share our mutual woes" and he
| couldn't dismiss it from his mind all the
evening. Every now and then, to his
great embarrassment, he got out Of tune.
To make matters worse the professor
noticed each time, and, in kindly tone
offered q suggestion which increased
| Johns confusion. There was no one in
the class gladder than John when half
past nine came and he and Mary stepped
out into the moonlight to 60 home.
They picked their way along the side
walk slowly, cautiously and in silence.
John did not speak for two reasons. He
was oppressed with the thought that he
| had been particularly stupid the whole
/ evening, ard he was repeating the SEN
tence, aMary, let us share our mutual
woes" 80 that when they stood beneath
the light in the little parlor be could put
his arm around her. and say it without
blundering. Mary was silent with ex-
pectation.
How brief sentence would have made
them supremely happy.
Johns Observation-Disclosures served TO
distract his attention from the icy walk
more than he should have allowed, and no
less than half dozen times Mary's feet
slipped, bat each time she found herself
borne up by her sturdy lover. Each slip
was accompanied with . little shriek, and
| when she was again safe her soft laugh
| was music 70 him.
A group Of boys palIing sled turned
the corner ahead and dashed past them.
Mary turned her head to glance after
them. Har- foot -slipped.. > little shrek
| and che was down. Bat she wasn't alone.