The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
Of how il came into his pocket he did

he had stolen it. He paled at the bare
thought, for he prided himself greatly
on his honor.
The evening came and found the
squire at Miss kurtz's home, not very
tallsativc. but very fdgety; but that
young lady was exceedingly pleasant and
chatty. After several Intellectual at
tempts to say something, the squire
blurted out, nervously:
"Nliss Kurtz, I have something very
odd to say to ycu this evening"
Miss Kurtz blushed and said to her
self: $50 soon. 1t can't be that haze
subdued him so quickly" then aloud, as
the squire still hesitated: '1f you are
pleased to make me your confdant, l
Shall be glad to hear what you have to
say" -
thinking--,hat isl was going to say
or no I have something to tell you that
1 don't understand" continued the
squie.
II am sure, Mr.. Crabtree, if I can en-.
tighten you l shall be pleased to do so"
"Well, l hardly know what you will
think of me, and maybe you will think l
am acting strange, but assure you that
it is something that has worried me a
great deal ever since l discovered it." =,
''He is going to propose sure enough, -
thought Miss Kurtz, as she replied: 9!
certainly shall think nothing but good of
you, Mr.. Crabtree, and don't think you
need to have any concern" and she
blushed and commenced to upbraid her,
self, thinking: II ought to be ashamed
of flirting with him, he is really very
nice, and l do like him, and believe
will accept him"
II had feared that you would not
understand me-that is, that you would
not accept me-my-" blundered the
squire, totally oblivious of the construc-
tion Miss kurtz was putting on what
he said, and she, not for moment think
ing that he meant anything other than a
formal proposal for her heart and hand,
and having decided to accept him,
interrupted his bashful stammering at
this critical point as she gently touched
his arm, saying:
81 certainly accept your proposal, and
return your love, and know we shall be
happy" as she extended her hand and
laid her pretty little head upon his
shoulder.
The squire was thunderstruck. Had
all the horrible demons of Mythology
faced him he could not have moved or
uttered a sound. He was horrified,
paralyzed: his Jaw dropped, his face
assumed a ghastly look. He hardly
breathed for few minutes. Miss kurtz,
taking his Mortified silence for the depth
of very different emotion, gently raised
her hand and patting him softly on the
cheek, drew his head down to her and
kissed him plump on the lips.
That kiss broke the spell. With q
yell that might have shamed q maniac
the squire tore himself from her cling
ing arms and rushed frantically and hat
less into the street. where he continued
his wild run, he knew not where, NUT
tering as he sped along:
och, heavens! oh, heavens"
It was now Miss Kurtz's turn to be
astonished, as the frantic squire dashed
out; her eyes opened wide with wonder.
She stood thus for q moment, and then
she did what any other woman would
have done under the circumstances,
threw herself on the lounge aud burst
into tears, saying brokenly, as she did
so: '1 thought he was eccentric, but |
didn't know he was a lunatic." Still
lying there, weeping as though her heart
was broken, squire's cousin Wildly
found her when she came to make call
while later.
The squire continued his wild run for
several blocks, and then slackened his
speed. ,"Great heavensw he thought,
as he mopped the cold sweat from his
brow and felt blindly on his head for his
hat, ''she thought proposed to her and
she accepted me. Oh, what will l do,
what will do to get out of thisP No
body will believe me, if say that did
not, and she and her father will think
I've been triding with her and want to
kill me; oh dear! oh, dear! these women
are awful. I wish were thousand miles
from here" And the poor squire
groaned in anguish.
cat this rate you will soon be thou
sand miles from here" said hearty
voice at the squirrels elbow, and at the
same time he received avigorous slap on
the shoulder. The squire turned and
saw his brother in-law, John, beside
him, but made no reply.
"Where's your hat9 and" he con.
tinued, as he saw the squire's white face.
what has happened9 What's the mat
ter with you, squire, anyway"
"Oh, I'm done for now," was the
squire's mournful reply, 'I've made a
fool of myself, and am in for it."
John, seeing his perturbed state, just
took his arm and led him along to his
home without saying a word. When
inside and seated he drew up his
chair and said: "Now, Hillery, we are
here alone, tell me all about it, and if
can help you I will"
SQUIRE demurred at first, but finally
told him all about the affair, how he
made Miss Kurtz's acquaintance, his
finding her glove in his pocket and of
his calling on her (on errands for his
sisters, how he CHANGED to take her to
the theatre, down to finding her picture
in his pocket, his attempt to return it
and explain. and how she understood
his preliminary to the explanation and
the result. John could scarce keep
from roaring as the esquire told the story,
but he saw that the squire was awfully
serious about it and was indeed in very
delicate situation. Finally he asked:
"Hillery, what do you candidly think
of Miss Kurtz, anyhow"
81 think she is very nice young lady,"
reluctantly acknowledged the squire.