Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-22
HOW JOHN PROPOSED.

''Dear me, 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
nesdle more rapidly than ever sit does
seem to me very strange she added after a
brief pause, ''that great big man should be
so timid about saying he loved girl. Dear
me, it's enough to Aggravated girl into taking
advantage Off
And Miss Mary blushed rosily and finished
the sentence with 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 courtShip as a
settled matter, John had not asked the all
important question. Mary's womanly intu-
ition prompted the thought that he had been
trying to voice the love he so often displayed,
but his natural bashfulness seemed an insur-
mountable barrier
So Miss Mary sat that February afternoon
in her chair, brisllly rocking to and fro. The
afternoon was nearly gone and the girl was
impatiently waiting for s 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
dwelt upon the possible form of the question
that she felt must soon be asked. She knew
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 really
did muster up sufficient courage, her long
knowledge of his purpose would prevent her
showing proper amount of surprise and en-
barrassnent She knew she would blush,
but she hoped it would be SO deep blush
that John could not fail to see it.
She started suddenly, and her face flushed
with feeling that there was a tinge Of i'm
modesty and hypocrisy in her train of
thoughts. She felt guilty of being immod-
est in thinking of proposing herself ari of
hypocrisy in hoping she would blush as
though she had not expected the question.
Her thoughts annoyed 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 s
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 suf-
fused Win DluSUGS lleIe was an unu1SUaK-
able air Of manliness about him. When his
brown eyes looked into MaryIs she felt SO
strong and confident that her half uttered
thoughts during the afternoon of taking adj
vantage of the season to render a little assis-
lance came to her, and q 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 feel
ing of immodesty 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 sidewalk in the direc-
ton of the church. They discussed 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 WELL
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 it each time, and in a kindly
tone offered suggestion, which increased
Johns confusion. There was no one in the
class gladder than John when $50 came and
he and Mary stepped out into the moonlight
to go home. They picked their way along
the sidewalk slowly, cautiously and in silence.
John did not speak for two reasons. He was
oppressed with the thought that he had been
particularly stupid during the whole evening,
and he was repeating the sentence, ''Mary,
let us share our mutual Woes so that when
they stood beneath the light in the little par
lor he could put his arm around her and say
it without laundering. Mary was silent with
expectation.
How brief sentence would have made
them supremacy happy!
Johns observation-disclosures served to distract
his attention from the icy walk more than he
should have allowed, and no less than half a
dozen times Mary's feet slipped, but each
time she found herself borne up by her sturdy
lover. Each slip was accompanied with a
little shrek, and when she was again safe her
soft laugh was music to him.
A group of boys pulling a sled turned the
corner ahead and dashed past them. Mary
turned her head to glance after them. Her
foot slipped, little shrek, and she was down.
But she wasn't alone In falling she had
managed to knock Johns feet from under
him, and be had fallen too Each scrambled
to rise quickly, and their heads came to-
gether with sound bump.
John was in the throes of modification
upon his awkwardness, when Mary said
naively, as he helped her to her feetd
''We seem to be sharing our mutual woes
He was amazed. The very sentence he had
been saving for under the gaslight! Before
he could take advantage of his present OPP
portunity, however, Mary seemed to realize
that she had been immodest, and she talked
incessantly as they walked on, as If deter
mined that he should reap no advantage from
her remark. John made several efforts to
recall the opportunity, but was baffled every
time. Then he determined to wait until they
stool beneath the gaslght, but when they
reached the parlor the light seemed to burn
mare brightly than ever before, and his cour-
age departed. Once he made an effort, but
the first word that came from his lips was
"woes," and the consciousness that he was
laundering caused him to blush and pause
before trying again. But sweet ''What
were you going to say?" completed his en-
barrassment, and he answered, Nothing"
and in despair prepared to go.
A moment later, as they stood at the par
Tor door exchanging the last words, and as
Johns hand was on the knob Mary turned
her blue eyes to him and said with a laugh:
you'll be sure to get home without falling,
for you'll have no one to drag you down"
Johns face crimsoned. He was about to
protest she hadn't dragged him down, when
he thought of his lost opportunity after they
had fallen. He had feeling that the SEN
tence he had been trying to say all the even
ing would be singularly inopportune now,
but he was determined not to lose another
chance. Despite that feeling and in sheer
desperation he gasped:
''Mary, let us woes our mutual shares al
ways?'
Mary looked puzzled. For moment she
didn't grasp the purport of the misquoted
sentence. When it dawned upon her food
Of crimson passed over her face, her eyes fell,
and she whispered Eyes,
And John, with newly acquired courage,
put his arms around her and drew her to his
breast. Then John was at peace and Mary
was perfectly happy. The question had been
asked and answered, and she had fittingly
blushed, besides waving the privilege of leap
year.