Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-06-29
HOW JOHN PROPOSED.

"Dear me, / know he is just ready to
say it, and 1 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 SO timid about saying he
loved girl. Dear me, it's enough
to aggravate girl into taking advan-
tage Of"
And Miss Mary blushed rosily and
finished the sentence with a hysteri-
cal 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 occa-
sion. For long time each had look
ed upon the other with expressive
eyes, and though the gossips of that
part of Harlem looked upon the end
ing Of their cOurtship as settled
matter, John had not asked the all
important question. Mary's woman
ly intuition 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, briskly rock
ing to and fro. The afternoon was
nearly gone and the girl was impa-
tiently waiting for eight o'clock, when
the bashful John would arrive to take
her to her 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 be asked
She knew that there would be moth.
ing 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, hel
long knowledge of his purpose would
prevent her showing proper amount
of surprise and embarrassment. She
knew she would blush, but she hoped
it would be so deep blush that John
would not fail tosee it.
She started suddenly, and her face
flushed with feeling that there was
tinge of immodesty and, hypocrisy
in her train of thoughts. She fell
guilty of being immodest in thinking
of proposing herself and of hypocrisy
in hoping she would blush as though
she had not expected the question
Her thoughts annoyed her, and hel
failing to drive them away as she sa
sewing, she laid down her work anC
busted herself cleaning up the room
When both hands of the clOcl
reached eight the light ring of TIT
dOor-bell told her of Johns arrival
AS he entered it could be seen tina
though his youthful face was suffuseC
with bushes, there was an unmistak
able air of manliness about him
When his brown eyes looked int
Mary's she felt so strong and conf
dent that her half-uttered thought
during the afternoon of taking advan
tage of the season to render a littl
assistance came to her, and a momen
later she was oppressed with tn
thought that if he had asked her thel
she really would not have blushed
Then she tried to drive away tn
thought with mighty effort as he
old feeling of immodesty and hypoc
risy came to her, and the crimson
flush covered her face as she saw tina
John was trying to say something.
\ few minutes later the two wer
carefully walking along the icy side
walk in the direction of the church
They discussed the weather an,
everything in connection with tn
singing-schOol until they reached tn
church, and then they both ioine
heartily in the exercises. Mary san
exceedingly well. John was equall
successful until they sang the strain
We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear.
Then tsuddenly dawned upon hir
how easy it wOuld be to say, "Mary
let us share our mutual woes" an