Evening journal., 1889-02-20
HOW JOHN PROPOSED.

Dear me, know he is just ready to say it,
and | can't sec why he doesn't say itn And
e pretty Mary Branwood puckered up her lips
z into the sweetest Of all pouts and piled her
needle more rapidly than ever. ut does
seem to me very strange she added after a
brief pause, that "A great big man should be
50 timid about saying he loved girl Dear
me, it's enough to aggravated girl into taking
advantage Of
And Miss Mary blushed rosily and finished
the sentence with hysterical laugh.
Mary BfanHood was Just at this moment
thinkingof John Walker who for the past two
years had been her escort upon every possible
occasion For a long time each had looked
upon the other with expressive ewes. and
though the gossips Of that part of Harlem
looked upon the ending Of their courtship as a
settled NATTER John had not asked the all
important question Mary's womanly intu.
iticn prompted the thought that he had been
trying to voice the loee he so often DISPLAYED.
but his natural bashfulness seemed "a ins,lr,
mountable barrier
50 Miss Mary sat that February afternoon
IN her chair, hriskly rocking to and fro. The
afternoon was nearly gone and the girl was
impatiently waiting for s O'Clock. when the
N-.AAN+ 'NAAA NthAA al AAft 10 take HcF To The
class in vocal music at the church. Her
heart beat fnster 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 soonbe asked. She knew
there would be nothing romantic about
Johns asking her, for she was sure he would
10 50 ~ laundering way. The thing that
troubled iher most was that after he really
ald muster up sufficient courage her long
knowledge Of his purpose would prevent her
showing proper amount Of surprise and EN-
barrassmcnt. She knew she would blush
but she hoped it would be So deep a blusb
that John could not fail 10 see it,
She started suddenly, and her face flushed
with feeling that there was a tinpe az I'M.
modesty and hypocrisy in her train 81
thoughts She felt guilty Of being immod.
est 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 failing n
drive them away as she sat sewing. she laid
uo"h her work and busted herself cleaning up
the room
When both hands Of the clock reached 8
the light ring Of the door bell told her ~
Johns arrival. As he entered II conld no
seen that though his youthful face was snf.
fused with bushes there was an unnistal-.
able air Of manliness about him. When his
brown eyes looked into Mary's She felt 81
strong and confident that her half uttered
thoughts during the afternoon Of taking adj |
vantage o. the season To render a little assis |
lance came 70 her, and a moment later she
was oppressed with the thought that If he 1
had asked her then she really would not have
blushed. Then she tried to drive away tho
thought with mighty effort as her old feel. /
ing Of immodesty and hypocrisy came to her
and the crimson flush covered her face rs she
saw that John was trying to say something.
a lew minutes later the two were carefullv
waiting 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
tne exercises, Mary sang exceedingly well
John was equally successful until thcy sang
the strain;
we share orr mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear
Then i suddenly dawned upon him how
easy II would be 70 say, MARY lct ii sshoro
our mutual woes, and he couldn't dismiss Il
from his mind all the evening. Every now
and then, 70 his great embarrassment he got
out 81 tune. To make matters worse ~
professor noticed it each time, and ina Kindly
tone offered suggestion, which Increased
Johns confusion There was no enc IA ,be
class gladder than John when Q:SO came a,d
ne ana Mary stepped ont into the MOONLIGHT
% SO home They picked their way along
INC Sidewalk slowly cautiously and in silence
Johh ana not speak for two reasons. He was
oppressed with the thought that he had been
particularly stupid during the whole evening.
ana nc was repeating the sentence ssNfo,.y
let share - -
they stood beneath the light In the littla ~
lor he could put his arm around her ana soy
Il without laundering. Mary was silent with
expectation. 90
How brief q sentence would have made
them supremacy happyl
Johns observation-disclosures served TO dist,ac,
ms attention from the icy walk moro than ~
should have allowed. and no less tban balf
dozen times Mary's feet slipped. bpf cecil
time she found herself borne up by her s+,,rdr
lover. Each slip was accompanied with q
httle shrek, and when she was again safe her
soft laugh was music TO him.
A group Of boys pulling q sled turned the
corner ahead and dashed past them. Mary
turned her head 70 glance after them. Her
loot sllpped little shrek, and she was down
but she wasn't alone. In falling she had
managed to knock Johns feet from undor
him, and be had fallen toos Each scranble5
70 rise quickly, and their heads came ~.
gether with a sound bump.
John was in the throes Of por4ifcat,o,,
upon his awSwardness when Mary said
naiyely, as he helped her to her feetj
- We seem TO be sharing our mutual woes
He was amazed. The very sentence he had
been saving for under the gaslightl Before |
he could take advantage Of his present on !
portunity, however, Mary seemed to realize
that she had been immodest, and she talked
incessantly as they walked on, as If deter
mined that be should reap no advantage from i
her remark. John made several efforts to ,
recall the opportunity, but was baiIled every {
tiInn Then lie ccternined TO v...s until they I
stood beneath TIC Gi..ilsbt- bot when they I
IN