Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-11-12
A MODERN ROMANCE.
Why Rob Bonnell Proposed to His
 Partners Sweetheart.

"A favor?" repeated Rob Bonnell, ,eaning back in his pine office chair, the arms of which were becoming attenu- ated from the persistent whittling of it's successive occupants, ia dozen if l can."
 'I knew you would," declared Henry Dreier, in a tone that if confident was also full of vague relief. ''1n fact really wrote Linnet you would go."
 "You did, eh?" returned Bob, tilting back and teetering on the rear legs of his chair in dexterously reckless man. ner that would have driven a more inn questionable individual than his partner wild with nervousness. "That was aw- fully kind of you! But where am to go? And who in the world is Linnet? If you would only supplement your dis posal of me with little information couldn't be sufficiently gratefulr
 Dreier grinned amiably, and shifted his position in the doorway of the small Western grain office. Like most men slow of speech themselves, he was prompt to appreciate the ready raillery of another.
 "Why-why Linnet is," rather awk- wardly, "Linnet Josylan, you know"
 ''Ow in sudden comprehension. 'The bride-elect You never spoke of her otherwise than as Miss Josylan."
 Didn't I? By the way, don't be- lieve I ever told you much about her any way, beyond the fact that she is kind of distant cousin of mine, and that we are to be married next Thursday"
 "No," replied Bob, with Q shake of his handsome head. You never did"
 He was tall, weli-knit, athletic looking fellow. There was in his whole bearing a certain easy grace that ire futably bespoke good breeding and gentle associations. His dark-skinned, | finely-chiseled face was bright with humor and alert with intelligence. In every sense of the word was Henry Dreier unlike him. He was of medium height, and heavily built. His move ments were deliberate to clumsiness. His face was large and round, and horid, and fat. His stubby streak of sandy mustache reminded one of that of MT. Jefferson Brick, which Martin Chuzzle- wit mistook for ''a recent trace of gin- gerbread. His mild blue eyes were most kindly. Indeed, his general ap- pearance was seraphically stupid. In ! reality, MT. Dreier was the least stupid | of men. He was most keenly and prac- tically shrewd. His look of bland in nocence, almost of helplessness, was 8 mask with which nature had capricious- ly presented him. Those who fanoied they could by superior mental agility compass business or personal victory over Henry Dreier were apt to find themselves confronted with Q counter move on the probability of which they had altogethe failed to reckon. But he was hopelessly unromantic. There was no denying that fact. He had not in his composition single grain of sen- !, timent And in his life love would be, as Mime. de Stael avowed it was in the life of all men, merely an episode. Oi this Rob Bonnell had always felt sure but when now his partner went on tc speak of his sweetheart in his prosy, matter-of-fact way he was more thar ever convinced he was correct in his de auctions.
 "She's an Eastern girl. Her people were wealthy. She was educated witl
 the greatest care. She grew up think ing life was to be for her just lonG
 procession of pleasures. Well, one day ' her father went all to pieces on thu
 Board of Trade. The shock killed him
 His wife didn't last for many week
 after him, and then Linnet found sh, . must either work or starve. The form
 CT seemed, as you may suppose, tn
 more acceptable alternative. She wrot
 to cousin of her father who has : ranch out here, asking him if she coult secure employment teaching in thi
 part of the world. There was chanc
 of her obtaining the district school, 8 , he sent her word to come. She did SC
 She was too late. The Board of Direct
 ors had given the place to an earlier ar