Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-09-24
MAN PROPOSES.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.


herself into the rocking chair as she
spoke, and began to sway to and fro as
if to give vent to her Impotence. She
was slender girl, with delicate high
features and nice light brown hair, but
her calico gown was patched and so were
her shoes, and up in her bedroom hung
q best silk dress that had been turned
wrong side out and wrong side up, be-
fore at last it was dyed brown and
trimmed to hide the frayed spots. You
could hardly have found girl who had
SO little of this worlds goods to cali her
own, girl so well hammered and with
such sense that she was any ones
equal. She taught school, and what she
earned paid the rent of the three
roomed cottage, and bought food for the
two women. Aunt Samantha found the
knitting of occasional stockings rather
more than enough for her share of this
worlds work, but she was unusually
sympathetic This time, however, she
failed to be so. Manala had received
an offer of marriage from man of
means, good man, a man who offered
her fortune, and added, s:lots of room
and hearty welcome for Miss Saman-
tina"
Miss Samantha looked at Mahala as
she rocked Mahala did not usually
rock: in fact, her aunt thought to her
self that she had never seen her do it
before. 1t gave her some hope that,
despite her first remark on the receipt
of that letter which lay upon the table,
she might take the matter into consid
Grafton.
People do not hurry themselves there
an Nantucket, amongst the rocks and
sand-they think things over.
Miss Samantha arose and went to the
table and took UP the sheet of blue
foolscap which had been taken from the
yellow envelope which lay near it, car
ried it back to the window and began to
read.
any dear Miss Mahala-
"'You may be surprised to hear from
me- "You were, wern't your" inter-
polated the old lady.
"No, and he knew | should not be, !"
said Mahala. Miss Samantha went on.
"tBut when / make up my mind to do
o thing, | do it. "Now that is sensi-
ble," said Miss Samantha Mahala only
shut her eyes. "EI'm older than you
be'"-"Ber" gasped Mahala-" But I
can offer you just about as good prop
erty as any man herebout could, if not
little better. Hard money in the
bank and nobody to fight you for it
when you're a widow "Seems to me
he looks into things" said Aunt Sa-
mantha.
'Indeed he does" said Mahala. Her
aunt went on with the letter.
I'll make my will in your favor when
you accept me. Being your seniority
by twenty-eight years it is no more than
/ had ought to.
'sThe man has coined word" said
Mahala.
etI have had two wives before, but
they both died." read Samantha.
I'm glad to hear they are not both
alive" said Mahala.
Don't be sarcastic" Samantha said
''There's more on the next page they
both died childish" Mahala uttered a
shrek of mirthless laughter.
'sHe means childless," said Aunt
Samantha. "For here he says-'so
there are no stepchildren to trouble
you, and IN marrying me you will have
all that heart can wish provided, and
make me very happy. for should adj
mire to have wife like you, a patron of
genteel lady, and so handsome, like
wise SO virtuous. My dear Miss Maha-
Ia, take a good month to think Of it; the
more you think the better you will like
the idea. No more work, a husband to
take care of you, and plenty of room
and welcome for Miss Samantha.
Yours truly,
SAMUEL JEFFERSON ;"
s'Mahala," said Miss Samantha, eff
you do have him, you wouldn't mind
letting me have room that looks down
into the street; should enjoy it SO
when | couldn't 60 out in rainy wealth
er."
"Why didn't he propose to you,
Aunty ?" said Mahala.
t'Mahala Portland!' p said Miss Sa-
mantha. 81 only wish he had. Now
don't be hasty. What is grammar or
words you can't find in the dictionary
put against solid cash and intrinsic
worth ?"
intrinsic worth is good, Aunt Sa-
saantha,' said Mahala; then suddenly
she broke down and began to cry.
"You're forgotten all about Daniel,
said she. Everyone has forgotten him
but me-"
''No, dear, haven't, but he is dead"
said Miss Samantha. 'They were all
lost, you know; everyone went down
with the ship. Daniel, why | thought
SO much of him, | don't forget, but you
know he is dead"
"My love for him is not, said Ma
haia 81 can never care for anyone
else"
aDear me p sighed Aunt Samantha
"Well, | never had sweetheart; per-
haps there are things | don't know
about, but then, why not Samuel Jeffer-
son as well as any other man"
"Well, I've a month for thinking of
it" said Mahala She left the chair and
caught up hat and walked out into the
twilight 1t was summer, but at that
time there were few visitors from the
ety, the children had been called in to
supper or to bed She walked on until
she came to the shore, whence she
could see the water, the islands, the
wreck of an old whaIer, rising black
against the blue gray sky, and the light
lamps had just begun to glow. How
often had she walked here leaning Oh