Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-22
4 MODERN wooING.


fore we came down here 2"
Dorothy closed her book with snap
and threw it down upon the rock beside
her.
Because, if you didn't We ought to go
home 1t looks like shower"
The young man thus appealed to made
no reply. Clothed in that fantastic garb
which the liberal college education of to-
day render necessary TO the moral stand
ing of gilded youth, he was reclining IN a
studiously graceful attitude beside the
speaker. Il 9G
His eyes were fixed upon fishing fleet
fast disappearing beyond the horizon. A
meditatiye look adorned his sun burned
face.
Hal, | spoke to you.
Still the recumbent igure moved not.
Henry Richardson
This proved sffectual. The young man
quickly raised himself upon one elbow
"Oh, beg your pardon, Dorothy" he
said. What was it that you asked me?
Why yes, think that you are quite
right.
1T is very evident that you are not
quite right in your mind the young girl
retorted gazing compassionate, at him.
What is the matter, Hal?'
Nothing
Eyes. there is. too. You can't deceive
me, you know, so there is no use in trying.
What new scrape have you been getting
into?"
None at all. That is, you woudn' t
cal it 'scrape exactly" Hal grinned.
"In fact, I've been unusually good of late,
as you might have observed had not your
thoughts been upon other scenes intent. y
sob, indeed! Well the fact that you
have been good is sufficiently cause for a
reyusion of feeling of some kind. Now |
want to know what is troubling you?"
You even design 20 be interested in my
mental condition?'
Certainly. Have | not tn family good
at hearth Speak at once
Thus brought before the tribunal of an
avenging little goddess clothed in a scarlet
gown, and in righteous anxiety for her
family 5 welfare, Hal was silent again.
Selling little stone, be crushed to atoms
a shell that lay beside him,
Then he raised himself suddenly to a
sitting posture and gave his companion
the benefit of his cognitations.
II say, Dorothy, let's get married.
Dorothy Hall came of a gallant race, and
she had the repose OF a princess. For a
second there was silence, while the pretty
color left her cheeks. When she spoke it
was in voice that rivaled Hats own for
GOODNESS.
And why, pray, should we do that?'
"You know | am going over to London
in about two months, the young man con-
tinued uuh9eding, land ! don't see any
reason why we can't be married and go to-
gether "
Dorothy's dignity nearly forsook her;
nevertheless she managed to put consider
able surprise even reproach, into her elecu-
lation
"Why. cousin Henry
For heavens sake child, cried Hal,
'don't air that cousin illusion any longer.
tits worn threadbare .
IF you object 10 me for a cousin |
shouldn't think you would want me for a
nearer relative. There was mischief IN
the girls brown eyes.
Il should think you might see, replied
Hal "You know, ny dear, that If is the
proper thing for man to be engaged as
sooa IA h9 leaves college, and as long as
we We no need to consider the question OF
bread and butter, don t see why we should
not be married.
he went on, warming up to the subject
..you know perfectly well that this thing
has been planned ever since we came into
existence. Imagine the worthy grand
mothers ire did we cross her in this res
pect. Mother wants it, Aunt Jane wants
it-every man alive of them expects it.
And want it, too, Dorothy" be added,
by way of afterthought, apparently, as be
paused for reply.
Dorothys mind moved swiftly, and the
stages through which il travelled during
HAS little speech were many. Anger was
its last hating place Very evenly but IN
tones unlnistakably suggestive of lcebergs
and glaciers, she said:
j don I suppose It makes any difference
whether ! want 1t or noi'
This evidently inspired an entirely new
train of thought in the Young man mind.
He raised his head in surprise. Was 1t
possible that any one else had been making
love 10 his little playmate?
"Why. Dorothy he asked, sobery' as
his honest blue eyes met hers.
The girl dropped her lids quickly. lie
should not read her thoughts. lie should
not see that she was waiting for him TO say
the very thing it had not occurred to him
thus far to say.
Dorothy, look at me--ls there any one
else?'
The amount Of lncredulity that Pal
managed to put into that sir Eie sentence
touched her girlish pride.
1T does not seem to have suggested
itself to you, Henry, that when man asks
a woman to marry him it is sometimes for
another reason than because everybody
expects it. II you desire success ! should
advise you to take that into consideration
in any proposals you may make here
after
So that was the matter.
"Oh il that all" cried Hal. Infinite re-
lief that affairs were no worse showing
itself IN every line Of bis face. Why,
bless youi little heart, Dorothy. of course
| love you. Lut it ism t the thing nowadays
to say much about that. One shouldn
gush 1t isn't according to our philosophy.
One should discuss even love calmly and
dispassIonately. and accept the result,