The morning call., 1891-09-02
A MODERN WOOING.
BY GERTRUDE MORTON.

threw it down upon the rock beside her
because If you didn't We ought 70 go
home. 1t looks like a shower"
The young man thus appealed to made no
reply. Clothed in that fantastic garb which
the liberal college education Of to-day rem
ders necessary to the moral standing OF
gilded youth, he was reclining in a studious-
Nv graceful attitude beside the speaker.
His eyes were fixed upon fishing feet
fast disappearing beyond the horizon. A
neditatiye look adorned his sunebrowned
face.
Hal, spoke to you"
Still the recumbent figure moved not.
Henry Richardson"
This proved effeetual. The young man
quickly raised himself upon one elbow.
Oh l beg your pardon, Dorothy" he
said. what was it that you asked me?
Why, yes, think you are quite right"
at is very evident that you are not quite
right In your mind," the young girl retorted.
gazing compassionately at him. What is
the matter, Hals"
Nothing"
z '.Yss, there is, too. You can't deceive me,
you know, so there is no use in trying.
What new scraps have you been getting
intoS"
None at all That is, you wouldn't call
it q scrape' exactly" Hal grinned. "ln
fact, I've been unusually coed Of late, as
you m ght have observed had not your
thoughts been upon other scenes intent"
H0h, indeed Well, the fact that you lave
been good is sufficient ca-se for a reyulsi on
Of feeling OF some kind. Now l want to
know what is troubling your"
you even deign to be interested in my
mental condition ?"
Certainly HAYS not the family good
at hearth Speak. at once. .
Thus brought before: the tribunal Of an
aVenging li5tle goddess clothed in scarlet
gown, a1din righteous anxiety for her fam
ily's welfare, Hal was silent again. Selling
aTlittle stone he.:crushed to atoms a shell
that laysbeside hin.
Then lie raised himself suddenly TO sit
ting posture and gave his companion the
.. benefit of.his c0gttatfbns.
/ say, Dorothy, let's get married!'-.
Dorothy Hal CAME OF gallant race, and
She had. the Tep0se Of princess. For
second there was silence, while the pretty
color left her cheeks; W hen she spoke it
was in a voice thas rivaled Halls own for
GOODNESS. 8 -. -.
Aud why. pray, should we 10 thatP"
(. :. :: Y on know i am going over to London IN
about two months" the young man con-
~ luutQ, 'ultlttul anu i Quu b SeG my
reason why we cant be married aud 90 TO-
gether. =.
= Dorotly's dignity nearly forsook her;
!. nevertheless she managed to put consider
able surprise, eYel.reproach, into her ejacu-
lationi
=. WHY, cousin HenryI'
For heavens sake, child" cried Hal,
''dOu't air that cousin Illusion any longer
It's Worn thread bare"
IF YOU object to me for a cousin l
shouldn't think you would want me for q
nearer relative" There was mischief in the
girls brown eyes -. ~:
= :" l should think you might see," replied
Hal j gu know, my dear. that it is the
proper thing for man to be engaged as
soon as lie leaves college, and as long as
Z we've U o need TO cnndsider the question Of
bread and butter,.l dOn'ts see why We should
not he married" ~.
f. You know, rs well as l do, Dorothy" he
- went on, warming I'D tothe subject, you
know perfectly well that this thing has
z been planned ever since we came into ex-
: istencr. Imagine the worthy grandmother's
ire did we cross her in this respect. Mother
wants it, Aunt Jane wants .it-every man
alive OF them, expects il. And l want it,
too, Dorothy" he added, by way of after
thought, apparently, as he paused for re-
ply. -.
Dorotby's mind moved swiftly, aud the
stages through which 1t travelled during
Halls little speech we're many. Anger was
It's last halting-place. Very evenly, but in
tones unmistakably suggestive of ieebergs
and glaciers, she said:
81 don't suppose it makes any difference
whether want it or not"
This evidently inspired an entirely new
train of thought i'll the young mans mind.
He raised his head in surprise. Was it pos
sible that any one else had been making
love TO his little playmate?
'Why Dorothy?" he asked, .soberly, as
his honest blue eyes met hers.
The girl dropped her lids quickly. He
should not read her thoughts. He should
not see that she was waiting for him to say
the very thing it had not occurred to him
p: thus far to say.
Dorothy, look asms-is there any one
elsePp
=. The amount OF incredullty that Hal man.
aged to put into that single sentence touched
her girlish pride.
: ut does not seem to have suggested itself
TO you, Henry, that when g man asks q
woman to marry him it is sometimes for
another reason than because everybody
. expects 1t. If you desire success should
advise you to take that into consideration
In any proposals you may make hereafter"
So that was the matter.
Oh, is that all !" cried Hal, infinite relief
that affairs were no worse showing itself In
every line of his face. "Why, bless your
little heart, Dorothy. OF course l love you,
= but ltlsn't the thing nowadays to say much
ABOUT that One shouldn't gush. 1t isn't
according to our philosophy. One should
discuss even love calmly and dispassionately,
- aud accept the result, whatever it may be,
calmly, as part Of his individual Destiny
and Henry smiled kindly and complacently.
Dorothy looked at him curfQusly. An
hysterical desire to laugh or cry seemed
suddenly to have taken possession of her,
. but she controlled herself.
Well, she said finally, "if you are 90
calm and collected now as a lover, what
. WOIiu he If | fnO-if i rya IN
d" marry you ?"
g. :''AhH replied this nineteenth century
lover eagerly, there is whero the beauty Of
the whole thing comes in. If you should
marry me you would find that instead of
retrosradlng, as it were-becoming iudiffer-
ent-and everybody does in time, you know,
Dorothy-no one can keep strung up to con-
cert pitch foteVer-I should grow more and
more fond and tender Of you and careful Of
your welfare. You would see my character
unfold and rlpeD. disclosing new beauties
each DAY, as the rose opens to the sun. l
should become a bright and shining orb to
lght:your pathway"
To the.grave,' finished Dorothy, as Hars
eloqqence came to sudden stop. "a
charming prospect, certainly, 1t seems as
though Ihad heard something like that last
before, but l will certainly give you credit
for great originality In other respects"
:Oh,: you can laugh" said Hal, trif1e
discounted, but l assure you this is
bcIIOuo uhNueI I,OObu OF US.
.''Y es, you are right. 1t is serious ques-
ton." replied Dorothy, the. laughter in her
eyes contradctlng somewhat the gravity of
the rest Of her face; ''quite serious; but be-
fore consider your somewhat unique pro-
pOsal, Henry, it might be well for me 10
reply to letter l had from Mr.. HaZeIton
this morning, 1t isn't well to have too
many offers under consideration at once,
you know, and he certainly has the prior
claim, for he did not hesitate to tell me that
he loved me, even though am sure he does
not"
The laughter: had died out Of the girls
eyes and it was with something of palnsd
expression that she regarded Hal.
He did not notice this, however; he only
heard her words and he rose suddenly by
her side-his six feet If strong young human
Ity towering above her.
Yes" he CRIED, wrathfully, land you
would rather marry a man who says he
loves you, when you. know he is no more
capable of that feeling than this stone fling
Pc ing 1t far out to sea) than to marry Iie, when
you know, without my saying it, that wor-
ship the ground You WALK on"
Hal, don't 'gush.'"