Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-08-28

"0eu oAnS 1o'e W DIS little play
matep
"Why, Dorothy7" he asked, soberly,
as his honest blue eyes met hers.
The girl dropped her eyes 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 thus far to say.
dorothy, look at me-is there any
one else7"
The amount of incredulity that Hal
managed to put into that single sentence
touched her girlish pride.
at does not seem to have suggested
| itself to you, Harry, that when a man
asks woman to marry him it is some
| times for another reason than because
everybody expects it. If you desire sue
cess l should advise you to take that into
consideration in proposals you may make
| hereafter"
"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 it isn't the thing
nowadays to say much about that. One
shouldn't gush. 1t isn't according to
cur philosophy. One should discuss
even love calmly and ispassionately,
and accept the result, whatever it may
be, calmly, az part of his individual
destiny'-and Henry smiled kindly and
complacently.
Dorothy looked at him curiously. 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
so calm and collected now as a lover,
what would you be if 1 were so foo-if I
were to marry you2"
"Ahw replied this nineteenth century
lover eagerly. ''there is where the beauty
of the thing comes in. If you would marry
me you would find that instead of retro
grading, as it were-becoming Indifferent
and everybody does in time, you
know, Dorothy-no one can keep strung
up to concert pitch forever-I should
grow more and more fond and tender of
you and careful of your welfare. You
would see my character unfold and ripen,
disclosing new beauties each day, as the
rose opens to the sun. [ should become
bright and shining orb to light your
pathway"
"To the grave" finished Dorothy, as
Halls eloquence came to sudden stop.
"A charming prospect, certainly. 1t
seems as though I had heard something
like that last before, but certainly will
give you credit for great originality in
other respects
"Oh, you can laugh" said Hal, trif1e
T ~ 70
serious matter for both of u.s."
eyes, you are right. It is a serious
question" replied Dorothy, the laughter
in her eyes contradicting somewhat the
gravity of the rest of her face; ''quite
serious; but before [ consider your some
what unique proposal, Henry, it might
be we'll for me to reply to letter l had
| from Mr.. Hazelton this morning. It
isn't we'll 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
panied expression that she regarded
Hal.
He did not notice this, however, he
only heard her words, and he rose sud-
dely by her side-his six feet of strong
young humanity towering above her.
eyes," he cried, wrathfully, land
you would rather marry man who says
he loves you, when you know he is no
more capable of that feeling than this
stone (f1inging it far out to sea- than to
marry me, when you know without me
saying it that worship the ground you
walk on!'
''Hal, don't 'gush ="
THAT is the way with you girls" he
went on, his anger rising and his face
growing white, ''you will marry for
money every time, though what you
want of more l can't we'll sec. Cousin
Dorothy, I wish you JOY in your choice
of that old monkey"
Dorothy stood up and confronted him.
Her wrath had risen, too, during the
last TRADE, but her voice was even and
cool.
The huge mastiff who had come down
to search for his little mistress, looked
rebellious also, as he stood by her side
and eazed from one to the other of the
angry pair.
1Henry, fail to see what reason or
what right you have to speak so dlsre-
spectfully to me. Since longer dis
cussion cannot fail to be painf1l to us
both 1 will bid you good afternoon.
Come Max" and the little red figure
turned and walked proudly away over