The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-10-20


but my mischievous cousins W ere be.
hind the closed blinds and heard every
word. especially as they said Mr.. John
talked louder than ever in moments OF
tenderness, SO they claimed that his
! proposal could have been heard ''out in
the big road" lie took Oft his hat and
stopped at the foot OF the steps. With
Que . word OF preface he said:
If could see that sweet picture
every night when came home I would
not ask the Lord to give me another
thing DO you think you could do it
| for me?'
What. stand here every night?- /
said, laughing, thinking it merely a
compliment To my white dress.
Yes, stand there every night and let
me know that yours was the face Of my
wife
was too stunned TO answer.
viii you?"
'Oh. Mr.. john gasped.
II love you. sweetheart" he said;
you are the only woman have ever
loved" certainly heard a sound be-
hind the blinds. but did not dare to look
around
''Oh, Mr.. John" said again, like an
idiot.
Gould you love an ugly old fellow
like me?" he pursued, describing me in
three equally fiattering words, which
forbear to repeat.
''Oh. / don't think you are so very
ugly" said, eagerly, trying to be both
polite and honest.
A subdued tapping of the curtain be-
hind me made my hair rise. and my
confusion was complete when Mr.. John
threw his head back and laughed so
heartily he nearly lost his balance. lie
interrupted my apology and grew sud-
denly grave.
TOO ugly and old for you to love me.
sweetheart. but not too old and ugly
to love YOU Pretty soon you'll go back
up north. but you'll not forget that
there's one old fellow down south who
loves you and would marry you, no
matter how old you were-you couldn't
be ugly-any time you wanted him. y
''Oh. how good you are" I ex-
claimed. sincerely. for his offer seemed.
to my inexperience. very handsome
one.
did got give the required promise.
He begged n rose from me andscame in.
called the girls. who entered with mis-
chievous eyes. and he made long call
quite as il he had not been rejected to
start with.
For a whole year afterward scarce
ly spoke To man. Then came all end
To school days and my debut
Presently had curious and disa-
greeable experience proposal, which
makes me by turns angry, amused and
remorseful.
IL was from a young Englishman.
His naughty mother openly detested
America. and regarded American girls
as only bearable If enormously
wealthy. Her eldest son married cool
million Her youngest. her idol. was
so foolish as to tall blindly in love with
q dowerless girl.
lie made as much love to me as he
dared under the stony eyes of his
mother, and then l went with my fam
ily to the seashore for the summer.
Perhaps he miss ID me: perhaps she for
babe him to consider me. At any rate
something made him follow me.
remember that he was playing the
pilgrim Chorus" when came in from
. walk. and he said, admiringly:
What neat little FLY you arer'
Use the plural, please" said
Plural, how?' he questioned, stup-
idly.
Phyllis. not ally. Besides. how
dare you compare me to horse. de-
test it."
Il hope you don't detest me. for
love you-"
Nonsense. What would your mother
say IL she could hear you wooing girl
who is no heiress-a plebeian American
at THAT. Take carer
II don't care what she'd say. love
you even II you are an American. !
love all America for your sake. al
though, confess. used to hate it.
Only an American shall be my wife. IL
she will have me. and my mother shall
receive her. The little American shall
hold her own with even my mother.
Wha. does she say?'
'.She says this: The little An erican
Is too proud to marry into any family
where she is not welcomed by all The
slurs cast upon American girls by your
mother in my presence ring in my
ears too loudly for me TO hear you.
Your mothers pride forbids you to
marry aught save money. My pride
forbids me TO marry aught save the
man.
''IIarg me IL don't tell her what you
say he exclaimed. In delight what
= high stopper You are. like you for
it. You ought to be in our family. I'll
marry you yet. and my mother shall be
as glad to get you as !, for love you.
Phyllis"
IF you do you will never mention
the subject to me again, for not only do
not love you in the least. but l can't
even respect a man Of your well-known
habits. I've demonstrated with YOU
often. and you won't even try to give
them up. You make bad lover; you
would make worse husband"
.-I'll reform IL you'll marry me. III
could be with you always I couldn't