The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-06-03
RATHER REMARKABLE.
a Good Story of Two Very Queer
Proposals

dOOr-yard from MIR. DunbarS. The two
families We're very good friends, and
used the path which led from one gar.
den to the other as 4 Ear of quicker
communication than the road.
Both families kept summer boarders.
Across the road, and a beautiful
stretch of meadow. was the sea rolling
in on a wide sandy beach.
Harry Curtis and Will Blake came
DOWN from their business in Boston
every Saturday night and boarded at
the Fishers over Sunday.
During the summer the same thing
had happened to both of them. They
had both fallen desperately in love with
Miss Grace Derry, who boarded at the
Dunbars'.
1t was Sunday. Harry had taken a
hammock and Will a reclining chair
ont under the apple tree to read.
Over on the Fishers porch they could
hear Grace's voice singing to her own
guitar accompaniment. 1t was a sweet
voice. and it brought her face wildly
into the minds of both young men.
Harry was thinking:
81 will get up presently and stroll
over and ask her to go out for a drive
on the beach tonight"
Will drew himself slowly out of his
reclining chair and yawned indiffer-
emily.
well. / guess I'll leave you" he
said. and went down the orchard path
and over to the porch where Grace was
sitting.
Come, walk down to the beach with
me. will you?" he asked.
Yes: only wait until 1 get my hat
and put away my GUITAR
Across the road and down through
the meadow they strollcd to the beach.
Grace dropped down on the sand look
ing out across the rolling blue-green
waves.
Il am so happy" she said. Some
say the sea makes one gloomy, but it
doesn't me. This has been the happicst
sunme of my life"
1T has been the happiest summer of
my life, SO far" he said. but the sum-
mer is not half over. You have it in
your power to make it completely hap
py. wonder if You will?~
Grace looked at him quickly, but did
not speak.
You know You told me YOU liked
rubies better than any other stone" he
said, after a moment. He put his hand
in his pocket and drew out a little mo-
rocco case and laid it in her lap. See
how you like those"
Grace opened the case. There was a
little ring, set beautifully, with three
small rubies- She gave a gasp of de-
light.
"Oh, how perfectly lovely"
Then she looked at him curlously and
closed the case and held it out to him.
lie folded his hands around his knees
and looked across the sea.
Gould anything induce you to put
that ring On your third finger??" he
asked.
Grace dropped the case on the sand.
81 don't know what you mean" she
said.
lie turned and caught both her hands
in his.
1T seems hat | lov0 you. Grace. more !
than all else in the world. Don't tell
me you do not love me in return"
She drew her hands away slowly, and
up.
Ibid you get hat ring for me?"
YES, ! got it in the hope it would he
yours some time. Oh. Grace, don't say
you don't care for me-"
Well, you did have faith in me to go
and get that ring before you knew.
never heard of such a thing she said.
Indignantly.
You can throw the ring into the
ocean if you'll only tell me that you
love me. l thought that was a nice way
Of telling you. | see I've made a fool of
myself"
He caught up the case from the sand
and threw it far out into the waves.
"Oh, how could you? That beautiful
She turned and walked across the
beach and he followed her.
iii dive till / get it if you say 50.
You dolOve me, Grace, say that You do"
No" she said, Il don't. and / think
his is the queerest proposal l ever
heard of-the idea of you daring to get
that ring before you'd asked me-
Il never dreamed you could be so
leartless and cruel" he said, angrily.
Then he turned and walked away in the
direction mp the beach.
Harry Curtis went through the or
hard after supper and found Grace on
he porch. She got up and went to meet
lin.
Il want to see Mr.. Blake" she said.
will You go and send him over here?"
well. no." Harry answered.; II can't.
the reason that he took the five
train to Boston"
well, never mind. II don't know,
nut I'd rather write it to him, anyway"
trace said.
''Oh, You would" Harry answered. !
Now, perhaps you don't care about a
moonlight ride with me?" =
Yes, / do: but | must write to him
'efore | can sleep.
This confidence did not make Harry
articularly happy, but he went for the
og cart. !
Harry was silent and gloomy on the
lNN' O"N NiaSC was NCAN hdppN dhu
alked on ceaselessly.
Isn't everything beautiful? l don't j
rel as though l ever was unhappy or /
yer could be again." she said, looking +
ut across the moonlit water. ,
Say, Grace" Harry asked, turning I
lddenly toward her, Its none of my '
~usiness, but did Will propose to you c
his morning." @
Grace looked at him a moment with h
ut answering. -
YES, he did. How dare you ask such t
thing?" she said. e
'oh. l just thought I'd like to know" a
AIRY answered, indifferently. They i.
rove On for some time in silence. v
But / refused him." Grace said at a
st, with a little laugh Harry looked t
her quickly. B