The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-03-14
A NOVEL PROPOSAL.

John Racburu, counselor at law,
sat in his Office, volume of "Wait's
Practice" on his knee, but his eve
wandered through the open door to
the outer Office, where he could see n
graceful figure of his stenographer,
Bertha Wilson, rs she bent over her
work, her pretty hands tapping the
keys of her typewriter with unerring
swi'tness and precision.
"A lady, every inch of her." mused
Raehurn, ~ his gn2e dwclt lovingly
upon the delicate profile. "By birth
and breeding rs well as in manner
but, thanks to the whirIgig of fortune,
compelled to work for living.
eff / only knew, now, how she
would take it but / would rather not
venture than meet a rebuf-and then
the upshot of that would be that /
would lose my stenographer as we'll
and if | cannot have her in one ca
pacity, [ surely do not want to be de-
privcd OF her in the other. Dear me,
forty seems dreadfully old and twenty
three chiIdishly young, when I think
of the contrast; aud yet is only seven
teen years difference and great
many people would consider that no
obstacle. Aud she need have no fool
ish scruples about disparity of posi-
ton, for intrinsicaily her position
Is as good "a my own-she only
wants to regain it, that is all. How /
wish / could discover some plan of
Judging her feelings without the dan
ger OF driving her away altogether, in
IN case they were not favorable. Ha |!
have it, The very idea-nnd she
will not suspect the ruse. will put
it to the test this very minute"
John Raeburn was good scholar,
an excellent lawyer and gentleman
in every sense of the word, but in re-
gard TO the fair sex he was most un-
accountably shy
Not that he was not capable of as
sincere, deep and ardent an attach
ment as any man, but the very inten-
sity of feeling brought along with it
discouraging and aggravating sense of
every real or fancied deficiency of i'm
pediment that might interpose bar
rier between himself and the young
lady, whom he had at first esteemed,
then admired and finally loved.
He touched bell on his desk.
Bertha waited to check off one last
word and adjust her typewriter for the
next line, and then, notebook in hand.
appeared at the door.
!'Come in, please. Miss Wilson, said
her employer, drawing forward chair
perhaps shade closer than usual
''This is personal letter, 80 / will
supply the address in my hand"
"My Dear Miss--," began Mr..
Raeburn, with side glance at his
pretty amanuenses, who looked all the
prettier for the little bit of color that
came into her plump cheeks, ''you
will excuse me, | know, for commune
eating with you by this means, being
we'll aware, as you are, that my hand
writing is very difficult to decipher,
and you will appreciate the fact that
wish there to be no mistake in your in
depreciation of what / am about to
write. Your name and address, of
course, shall add myself, so that to
all intents and purposes this letter.
while having the added merit of being
legible-is rs confidential as if it were
in reality penned as dictated by me.
81 have enjoyed your acquaintance
now for number of months Miss
Wilson's cheeks grew little more
vivid just here "6hort as that time
has apparently been. it has been sutli-