Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-06-19
AN EN)TI ONAL PARALYSIS.

ton OF creation, and some one woman as
the aggregated perfection of all women
my emotions, as | was about to say
when / interrupted myself, are utterly
paralyzed, and have been since the 14th
day of last September at fifteen min
uteS after IL clock a. M, Eastern time.
At that hour and for several hours
previously, | was in the act of spending
my summer vacation at a delightfully."-
quiet and retired resort on the Atlantic
coast, where also, among number of
other fortunates, were Miss Ruth Allen,
Miss Myrtle Morton-such a sweet name,
that, l used to think-and Jack Foster,
the bane of my existence and the par
alyzer of my emotions.
Foster was a dashing fellow, while I
was merely a dashed fellow, and because
of that, possibly, / was less fortunate in
my heart affairs than he was. In any
event. / never loved a dear gazelle, as
the poet has it, i believe, but some day
sooner OF later, the nervy Foster came
that way and choose her for his mate,
the result of which invariably was that
lost her.
Several times during the summer I had
for these depredations of his, 0een tempt
ed to drown him, for l was a fine sailor
and he wasn't though he often went out
with me, because. as he said he felt
safe III my hands and he had a large life
Insurance policy in addition. Then he
would laugh at his time-tried and fire
tested insurance joke and all the girls
would laugh also.
BAH The idiots, to laugh at an old
chestnut like that. A cocoanut was
equally as funny and much larger.
However, as time moved on, Jack gave
me a chance and, left to my own devices,
it was not a great while before L was
paying undivided attention to Miss Allen
and Miss Morton. These two were my
.ho1 T fol no
chosen, but as yet / had not determined
which one.
The time for decision came at last
though, for my month was nearly up and
on that sweet September morn | had an
engagement to 90 walking with Miss
Allen. / felt that morning that she was
the one woman of all women for me. and
/ asked her to go with me, so that I
might have an opportunity to ask her
far more important question. L am sure
that she knew my purpose, for l had more
than once almost told her what was in
my heart.
Miss Ruth" I said, as we strolled
along the shore returning to the hotel,
may | ask you a question:
Certainly, Mr.. Bryting," she replied,
as sweetly as a girl could reply or a bird
could sing.
IT is not an every day question" l
said, as slight preparation to her, but
one OIL great importance TO me.
1T isn't conundrum, is it?" she asked
nervously, for | hate conundrums.'
Yes, it is" [ answered AT least it
is about something [ don't want to give
up"
There wasn't anything funny in that,
but | laughed at it and she joined in it,
giving me to that extent an addition to
my courage.
'<WeH, you don't have to give it up"
she said. You surely can answer your
own conundrum."
Not this one, [ fear"
Goodness, it must be hard one
Don't ask me. I'm sure [ can't answer
it
Yes. you can." I insisted ''You
know" and became serious, you know,
Miss Ruth, that for some time past [ have
been thinking of you a great deal. More,
indeed, than [ should have DONE for there
was SO much uncertainty in it all. I have
been thinking of this very moment, and
at you. and of what I should say to you
and how [ should say it, to win the an
swer | desired above all things earthly"
well, but what is your conundrum?"
Miss Allen asked.
Simply this: Will you be my Wife,"
/ said, dropping on one knee in the sand.
Goodness! [ can answer that easily
enough. No; / cannot marry you"
The unhesitating way in which she
spoke made me almost hopeless, yet per
sisted
But you could learn I pleaded there
III the sand-fool that [ was to think that
a woman could learn to marry a man.
Whoever heard of such thing?
NO" she said, L could not learn, for
for-for -
Don't finish the sentence" I said, bit
ferly, as | rose from my devotional atti-
tJ.le. Don't finish it, pray [ know
you viii say that you love another, and
utterly precludes your taking lessons I'M
der my instructions. Of course | went
have been utterly impossible for you to
have prevented me from making the fool
of myself | have, and | absolve you from
any conniyance in the matter. May l
ask as an epiiogue, to this comedy that
you viii tell me who the happy man is,
that I may congratulate him."
Ter eyes blazed and her cheeks red
dened. and how pretty she was as she
looked at NE as an angry queen might
Ao0k upon an offending subject
$AIr. Bryting," she said scornfully, I
had hoped to spare you pain, and had
thought to say goodbye to you after this
pleasant holiday by the sea, as friends say
goodbye, with sorrow III every note. but
now l shall say goodbye with unfeigned
pleasure. and in parting will feel pecu-
man is your friend, Mr.. Foster and that
he asked me only yesterday to be his
wife, and 1 took this walk with you to
tell you so, and did not do so because,
as sou are we'll aware, you took up all
the time at my disposal with the absurdly
important question you had to ask me.
What further remarks she might have
made [ have no means Of knowing, but
they would. no doubt, have gone much
fg3r5her for in an angry woman's game
with language she plays without limit
but fortunately for my self-esteem we
were startled at that moment by the
shouts of Il party coming ever sandhill
TO our left, and by the time we had
made a rapid change in our outward show
of temper the crowd was upon us. They
had come out III search of us to JOIN a
Darty for a sail, and among the searchers
were Mr.. Foster and Miss Morton. I'm
der the circumstances it was not diff
cult matter for Miss Allen and myself
to effect an interchange of escorts, and
accompanied Miss Morton back to the
hotel, leaving Miss Allen to the tender
mercies of her hance.
AS Miss Morton and | followed IN the
wake of the returning procession L MADE
myself particularly gay and she seemed TO
appreciate me more than she had ever
J