Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-06
A PROPOSAL.

Was late, but it was unavoidable
Somebody elso's business detained mel
wouldn't have allowed my own to-and
consequently felt somewhat nervous as 1
was ushered in.
Glow good of you to come, after all, "
she said. "I'm SO glad When l saw it
was raining-a little-Qt was really cats
and dogs III was afraid you wouldn't
venture out suppose you waited to see
If it would clear up"
Il knew you couldn't resist the tempta-
tion to tease me" was my smiling reply,
tor felt this timo had the better of her.
"Nictory for you" she acknowledged,
pushing toward me my favorite chair,
land we arc both in good humor today,
aren't wG?'
81 am always in II good humor"
ooh! So am l, she answered.
"Wall, then, that's settled, - and sank
into the chair. 1.-The next question is how
long are we to remain so?''
IL don't like to discuss period Of time
with you. l notice you have only ono
series of advcrbs such MS Hlway, forever
and AS long as l live.
"And you dislike thcm?"
81 don't say that. 1t dcpcnds-hut they
are little extreme. Don't you think soY"
"Do you realize that | have called on
you every day this week, and isn't that
little extromeF This is the sixth visit"
II don't know if you are right in your
calculation or not, but I'll ask my sister
in-law. She's sure to have kept count"
"But how will she know"
81 don't know how. She has strange,
and, believe, occult means of finding out
everything. She is much more of an au-
thority on my own affairs than am. For
one thing she has a window in sight of
which my front door naivGly is. OF course,
she never watches, but she sits in that
window, and natHrally she doesn't shut
her eyes. Then she is very neighborly,
never misses a day coming over, and each
one of her questions is sure to hit some
nail on the head Verities her eyes through
her ears, as it were Don't think | mean
she's prying, because she isn't. She's
dear soul and a born mother, that's all,
and, not having any children, she has to
take care of anything that comes her way,
even widowed sster-in-la very near her
own age"
"If you need any one to take care Of
you," Ibegan.
"Oh, dear nou' she answered. 81 am
tired to death of it. l want to take care of
somebody myself for little Thile."
"You think would be difficult sub
ject to handler"
Eyes" she laughed. 81 am afraid it
would be case Of playing with fire and
burning ones fingers"
81 wish did know your real opinion of
me- =" l sighed.
Isn't that very courageous wish?"
she suggested
"Wel then, I'll put it this way-I wish
you could know my opinion of you"
but l do know it.
81 never told YOU"
Haven't you? Oh, however, other peo-
pie have"
"Who?"
"Let me see. My sister-in-law for one. "
"Hang-!' l stopped.
Glow is it outY" she asked. "Warm?"
laughed and broke upmy anger. "Not
so warm as indoors just at this moment, "
said. Then II brilliant idea came to me,
and added: "I'll tell you what I'm going
to do! I'm going to ask your sister-in-
law to let me paint her portraitl"
"Tom Bowles, do you care as much for
me as all that?"
"Do you think she'll like the idea?'
"Likel She'll bo flattered to DEATH Her
personal appearance is her one weak
pointn'
"Of course shall expect you to come
with her and chaperon us during the sit
tings."
"Oh"
"And you must give me points to help
me win her over to my side"
"Your side of what!'
"Nlrs. Turnbull why do you hold me off
SOP" AS l spoke L vowed to myself "now
or never"
"Hold you Off" And she laughed nerv-
ously. what remark! 1 don't hold you
in any way"
81 can't I won't jest any more about
it," said, "and if you are tho woman l
love you'll listen to me-. 4"
"Ill listen to you," she answered, with
final flicker of her teasing humor,
"whcther l AIN the lady you mention or
not"