Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-01-26
HIS PROPOSAL.
Mr.. softheart had always been a ro-

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love with four blends. three brunettes
and five young ladies who were neither
one nor tine other he had never been
able to pop the question point blank,
but delicately insinuated it in such q
way that his meaning would have been
a riddle to the sphinx, and was, nat
urally enough, never successful
Now. at 40. and growing extremely
stout, he was as romantic as ever. Mr..
Softheart was very we'll OF ard not i'll
looking.
For six months Belinda Bellows had
been waitiBg for MIR. Softhcart - pro-
pose and growing every day more GER
tain that he positivelyintended to place
his brownstOne mansion and bank &C.
count at her disposal.
But, though Mrs. Bellows was kind
enough to allow the cook to summon
her to consultations when Mr.. Softheart
called. and SO leave the pair tete-a-tete,
and although Miss Angelina was equal
y considerable, and invariably remem-
bered that something she wanted very
particularly was up stairs when her
mother went to speak to the cook, poor
Mr. Softheart could never bring himself
to the point of saying. Twill You have
me?''
III do it by letter." he said to him
self after long consideration. Women,
so far. have misunderstood rae I'll do
it in black and white now
And So OH the last day of March, Mr..
SOftheart wrote an offer of his hand and
heart, enveloped. sealed it and put it in
his pocket before he made his evening
call on his beloved Belinda.
Now, it 50 happened that that very
evening Belinda herself had come to a
resolution. Her twenty fifth birthday
was approaching, and she could not af-
ford Ito waste time"
If Mr.. Softheart meant anything, he
should say it; if he did not, she would
accept young Spooney.
When Mr.. Softheart rang the bell, he
found the field quite clear at the Bel
lowses' Miss Belinda had artfully con-
trived that it should be So That per-
fidious young person had actually pur-
chased tickets for a concert; requested
young Spooney, who was half mad with
joy at the idea, to accompany Angelina
and herself and or the evening in cues.
ton was sTnitten with a terrible attack
of neuralgia; but. after all, Mr. Spooney
should not have his trouble for nothing
mamma and Angelina would go.
Ten minutes after the departure Of
the trio Miss Belinda, arrayed in blue
silk. was playing at such a rate on the
piano that it seemed quite certain that
the demon neuralgia must have vanish
ed.
She did not even hear Mr. Softheart's
ring and started in sweet confusion on
his appearance.
I'm all alone" she said. "sIamma
and Lima won't be home until IL
O'clock" and the two talked together
in very low voices. sitting very close to
each other on twin chairs.
Mr.. Softheart looked and sighed and
uttered romantic sentiments. but he did
not pop the question. Miss Belinda did
all that a modest Young lady could to
further this object. but in vain.
She did not knoy-how should she?-
that at the door Mr.. Softheart had said
to Biddy:
Look here, girl, put this in Miss
Belinda's room, where she will be sure
to see ii, and I'll give you a quarter.
and had presented her with the billet
containing his proposal. crowned by a
silver % cent piece.
II the man did not avail himself of
such a chance after six months court
ship. plain even to the servants i'll the
kitchen. why. he meant nothing. And
the unhappy. unlucky Mr.. Softheart did
not utter the expected words and left ut
1915
Hes n contemplate thing" said
Miss Belinda. III show him my heart
is not broken. I'll marry Spooney."
And Belinda wept, for she was hit
terly mortified, and Spooney did not
own a brownstone house.
Belinda wept, as we have said, and
went to bed in the dark. OF course she
did not see the letter in the workhasket,
and no one else saw it until the LIST Of
April dawned.
Now, in their normal condition, with
no love affairs on the tapis, the Bel
| lows Were merry people, who INDUCED
in practical jokes. and April FOOLS day
was always religiously kept in the fam
lily.
But this year the three particular Bel
lows with whom we have TO deal were
not prepared with any practical joke.
though each suspected the other. And
when Angelina, sitting up in bed beside
her sister. saw the glittering white note
in the workbasket she Immediately made
up her mind that it was a trick
She crept softly toward it and read
the inscription -" Miss Belinda Bel
lows"-and retired to her pillow again
! What a fiat trick" she said to her.
self. why. Bell will guess at once
unless she forgets that it is the LIST of
April.
Then a thought struck her. She crept
tiptoe out Of the room and down stairs
TO the kitchen, where Bridget, with a
smutty face, was making the fire. TAX
ing the letter with her
''Biddy." she said in q whisper,