The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-07

/ tnouGh i was by no means exclusively
| occupied with the great news brought ne
I by the morning post. At intervals asked
| myself why I had been such fool as NOT
| 20 let Mr.. Hale pack up the tea pot. and
| in some dusky corner OF the room Uncle
I Sans shadow seemed 20 start up. in or
der 10 reprOach me with my weakness.
/ while again there would come moments
| when / began TO speculate upon what
I sort Of q smile would brighten the face
/ which / had seen that morning al the an-
i nouncement that ] had relinquished lny
| claim TO the disputed prize. At such mo-
ments the sacrifice seemed almost easy
! But through II all, the resolve TO visit
Mr. Hales shop next morning stood firm.
/ "Punctually at the same hour 1 had
/ reached the well known doorway The
field was stu clear. as ! saw with an en-
| tirely unjustifiable pang. Had the young
| lady come 10 fetch the tea pot in the
meantime2 / inquired. No. she had not.
/ Mr.. Hale answered. a trifle snappishiy.
l for I had disturbed him In the extremely
/ urgent operation OF busting mis- shelves
! But had better not daWdle over the mas
/ ing up OF my mind. for she was pretty sure
| TO be there before I was done. And so.
| 10 b. sure, she was in spite Of Mr.. ALE
! recommendation. ] dawdled considerably.
| and thus il came about that IL was / VINO
/ was to-day surprised with the tea pot IN
| my hand.
! Z have only come 10 ask whether you
]
/ tering words, or whether the gentleman
/ who was here yesterday--'
! d" No he has not I said. stepping cut
/ from the shadow OF a clumsy wardrobe
Here is the tea pot.
| Does that mean that you are going to
! let me have it7' And the smile that had
/ spent all yesterday in trying TO picture
/ actually broke over her face, only ten
/ times more enchanting than my dreams
had shown it me. Her hand was half
/ stretched toward me. and II II had not been
| for that reproachful shadow of Uncle Sam
/ lowering In the background, / would GER
| tainly then and there placed the apple of
| discord within her grasp. 1t was hard
/ moment for me. Had l not as good as
| sworn TO let no teapot Of the right pattern
/ slip through my fingers? And would not
/ such a piece Of quiXotic folly as this that
/ contemplated be enough TO make any
/ china connoisseur who was worthy Of the
name actually turn in His grave? But, on
/ the other hand. could bear to chase away
| that smile OF gladness on which my eyes
We're now feasting?
! "'YouH have to come to some under
/ standing between YOU said Mr.. Hale, as
/ he cautiously shook out his buster I
| don't myself see any way out Of II but
what / told you yesterday
Mr.. Hale l interrupted severely
| "'Well, well, settle it your own way
! grumbled the old dealer. my times too
/ precious 10 wait upon NOut anu All AiAN NhH-
boards in the back shop just screaming to
/ be busted" and winding his way between
/ the miscellaneous furniture of the shop,
Mr.. Hale, with his slow movements and
| quick eyes, crept through door in the
/ background.
"A sudden lightheartedness came over
me as 1 saw him disappear. ] looked a
! the expectant face before me. and in a mo-
! ment / saw the solution of the difficulty.
! A fit of happy recklessness had taken
! complete possession of me. Her hand was
still stretched out, but did not yet give
up the teapot.
What do you think of Mr.. Hale's
idea?' boldly asked.
Mr. Hale's idea? DO you mean what
he said yesterday? Why, of course, 1t is
quite preposterous.'
e. DO you really think so? II doesn't
seem to me so at all. In fact, am be-
| ginning to see a good of sense in it. 1t is
| quite true, you know, that by setting up
house together we could both have the
tea pot. You know the saying about Mine
is thine, do you not?
| Her sweet chld's face began to grow
| seriously troubled.
But, Mr.. Sinnart to set up house to-
gether we should have to get married.
| and mother says there Is lots of time for
that yet. and BESIDES she added with a
| pretty touch of confusion, while for the
| first time her unclouded blue eyes sank
But is there any reason why we should
not get to know each other?' l gently in
quired.
"'Well, no, I suppose not she said,
having stood for a minute in earnest re-
flection But really / haven't begun 70
think of getting married. she added and
began to play nervously with the handle
of her parasol
but supposing you were to begin to
think of it, are you aware of any irwin
chile repugnance which would make it i'm
possible to you ever to think Of me as a
sutton to your hand?
"She glanced up quickly into my face
and then down al the toes of her shoes,
while even her rosy ears turned roster
still.
d" oh, no, never meant to say that. m
sure you would make a very good friend.
And must necessarily make a bad
husband?'
% oh, dear me, no. she said. looking
about her rather desperately. L think you
are very kind and-and very sensible,
she added, being evidently hard up for a
second adjective. But really it is all too
sudden.
Sensible was just the thing l was aware
of not being in this strange and intoxi-
eating moment, but nevertheless, l gladly
let the remark pass. 1t was an insane
thing that was doing-a leap in the dark
was nothing to it-and in dim way I
less determined TO do it, if my star would
but be propitious. No doubt that bridge
over the Dunster had a good deal to an
swer for in the madcap audacity with
which l was challenging Fate, but GER
tainly the blue eyes before me were not
a whit less guilty in the matter.
" 1t certainly is rather sudden" I ad-
mitted, magnanimously, and don't want
that is to say, l shall try not to hurry
your decision. I suppose you will want TO
talk to your mother. you can tell her that
l am an engineer-at least l am trying TO
be one-without single superfluous penny
in my pocket, as possibly you may already
have gathered from Mr. Hale's remarks
but with first rate prospects lat that mo-
ment they seemed to me absolutely daz-
zling) and who feels himself perfectly fit
to work for you well as for himself.
And now, say only that you will think
over II, as you said yesterday about the
teapot and you can go home with the sat
a-.E. "a.