The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-10-02
EBENSBU A.. FRIDAY, OCTOBER2 2, 1896.
ind a listener to her proposal.


why don't you marry, Mr.. Culver?"
she asked, with dircctness. ''You arc
not too wise to consider the question,
] hope"
Certainly not, Miss Susanna" he
smiled. I've been considering it for
20 years.
'''rhen you ought to stop considering
IT and pop it," Susanna laughed ami
Mr.. Culver also.
Il hardly think I'll ever do that" he
said, seriously. 81 wouldn't know how
TO go about it, to make my case half
presentable. I've given myself up, you
know as "A bad job
Some of these new women will be
charging down on you some of these
days, teaching you the newer doctrine
that women have the right to say
whether you have the right to do as
you please with yourself. In other
words, some one of them will capture
you in spite of yourself"
Not much, they won't" asserted
Mr.. Culver, with great show of cour-
age. If there is anything don't want
10 marry it's woman with foolish no.
tions of that kind"
Susanna's heart went down to her
shoes on the instant. Here was an in
surmountable obstacle in her path, and
with Mr.. Culver holding to such an
opinion, what good would a proposal
be from her, even if she should muster
up courage enough to make it. The
thought made her mute for 4 minute
and in that minute new scheme came,
one that had been there before, too, but
had gone wool gathering while she was
beating about the brush with the new
woman idea.
Il think myself they are horrid," she
said, with an effort to swallow some
thing that would not go down very cas-
lily. But there is the leap year priv
ilege. All women, new and old, can
claim that. and you mustn't forget that
this is leap year"
Il had forgotten it." he said, NOV
ing his chair into the far corner of the
fireplace. but still not so far away that
he was out of the pleasant influence
of SUSanna's nearn"Ss- He sat there
for an instant making himself shiver
with terror, and then he moved back.
possibly little nearer than before.
"Forcwarned is forearmed," she said;
land now that ! have told you of the
dangers ahead hope you will profit by
my advice"
''Oh, I'm not afraid" he asserted, IN
Il good voice, I'm gust waiting for that
sort of thing. The custom of tradition.
whatever you may call IL. is an old
fashioned enc. and only old-fash
ioned woman would think of it, and
hat is the kind / want. So none of
them had better try it unless she means
business"
Surely no finer opening could be pre-
sentcd 10 a young woman in her mood
than this, and Susanna gave herself
shake and took another long breath
The time had come, and she was not he
woman to lose so glorious an oppoI'
tunity.
MIR. Culver" she began. in a firm
voice and with great earnestness, II
have for long time been thinking you
ought to marry and l have EVEN gone
so far as to select just such a woman as
| think would suit you. | have had two
or three consultations with her, and
she iS willing that | should present the
matter to you, because | know you So
well, and you Will understand it better
from me than if she should present il
herself"
When she was about to proceed fur
ther with her remarks Mr.. Culver
showed sings of real anxiety and arose
o his feet.
Miss Susanna" he exclaimed. 'don't
ay another word. Really. / cannot
isten to it"
"'But | must say it to you,' she in
isted. because, as it seemed to her. that
5as the proper way TO conduct a sue
\. 4
-egun ii she most decidedly wished IT
q he successful.
Il tell YOU / won't hear il. This is
ntirely unexpected, and | am sure
Iothing in my conduct has ever war
anted you in broaching this subject
o me-"
Mr.. Culver was very evidently in
.arnest, and Susanna almost chucklc.i
% herself, for this was the very way
,oung women acted under the circum-
stances in which Mr.. Culver was placed.
All il needed now was n little more
coaXing. and Susanna nerved herself
for the final pop.
Perhaps you have not thought So.''
she said in her softest voice. "but to me
there has ever been a desire to say tn
You what | am now saying. Mr.. Cul-
Ner-John." and Susanna came very
close to him, Notwithstanding she was
so nervous she hardly knew what to do.
Hold on, Susanna hold on he eX-
claimed. 'Confound it," (that shocked
her. for she knew no girl ever talked
that way under such circumstances,
however much she must have thought
it,. Il don't want you to be talking
in any other woman's interest. There
is only one woman in the world that
/ want, and-and-" Mr.. Cul-
yer was getting nervous himself now
, and Susanna gasped. 'And-oh, Sus-
anna" he said, desperately, don't you
know that woman is you? You, Susan
ma Don't you know it is you?"
Mr.. Culver caught Susanna's two
| hands in his and looked into her eyes
| with such pleading, pathetic, intense
| sincerity that all her plans were con
sumed like straw in a fierce blaze and
| she simply tumbled into his arms and
| let him finish the proposal she thought
she had begun in such a mastery man
| ner.
| And MIR. Culver finished ii with gilt
| tering success. much to the relief OF
| Miss Susanna Morton. spinster.-Bos-
| ton Traveller.
| Figures In Smoke
A man, SAYS a statistician, smoking d
nine of medium size, blows out OF ms