Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-14

| when he replied; there was rather Il
shadow of regret.
"YcS. Miss Susanna" he said, IL do
/ stand reluctant, for | think if l had
/ been more of IL fool in one regard |
would have been less OF fool in an
| other. That is to say. Il man is a fool
To waste his life seltishly, rs | have
| done"
This was the suspicious moment SUI
sauna had been seeking. She would
now lead right up to the matter and
/ find listener To her proposal.
why don't you marry. Mr.. Culver"
she asked With directncss. You are
not too wise to consider the question, l
hope"
Certainly not, Miss Susanna" he
smiled. I've been considering it for
twenty years"
Then you ought to stop considering
it and pop it, Susanna laughed and
! Mr.. Culver also.
Il hardly think I'll ever do that he
said. seriously Il wouldn't know how
10 go about il To make myself half pre-
sentablc I've given myself UP, you
know, rs bad job
Some of these new women will be
charging down on you one of these
| days. teaching YOU the newer doctrine
that women have the right to say
whether you have the right 10 do with
yourself rs you please In othcr words,
some one of them will capture you in
| spite of Yourself"
Not much they won't" asserted Mr.
! Culver, with Il great show of courage.
IF there is anything | don't want to
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 Il proposal
be from her even if she should muster
up courage enough to make it. The
thought made her mute for a minute,
and in that minute new thought came.
one that had been there before. but had
gone wool gathering while she was
beating around the bush 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
easily. But there is the leap year
privilege Al women, new and old,
can claim that. ard you mustn't forget
that this is leap year.
Il had forgotten ii" he said. moving
his Chair over into the far corner of the
fireplace. but still not SO far away that
he WAS out of the pleasant influence of
| SuSanna'S nearneSS. He sat there for
an instant, making himself shver with
terror. aud then he moved back, posi-
bly, a little nearer than before.
"Forewarmcd is forewarned." she
said. ''and now that l have told you of
the dangers ahead hope you will profit
by my advice"
oh, I'm not afraid" he asserted in
good voice, I'm just waiting for that
sort of thing. The custom or tradition
or whatever you may call it is an old
fashioned one and only an ld-fashiOn
ell woman would think of it, a.ld that is
the kind | want. SO none of them had
better try it unless she means bust
ness
Surely no finer opening could be pre-
scented To young woman in her mood
than this. and Susanna gave herself a
little shake and took another long
breath. The time had come, and she
was not the woman to lose so glorious
an opportunity.
Mr.. Culver" she began, in a firm
voice and with great earnestness, 81
have long time been thinking thai
you ought to marry, and l have ever
gone 50 far as to select just such q
woman as l think would suit you.
had two or three consultations with
her and she is willing that should pre-
sent the ma tier to you, because l know
YOU so well and you will understand il
better from me than if she should pre-
sent il herself"
This impcrsonal style was cmnently
pleasing to Susanna. and she felt tina
her task was not going to be so hare
after ALL but she had not considered
Mr. Culvcr's views sufficiently.
When she was about to proceed fur
thor with her remarks, Mr. Culver
showed signs of real anxiety and ARCS,
10 his feet.
Miss Susanna" he exclaimed, don
say another word Really, cannot lis
ten to it,
But | must say it to you" she insist
cd. because as it seemed to her. tina
WAS the proper way to conduct n sue
ccssful courtship. and now that she hat
begun il she most decidedly wished i
to hc successful.
Il tell you won't hear it. This /
entirely unexpected and am sure moth
ing in my conduct has ever warranted
you in broaching this subject to me.
Mr.. Culver was evidently in earnes
and Susanna almost cnuckled to her
self. for this was the very way youns
women acted under the circumstance.
i'm which Mr.. Culver was placed. Al
IL needed now was a little more coax
ing. and Susanna neryed herself fo
the final pop.
perhaps you have not thought so.