Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-03-06

'Im old enough to be" Mr. Culver
frankly responded, for Mr.. Cuiver's
ago was too we'll known to be denied
and too great to be h id under bushel.
"Isn't there something somewhere
about the old fools being the biggest"
laughed Susanna.
'But I'm not SO old as that yet.
"Ahl" and her eyes twinkled. "1s
yours q case of:
Standing with reluctant feet.
Where the silly seasons mee.Y
lfr. Culver assumed o more serious
air md there was no smile on his face
when he replied; there was rather
shadow Of regret.
eyes. Miss Susanna" he sail. "l
do stand reluctant, for l think ii had
been more of fool in one regard L
would have been less OF fool in an
other. That is to say, man IS 1ool
to waste his life seldshly as l have
done"
This was the Ouspicious moment Su,
sanna had been seeking. She would
now lead right up to the IN 'tter ani
find O listener to her pr 0posal.
"Why don't you marry, Mr.. Gu l.
ver?'' she asked with directness. You
are not too wise to consider the qaes-
tion, I hope" ."
Certainly not. Miss Susanna, he
smiled. 'I've been considering 1T Tor
twenty years.
"r6en you ought to stop consider
ing it and pop it," Susanna laughed,
and Mr.. Culver also. =.
81 hardly think I'll ever do that, "
he said, seriously. 81 wouldn't know
how to go about it to make my case
half presentabIe. I've given myself
ND, yoa know, as q bal JOB.
"Some OF these new women VIII be
charging down on you one OF these
days, teaching you the newer doctrine
that women have the right to say
whether you have tue 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 a great show OF cour,
age. "If there is anything | don
want to marry, it's woman with fool
notions Of that kind"
Susanna's heart went down to her
shoes on the instant. Here was an III
surmountable obstlble in her path
and with Mr.. Culver holding to such
an opinion, what COOL would pro
posal be from her, even il she should
muster ND courage enough to make it.
The thought made her mute for min,
ute. and in that minute new Thought
came. one that had been there before,
too. bit had gone wool gathering
while she was beating around the busI
with the new woman idea.
81 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 yeal
privilege. All women, new and Ola
can claim that, aud yoa mustn't Tor
get that this is leap year.
81 had forgotten it, he said, NOV
ING his chair over into the lar corne
of the fireplace, but still not so IA
away that he was out of the pleasan
inAnence OF Susanna's nearness. III
SAT- there for an instant making him
self shiver with terror, and then h
moved back, possibly u little nearer
than before. -,
"Forewarned is forearmed, " she said
"and now that I have told you OF thf
dangers ahead, 1 hope you will proh
by my advice. " .z
"Oh. I'm not afraid" he asserted
in good voice, 'I'm just waiting
for that sort of thing. Tue custom
or tradition, or whatever you may
call it, is an old-fashioned one anc
and only an old-fasbioned womal
would think of it, AMI that is the kline
T want. SO none OF them had better
trv il. unless she means business.
Surely no finer opening coull be
presented ito young woman IN he
mood than this, ind Susanna gave
herself little shake and took another
long breath. Tue time ha come. land
she was not the woman to lose SO glor
ious an opportunity.
"Mr. Culyer." she began in firn
voice and with great earnestn esf, "
have for q long time been thi nkint
that you oughs to marry, anl l hav.
even gone SO far as to select just sucl
q woman as I think would suit you.
have had two or three consultation
. with her, and she is willing that
should present the matter to you, be
cause l know you so well, and you vii
? understand it better from me than
> she should present it herself"
Q This impersonal style was emlnentl,
pleasing to Susanna, and she felt tina
$ her task was not going to be SO har
1 after oil, but she had not considere
Mr.. Culver's views sufficiently.
} When she was about to proceed fur
ther with her remarks Mr.. Culve
shovel signs Of real anxiety and aros
: to his feet.
, "Miss Susanna" he exclaimed
9 "don't say another word. Really,
? cannot listen to it.
Y "But must say it 10 you," she in
. sisted, becau:e, as it seemed to hei
e that was the proper way to conduct
n successful courtship. and now that sh