The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-04-03
But I'm not so old as that yet"
- and her eyes twin!lled. Il
yours ease of
Standing with reluctant feet.
Where the silly seasons meet :"

when he replied there was rather Il
shadow of regret.
Yes, Miss susanna" he said. II
do stand reluctant. fer think if had
been more of fool in one regard
would have been less of Il fool III an
. other. That is to say, II man is a fool
to waste his life selishly as | have
, done"
This was the suspicious moment Stu
sauna had been seeking. She wonid
now load right mp to The matter and
find !. listener to her proposal.
why don't you marry, Mr.. Cui-
YER: she asked with directnass.
You are not too wise to consider the
question, | hope
''Certainly not, Miss Susanna" he
smiled. I've been considering il for
twenty years. >
Then you ought to stop consider
ing it and pop it," Susanna laugh ed.
and Mr.. Culver also.
Il hardly think I'll ever do that.
he said seriously. Il wouldn't Know
how to go about it to make my case
half preSentable. I've given myself
up, you know, as Il bad job.
Some of these new women will be
charging down on you one of ii csc
days, teaching you the newer doctrine
- '
whether YOU have the right to do us
you please with yourself. IL other
words, some one of them will capture
you in spite of yourself
Not much they won t, asserted
Mr.. Culver with II great show of cour-
age. IF there is anything | don't
| want to marry, il Il woman with TOOL
notions of that kind"
Susanna's heart went down to her
shoes on the instant. Here was an III
surmountable obstacle in her path,
ami with Mr. Culver holding to Ich
an opinion what good would a pro
posal be from her, even if she should
muster up courage enough to make it.
| The thought made her mute for
minute, and III that minut" Il IirW
| thought came, one that had been
there before. too. but had gone wool
| gathering while she was beating
around the bush with the new woman
idea.
Il think myself they are horr d..
she said, with an effort to swallow
something that would not go down
very easily But there is the leap
year privilege. All women, new and
old, can claim that, aud you mustn I
| forget that this is leap year
Il had forgotten it," he said. NOV
| ing his chair over into the far corner
| of the firnnlace but sill nor so far
away than he was ont of the nIeas,nt
| infine.ce of Susanua's nearness He
sat there for an instant making him
self shiver with terror, and then he
moved back. possibly Il little he trer
| than before.
"Forewarned is forearmed, she said,
and now that have been told you
"6h. I'm not afraid, he asserted in
, GOOD voice .sTm iust waiting for
| that sort of thing. The custom or
tradition or whatever Won NAV call if
i an oIj-fashionpd one and ,onIv
an old shionad woman womb thiui, |
Of if and that is the Kind | want So
none of them had better trv it. Unless
she means business
Surely no finer opening could be
presented to IL Dung woman in her
! mood than this. and Susanna gave
herself a little shake and took another
! I1na breath. The time had come and
she was not the woman to lose so rIor-
ions an opportuuitv.
! "Mr. Culver she began in n firm
voice and with great ear!iestnesS. II
have for A long time been thin liny
that Won OUGHT TO marry. and have
| rpup 81 far ~ select lIISt SUpb VIC
man as think wouId sniff Won
I've had tyo ar three concentration
Nh, Ln,. and uhe j. wiIIipo. tbnt
shon,J nrn.n,t Tho r,a+tnr f., Won lac,
cause know Won so we'll and Won
will understand if better from me than
| if She should present it herself
This iInparsonal style was eminent
Iv ,,laasiuG ia Susauia and she fpir
| that her task vas NOT ,ro;np to ha 81
| hard after all Int she had not cnusid
arad Nr CuIver's views sufficiently
When she was about TO procpnI FIR
! ther with her remarks MIR CuIyey
showed siuus of real onyietyand arose
tn his feet
Miss Susanna :, he ey,loir,eI
don't soyaunther word Really
cannot listen 10 it,
| "But must saw if to Won" She in
sisted. brrnuse as If seemed +, her
tb,t y,S the nrnpar ,vov to cnuduct ,
Snc,.ss,fnI rnnrr. hin aud nov that She
ia ha,yun If She moss ,ltci.IslIv ,,isl,
ed if TO be successful
~ fen Won wont baorit Til. :.
eutira(, nraynartnG add am san,
,,nTj,i,., i, M, oo,,,j,,.,L,s e,.ar ,,.,,
r.,ntaI Won, j., MO-. Ci,in,, his Iuhir,.:
~ ',e
Mr. CuIvar wa. vary eviJantIy il,
a,rnast and Sns,nu, almost cl,m,.t,laI
IN barsaIf for this was the very wa,,
vonn,- women arteJ undprfIt4 circnn-
stances in which Mr. Culvnr wa.
rIac.1 Ali ;r rarlad now w,,., lit,In
trnora vine, .,uJ Sns,rn, rnr,..,!
i,n,.,oIr sor.ti,n G,,.,i ~, N'
..Darhan5, ,.,,,, ,i,,t t,,u,,I,- -,
81, said ~, la, ,,,fta.+ ,,ni.n :,i,nt r.
mo t%ara has a,,a,. ,let,, :, Ga.ira 70 .a,,
E,, ~ IN Ia, On ~ C,,s' - ,i
very close to him, Notwithstanding he
was so nervous she hardly knew what
! to do.
Hold II Susanna. hold on, " he eN
claimed. "ConfOuud it" Chat shock
I ed her for she knew no Girl ever talk
! ed that waV under such circumstance.
! however much shr might have
! thought it, II don't want you to be
! talking in any other woman'- interest
! There is only one woman in til" world
| that want, nd-aud-aud-' lMr.
/ Culver was getting nervous himself
NOW. ANA Susanna gaspc,n "i,nd-uh,
| Susanna, he said desperately. don :
you know that woman is you: l"u,
| Susanna. Don't you know it is you?'
Mr.. Culver caught Susanna two
hands in his, and looked into her two
eyes with such pleading, pathetic,
intense sincerity that all her plans
were consumed as straw in Il fierce
blaze, and she simply tumbled into
his arms and let him finish the pro