Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-25
he replied; there was rather a shadow

of regret:
Eyes, Miss Susanna" he said, 81 do
not stand reluctant, for I think if had
been more of fool in one regard I would
have been less of a fool in another. That
is to say, man is a fool to waste his life
selfshly as 1 have done"
This was the suspicious moment
Susanna had been seeking. She would
now lead right up to the matter and
find a listener to her proposal.
''Why don't you marry, Mr.. Culver?''
she asked, with directness. You are
not too wise to consider the question,
hope"
Certainly not, Miss Susanna" he
smiled. Eve been considering it for
20 years"
''Then you ought to stop considering
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
presentable. I've given myself up, you
know, as a bad job
'iSome 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 a great show of cour-
age. IF there is anything 1 don't want
to marry it's a 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 minute
and in that minute a 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 a leap year"
81 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 nearness. He sat there
for an instant making himself shiver
with terror, and then he moved back,
possibly little nearer than before.
"Forewarned is forearmed," she said;
land now that I have told you of the
dangers ahead I hope you will profit by
my advice"
"Oh, I'm not afraid" he asserted, in
e
sort of thing. The custom of tradition,
whatever you may call it, is an old
fashioned enc, and only an old-fash-
toned woman would think of it, and
that is the kind I want. So none of
them had better try it unless she means
business"
Surely no finer opening could be pre-
sented to a young woman in her mood
than this, and Susanna gave herself a
shake and took another long breath
The time had come, and she was not the
woman to lose so glorious an oppor
tunity.
Mr.. Culver she began, in a firm
voice and with great earnestness, 81
have for a long time been thinking you
ought to marry and 1 have even gone
so far as to select just such woman as
1 think would suit you. 1 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 it
herself"
When she was about to proceed fur
ther with her remarks Mr.. Culver
showed sings of real anxiety and arose
to his feet.
Miss Susanna he exclaimed, don't
say another word Really, I cannot
listen to it."
But 1 must say it to you," she in
sisted, because, as it seemed to her, that
was the proper way to conduct sue
cessful courtship, and now that she had
begun it she most decidedly wished it
to be successful.
Il tell you L won't hear it. This is
entirely unexpected, and / am sure
nothing in my conduct has ever war
ranted you in broaching this subject
! to me-"
Mr.. Culver was very evidently in
earnest, and Susanna almost chucllled
to herself, for this was the very way
young women acted under the circum-
stances in which Mr.. Culver was placed.
| All it needed now was a little more
coaxing. and Susanna nerved herself
for the final pop.
Perhaps you have not thought so.'
she said in her softest voice, 'sbut to me
there has ever been a desire to saw to