Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-03-24

now lu6uy tuiA&o no Law S''S
he did not know. Flow many more ne
wanted to shy he did not know. What
ne was now saying he did not know
how he was ever going to finish.
sI know that" he admitted, "hut
sometimes, you know, my dear Miss
Prince, man cannot always have
what he wants. AS long as l was a
bachelor, Miss Prince, I could do as 1
pleased, but am to be married, ct
least I hope SO. and you know mans
wife sometimes differs with him on
what may seem to the world at Large
to be quite trivial points"
Married!
At one blow oil her castles were
thrown to the earth, with not SO much
as corner standing to show that they
had ever been other than crumbing
ruins.
True, he had never said anything
definitely to her, but there is SO much
more in what is never said, and daily
out of the unspoken affinity which
surely existed between these two con-
genial people the more foolish woman
had constructed such hopes as women
cherish to the end of time. That he
had thought enough OF her to warrant
these hopes, a thousand wordless wit.
nesses testified.
Now thus in the very midst OF the
work that he had given to her to do
for him, and that she loved to do be-
cause it was for him, the blow fell.
"Yes?" she responded to his state
ment in the faint pathetic question
Ing that fills q woman's voice when
she is thus called upon to face her
hearts doom, and her hands, uncon,
sciously sought to so on with her
work.
Eyes, Miss Prince" he said, with nc
sound of sympathy in his voice, land
| 1 am pretty sure my wife willnot per-
NIT you to remain here as my type.
writer. Imay ssy," and he slmpere9d
again, "as my pretty typewriter"
She never so much as saw the sim.
per, and in that far Mr.. Blinker should
have thanked his good fortune. .
.sI have thought the matter oil
over" he continued, "and 1 leave ii
to you as fsirmindea woman whether
it is my duty to gain wife and lose q
typewriter, or vice versaT'
by this time she had recovered
from the primary shock. She had
even begun to wonder how he had
ever mustered up sufficient courage tc
propose to the future Mrs. Blinker'
She even went further and made up
her mind that the lady was widow,
and had used the traditional wiies OF
the widow on the unsuspecting and
bashf1l Mr., Blinker.
"By all means, Mr.. Blinker," she
said coldly, ''gain the wife. Ths
world is full of typewriterF, but it if
not every day that g man can get 6
wife. At least such wife as you de
! serve," and in spite of herself there
was something soft in her tone thai
she did not want to be there.
Mr.. Blinker noticed it, too, but hs
didn's stop to comment upon it.
"Good for you, Miss Prince" he
laughed. 'I knew you were woman
Of sense"
She shrank as if she had been
touched with a hot iron.
ssThank you. Mr.. Blinker," she said,
"Now, if you please, we will go on
with our work"
It had seemed as if lifetime had
past since she had written the las'
word, and rs she bent down over it, as
if the better see what it was, o tear fell
upon the line.
This Mr.. .Blinker also observed, but
said nothing, seeming to enjoy it.
"Before we do, Miss Prince" be
said, "may 1 ask favor atyour hands
"a promise?"
"Nhat is it? Yes, she answered.
Mr.. Blinker braced himself.
"That, if this woman whom 1 am
soon to ask formally to be my wife, u
he said, "should refuse me, that you
will marry me.
For On instant the girl looked at
him, then she rose to her feet, her eyes
fairly blazing.
Mr. Blinker saw that the tigress was
about to spring. and he was fright
ened.
"Wait, stop!" he exclaimed, hold.
ing uo his hands as if to shield himself
from the blow. "Hold Oh till 1 tell
you who the woman is. It's you, Miss
Prince-you-you--you Won't you
marry me? Will you be my wife?
Haven't you always known didn't
care cent for any woman on earth but
you? Ruth, darling, don't look at
me like that!"
Mr.. Blinker was going all to pieces
mentally ard emotlonally, and the
young woman took pity on him, for it
dawned upon her all at once that the
more bashful q bachelor is the more
ridiculous he is in love, and the only
way to prevent tender emotion from
becoming ludicrous is to accept it on
the spot.
Which she did, and Mr.. Blinker
never had another pretty typewriter.
New York Sun.