The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-02-18


moro Of the story, she laughed and said
ut was the verse, after nll, that | was
thinking Of. He must have been very
much In love before he was married, at any
rate. And l think n man ought to be
willing to wait long time before he ex-
poets o woman to do so great thing as
marry him"
"Is that the reason you won't give me
an answer" asked the young man, with q
little show of indignation.
The girl blushed little. She had start
cd the conversation without fully realizing
that Ii would run into 40 close personal
application Or perhaps she did realize It,
Nobody can quito understand young
girls whims-not even the young girl her.
self. But she spoke brayely enough:
"Yes, it Is partly that. You are asking
me for the greatest gift can give you
myself. And 1 think you ought not to
hurry me.
Ned smiled. "You are right" he said
"I should not hurry you. In fact, / don t
think have been in hurry. 1t Is almost
year now that you have been refusing to
say Yes or No, and 1t seems TO me that
Is long enough. II you have any idea OF
keeping it up fer seven years, we'd better
understand 1t now. "
"Well, suppos!ng haveS"
"Then, Dorothy, darling, you and bet
ter forget each other as quickly as we can
If we can. 1t may be easy enough for
you, and l will certainly try to do my
part. Listen, dear for she was about
to speak. "I4isten. l know l am asking
everything, but at the same time / am
| Offering everything. Marriage means as
much to man like me as 1t does to wo-
man. If there Is any good reason for wait
| ing-and you will tell me what 1t isl
will wait awhile longer-but seven yearsP'
The scornful accent he put on the last
| two words indicated his meaning, even II
he did not round out his sentence. 1t was
little too scornful, perhaps, for Dorothy
pouted distinctly as she replied, 81 would
not marry any man who did not love me
as much as Jacob loved Rachel" F"
Who can tell all the mischief that comes
Of idle words? II anybody had proposed
to this capricious little beauty an hour be.
fore that she should walt seven years be-
fore being married, she would have
thought that particular anybody" crazy.
But she liked to realize her powers over
the handsome youngster who loved her so
we'll, and she would not give way.
| And he was what the Yankees call
seriously, "if l did not love you as much
as Jacob or any other man ever loved a
woman, would not ask you to marry me,
but certainly you are not In earnest in ask
ing me to wait seven yearsl"
If he had known her better, he would
have known, of course, that she was not,
but as he knew no more than any other
man he was utterly confounded when she,
for no reason in life excepting to exercise
her power over him, replied:
81 certainly am In earnest"
"You can't mean itY'
Wild horses could not have dragged the
ruth from her lips then, so she said, "But
do mean It," And he looked long and
earnestly at her, and finally got up put on
his coat and hat, said "Good nightp and
went out into the snowstorm.
| After he had gone Dorothy laughed Just
a little to herself. Then she began to look
thoughtful and bit frightened. Then she
cried a little, and finally, dashing away her
tears she smiled again and whispered, 81
can bring him back again" and went te
bed.
| But he wouldn't come back. Young
men can be as foolish as young women,
and Ned Willis INDUCED himself In all
sorts OF vain imaginings for weeks tc
come, simply because he could not bring
himself to see how little thing stood In
his way. And she was as proud as he and
would not admit to herself that In com.
mon fairness ii was her place to speak
first, and SO they went ON, like many an
ouner two who really belong to each other,
drifting farther apart till they both thought
the story was ended, The first week
was a long one for Dorothy, but she
kept thinking of Sunday night, when, as
she would step out of the little gallery In
the meeting house, where she sang in the
choir, Ned would be waiting for her. He
might be angry, she said to herself, but
she knew what kind Of look and smile to
give him to bring him to her side. And
no doubt she could have conquered him
that way, only whom she came down from
the gallery Ned was not there. TIe had
slipped out when the last "Amen" was
said. There were others around the door