Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-10-20
A Ten.Minutes' Talk
By MADELINE s. BRIDGES.


y RACE-Dear, 1 am so rejoiced to
III see you; I thought you could not
ret away from Boston until
Edna-I couldn't, but all the same I
took the nine o'clock train this morn
ing. And how in the world did this
happen?
Grace-Sit here and let me tell you;
it is quite little story.
Edna (seating herself)-That means
quite long story, and must only stay
ten minutes. I am due at the Polytech-
mic at three precisely. I would not
have stopped in now only Herman told
me about your accident.
Grace-Yes, it Is dreadful! Oh, not
the accident; my shoulder is bruised
little, that is all; but longed to see you
to talk to you'll thought you could
advise me-you have handled so many
affairs.
Edna-What sort of affairs? But
perhaps you think there IS only one sort
worth having.
Grace-I don't deserve that, Edna.
Edna-But you ought to deserve it,
because there is only one sort. l can
stay just ten minutes (opening her
watch and laying it on her knee). Now!
Let me see how much idea you have of
utilizing time.
Grace with long sigh)-You know
that Paul Girard is going abroad for
six months on business for the firm?
He was to sail this coming Saturday.
Last Monday he asked me to take ride
with him.
Edna-That can't be part of the
story?
Grace-It is, because he asked me to
go along. 1 mean, he did not ask Lizzie.
Edna-Ah!
Gr1 ce-Still L was not surprised
when 1 received the invitation. The
surprise came afterward. You remem-
Der what a glorious day Monday was? :?
Well, he took out the new sorrel, and
the roads were splendid, and never
saw-him look so handsome.
Edna-The sorrel or-but nobody
ever saw Paul look handsome.
Grace-I did, that day! Please don't
be unsympathetic.
Edna-Does this matter actually call
for sympathy?
Grace-It does. Oh, Edna! Yes, in
deed! We rode long, long way, and
talked of more things than are in Ho-
ratios or anybody else's philosophy,
and then-he spoke of his journey-of
going away to leave us all, and some
how in a minute, like flash, l knew
what was coming, though l had not
thought it ever would GOMEZ.
Edna-Still, you had contemplated
the contingency?
Grace-Oh, it was spoken of at home.
You know what it is TO have teasing
sisters and brothers. And then he had
paid me great deal of attention. And
so-he asked me, not, of course, until he
had expressed his own feelings very
warmly, if 1 could love him enough to
promise to-be his wife!
Edna-When?
Grace-Oh, Edna, he didn't say when!
He just asked me, and before l could
answer him the horse ran away. Don't
laugh, Edna!
Edna-Oh, forgive me, but it is so
funny; the horse ran away?
Grace-Bolted, Paul called it. Isup-
pose he wasn't holding the reins prop
srly, but, dear, before l could frame
a word, unless like the girl in the play
should answer, yes, Peter" without
o'aiting sor the question to pass his
lips, off started that villainous horse,
tearing down the road at the most
frantic pace! Paul shouted to me to
hold on for dear life. Oh, 1 shall never
forget how the trees and fences raced
by! Paul tugging at the reins, with his
feet braced against the dashboard, and
I clinging partly to the seat and partly
to Paul; and then suddenly we seemed
to be whirled into space, somewhere,
and the next thing we were sitting up,
looking at each other out of tangle
of wayside weeds! There lay the car
riage, overturned, in the ditch little
distance ahead of us, and the horse
still in the traces struggling madly to
get on his feet. l was on mine in n sec
ond, and Paul was on his, and l found
it hard to convince him that | wasn't
injured. I wasn't in the least, except
for this black and blue shoulder
Edna-And the proposal?
Grace-Yes, the proposal! Well, we
| hASh Ait Ssii iSi 80 OllC Shilt " 90
broken and wheel was loosened; but
that wretched animal seemed perfect
" sound in wind and limb and stood
looking reflectively lat the ruin he had
made" until two friendly men ap-
peared on the scene. While we pom
1ered what was best to do a coupe
drove up, and the lady inside kindly
offered me a seat. Paul helped me in;
[ came back TO the city-and I have
not seen him since!
Edna-You have not seen him since
This grows thrilling. He may be hurt.
Grace-No; for that same evening
he sent a note of polite inquiry, and 1
responded with due politeness. Edna,
what do you think?
Edna-Oh, may entertain any wild
theory please. You do not help me to
any rational conclusion.
Grace (sadly)-I have not come to
one myself.
EGna-What? You haven't con-
cluded yet whether you care for Paul
Grace-Oh, I concluded that long
ago-long, long before he spoke. But
but see how [ am placed! If he
should never refer to this again? If
he should sail without Edna, would
it-could it, by any possibility, be
proper for me to write and say-say-
that I-oh, never!
Edna-You would need to be more
explicit, dear.
Grace (despairingly)-What shall 1
10?