Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-01-10
THE BUSINESS WAY.


Jack wanted to, but Lady Mary didn't,
and that's the way it all came about.
Jack swore she was the very daintiest,
sweetest, l~oyeliest girl on earth, added a
great deal more of loves hyperbole, and
entire nous--even scared into poetry occa-
sionally, which he read to christopher
Columbus, her pet bull TERROR.
But as Christopher wrinkled his nose
decidedly and as his tail did not show the
least intimatiOn Of a wag Jack tore 1t up
the poetry, / mean, of course.
The trouble was Jack wanted to propose
and couldn't. For never did he bring up
the eventful subject but Lady Mary would
go off at a tangent, possibly because Jack
was using roundabout ways.
As Jack contldcd to his chum (who
shall be nameless for various reasons), do
you know, H., if I speak Of sunsets, she
will Immediately have a wild desire to
discuss ethnology or irregular Greek verbs,
and If l should ever mention love-not
that l ever have, you know-but If l ever
should, hang me if l don't believe she'd
ask me how my liver was"
BY which it can readily be seen that
Lady Mary and Jack were on the best Of
terms, and the very intimacy seemed to
preclude the possibility of anything more.
One afternoon l was lying on the river
bank industriously fishing, while Jack
sprawled upon the grass alternately read
ing and s%cribbling. Then he looked up
and observed complacently: "Now, l flat
ter myself that's rather good. Listen, H.:
"The weary sun has sunk to rest,
And with him fades the dying day.
Come night, come hour l love the best,
Fit time loves winning words to say"
pretty good, ehY"
"GoodY o Lord! You want to change
those last two lines. You should say:
"Alas! still lives a love struck crank
Who can't say what he wants to say.
Besides, best isn't good grammar, if
you're comparing day with night"
"Hang it all, f., Tennyson himself
could not please you" Then a long ST.
lence which he at last broke with, "Say,
do you think she would have me?"
ooh, take a run around the block! How
do l know? There she comes now, and l
give you fair warning that if you two
stay here and scare all my fish away III
tell about the poetry
Divinely tall and most diyinely fair was
Lady Mary. She anne tripping sedately
over the tender grass, the mountain winds
kissing a delicate peach blossom into her
cheeks. Jack, with his customary facility,
rose to his feet and the occasion to play
the gallant. Neither Of 'em paid the
slightest attention to me. I was supposed
to be dead.
"Jack,' y she said sweetly, II want you
to row me up to the store. Will your"
OF course Jack acquiesced, and the two
of them got into the boat and started.
Jack is a finished oarsman, ct least he
generally finishes in about ten minutes. 1
knew it was to be interesting, so l gave
up the fishing and watched them.
Mem. later: They have drifted down
the river, both behind Lady Mary's para
sol.)
Now, Jack being one of these fellows
who believe in never losing al opportu-
nifty, calmly rowed the boat out in the
middle of the river, and then, as I predict
ed, shipped the oars and opened the con-
versation.
"How we'll we get along together in a
boat, " he remarked, gazing sentimentally
at the cliffs.
EYES," abstractedly, "but l wish you'd
row up to the store. don't want to waste
the whole afternoon drifting like this"
"No, Of course not" waking up sud.
denly. Two strokes. Then, II wish we
could always
"There are a lot of new people coming
tonight, y she broke in. "Mr. Eggleston
told me So"
ibid he? H'ml" Then with a brilliant
peoplep" he asked in his most beguiling
tone.
ooh, yes-now there's Christopher Co.
lumbus. I'm interested in him. l wish I
had him here this very minute. I'd kiss
his dear little nose"
eff I were only Christopher Columbus, !"
insinuated Jack.
IT wish you were sometimes, - she cried
wickedly. "Then I could shut you up
occasionally, couldn't II"
Now, what could anybody do with a
girl like this? The end of 1t was that Lady
Mary took the oars and rowed to the store
herself.
Jack came to me disconsolately.
II wish I was dead" he said. I told
him how annoying it would be to me to
have him lying around dead. He said I
talked like q fool.
Jack, my dear boy" I said patroniz-
ingly Il am two months older than hey,
'the next time you try to pop the question
be like a bottle of ginger ale. Go off with
a bang and let all the flzzle come after
ward"
II never thought of that, " he answered
thoughtfully. II wonder how it would
work? BY George, H., you're a trump.
III try It,"
That evening they were both down by
the spring and I hid behind a tree. /
didn't hear the first part Of it, but l got
there just in time to hear Jack say: Lady
Mary, l love you. viii you be my wifeS"
"With pleasure" she answered gayly.
"You silly boy, why didn't you say SO be-
fores"
"Just what 1 told him. said I, coming
from behind the tree.
"Did your You dear boy, you may kiss
me for that. Keep still, Jack"
And T did - Allahest -t