The Banner-Democrat., 1898-09-17

the hearts of suitors since the days oi
the stone age.
Margot looked at her rings, and her
face assumed an expression that was
meant to represent a compassionate
negative. The shake of her head was
intended to imply sympathy with Mr..
Oldercheek's feelings; the tap of her
little foot gave him to understand that
no amount of imploring on his part
would affect her decision. 1t was not
her first refusal. Already she had
said fat one of forty may" already
she had turned her heel on the obese
mans thousands, his dog-cart, his
high-stepping horse, and his unlim-
tied expectations. So, in a manner,
she was an experienced maiden, and
so when Reginald proposed to her she
did not futter and blush to any great
extent, although she did futter and
blush little.
Reginald Oldercheek was not wise
to propose at 1890 in the morning. I
do not intend to discuss the hour at
which a man may most prudently
suggest matrimony to the lady of his
choice; / will limit myself to the
statement that 10. 80 q. m. is certainly
not that hour.
With considerable trepidation,
cleanly shaved, irreproachably clad,
but, as regards his inner man, very
vacant (for he had eaten no break
fast), Mr.. Oldercheek was shown into
the drawing-room, where, being too
nervous to sit down, he toured the
apartment, gazing at the pictures (but
not taking In their merits to any ap-
preciable extent) and looking out of
the windows without observing any
thing therefrom), until indications of
Miss Carpenters approach fell on his
ear. For Margot collected new three
peAny bits bearing interesting initials,
and wore them on silver bangle, and
these in their iingling generally
heralded her advent.
When she entered, looking, as
Reginald could not fail to observe,
very fresh and nice, Mr.. Oldercheek,
scorning predatory remarks relating
to nothing, intimated that he would
like to marry her. he said it stam-
meringly, working a button off his
waistcoat in his agitation, and then
stared intently at a cameo near by.
''I am very sorry" began Margot.
s'Yes," said Reginald, "I know you
don't-perhaps in time"
This was an indiscreet interruption
on Reginald's part, for it made Mar
got's task the easier.
'Yes, perhaps in time," she re-
turned, playing with the bangle, "but
lfot now"
'sDo you like me?" demanded Reg
inald, letting his eyes steal up her
form until they reached her neck, but
not daring to look her in the face.
''Oh, yes-I like you," she replied
in tone that Reginald didn't at all
relish, ''but nothing more-at pres
ent."
''Thank you," said Reginald. Ger
--good-by!
"Good-by, Mr.. Oldercheek.
And so Reginald went out into the
morning breeze, feeling that at any
rate he had broken the ice.
Six months passed away. During
that period Mr.. Oldercheek proposed
five more times to Miss Carpenter,
but, to quote common phrase. to no
avail, for on each occasion he suffered
what amounted to rejection. Miss
Carpenter did not summarily say
sNo." As Reginald put it to friend:
''She seems to play about with o
chap-doesn't send me clean away.
and yet won't have me. I cant make
her out, old man."
"Ahw responded the old man, a
sage youth of something under twenty,
sswomen are queer cattle. !"
The fact was that while she was de-
cidedly partial to Reginald's society,
Margot (although she tried hard. ever
so hardy couldn't bring herself to feel
any particular longing for that society
as fixture rather than as a movable.
For that, after all, is what marriage
means. Men who make extremely
nice movables often fail altogether as
fixtures.
So Margot dilly-dallied with Reg
mold, and Reginald had not sense
eucngh to demand plain reply. Had
he done so. there is little reason to