Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-07-27

never KNOW NnPn nc IS coming and
there are enough others SO that YOU
ought not to care whether he comes or
not.
That was too much. The young man
had heard all, but when the little one
came back with red face and asked
IL he heard the conversation, ne down
ed his conscience and replied with a
wilful lie:
No. heard nothing" At the same
time there was a tumult In his breast.
for he had heard many things he did
not like. and ii is said there IL war to
the knife in the household for he
doesn't call now.
And as long as the subject 50 very
soft and undesirable is being treated
il may as well do to relate one more
event OF a comical thing that took
place in the way Of an original manner
OF popping the question.
The young man in this was once be-
fore the subject OF a little story in the
Journal. He is a green country young
man, said TO be queer" He is every
thing that is awkward green. inno-
cent and honest. He has no remark
able flow Of language. In fact. his vo-
cabulary so far as anyone knows. con-
sists in the most meagre number OF
words in answering when he is spoken
to-
In the first story the Journal spoke
OF his attempt at courtship, where he
took lively miss TO a husking and all
the words spoken on the trip by him
was when he produced a five cent pack
age of broken candy and holding it to
her said Eat
Later though he fell in love with a
girl exactly like him in every respect.
who lived not far away. How they
came to realize their attractions for
each other no one knows II could not
have been through words spoken, but
it is said love is the language OF the
eyes, 50 that is probably how it was
Prehaps they looked at each other.
some day.
She worked in the coat manufactory.
two miles away. and he got into the
habit of carrying her in his old wagon
He would drive to her door sitting
back to the door. She would come out
and climb in unaided and he would
drive away. At the door Of the coat
shop the performance would be repeat
t'l Ilt Noulu uIItt up ana sun SltIlnE
with his back partially turned from
her, sit while she climbed out and went
into the shop. At night he would so
after her.
When seeing her home from
''mectin' he would at first walk lit
tie behind her. but finally he had the
courage to believe himself her equal
and so walked about four feet away
from her in the middle Of the road
Finally in some manner no one
knows why but himself and he prob
ably won't tell. he braced up and asked
her to marry him. a man walking be
hind heard the conversation.
"Rettie," he said in a dogged fashion
as though he had just found and was
about to lose his power of speech
She walked along never speaking or
lifting her eyes.
"Rettie." came the voice of Tom. a
little louder
Still no response. How like women.
pulling him on by pretending not to
care.
After one more agonizing "Rettie."
she Ventured to say Yes and no
more. and kept on walking.
Il love yer he blurted. But Rettie
kept on walking, head down as though
obliviOus of all that was going on.
"Rettie love yer. Do you hear" he
almost shouted.
Yes" came the answer in the same
tone Of voice. and she kept on walking
as though all her future happiness de
pended upon it,
will yer marry me-" he asked.
Rettie did not respond at once. for IL
was terrible question.
will yer marry me. Do you hcar?"
he exclaimed anxiously.
Yes" she said lowly. but whether it
was to the first or the last question no
one knew. unless it was herself. He
did not realize that he had asked the
last question, and he was happy.
With this assurance they walked
home as though nothing had happened.
for he had talked so much that he was
almost hOarse. He wasn't used to do
| ing quite so much of the conversation
and she to answering so many ques-
| tionS.
| He procured a license the next day
and in due time they presented them
selves in their everyday clothes to the
minister, he explaining: we want ter