The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-09

About a fortnight after the foregoing
conversation Susie's mamma and aunt
were sitting together i'm the parlor
placidly drinking their cup of afternoon
tea, when their quiet was unceremoni-
ously broken is upon by the sudden
entrance Of Susie, who burst wildly into
the room in a visible state Of agitation.
"Susie!" they bcun calculated, i'm
mildly remonstrative tones.
do put your hat on straight, dear.
1t always worries me to see it 50
crooked her mother remarked
"Oh, don't bother mel" the young
lady exclaimed, imnatiently, as she
paced excitedly up and down the room.
! have got something else to think
about now besides hats"
"Oh, what is it, Susie?" Aunt Emma
inquired anxiously. HAS"
Yes Auntie, George has proposed.
and think am just the happiest girl
in the world"
when did 1t happen?" Mrs. Harmon
asked, with tremble of excitement in
her voice.
Just now Mamma. I met him when
7 was coming out of the Crystal Palach,
anu llt NdlNtu HOlllt Win me.
What did he say, Susie? Do tell us
what he said" Aunt Emma, who had d
teasing disposition, asked. coaXingly.
"Oh! Auntie, how could you! Don't
you know that love is too holy thing
to be Haunted in the eyes of the world,
and that what passes between George
and myself is sacred even from my
| mother. l would never reveal 1t. new
a rapt expression in her brown eyes
30, very WELL then, Susie" answered
Aunt Emma, airly, "I shall ask George
myself, then. When is he coming?"
Tonight" Susie replied stihly
II have invited him to dinner. and !
will beg of you. Aunt Emma, not to say
anything of the kind"
That evening there was great excite
ment in the Harmon household. Susio's
father beamed upon her in a paternallI
paternal way, her mother and aunt
! looked the picture of satisfied matron
| hood, her uncle kissed her affection
| ately. while her three younger. teasing
brothers exclaimed, d,simultaneously with
a wink at one another, well done old
| Sue!" Susie was the heroine Of the
! hour, but just then she was quite In
| perviOus to all external elements; she
wore her very best pink silk dress with
! the chiffon sleeves; she was expecting
| her lover In a few minutes and she
| positively eXuded happiness.
| Mr.. George Underwood was a pale.
nervous. gentlemanly young man, of
! twenty-five or thercabOuts, to whom
the COnjugation of the verb 'amo" hal
| hitherto been a lesson still unconned:
for. like Bret Harte's Chinaman. "he
was Childlke and bland" But SUSIE
! warmth of manner her appealing
brown eyes, her extreme vOlubility, and
certain anurOpriating air she had
fairly carried him away, thawed oui
| his bashfulness, and converted him int
that state of mind which, rightly q!
| wrongly, seemed to him to be the pcr-
sonal application of the verb which w
| to this time he had so grievously ne
! elected Stimulated by this deep-seat- =
ed conviction, and also by the active
coercion on the part of his inamorata
he proposed, and was instantly ac,
! cepted.
Events are merely the blunt, outwar'
| manifestations Of that delicate and
subtle mechanism which link by linl
forges outward events in to the finished
chain of circumstances. This world Is q
| world Oc wheels within wheels; so Il
was a combination of forces which had
| converted George Underwood into ar
engaged young man, and had brought
him to the Harmon doorstep at hall
past six punctually. 1t was rather al
ordeal for such very bhshful young
man, and his knees trhm6 ed slight,
with emotion as he pulled :he bell; but
| the family soon relGsUrcl him as to IL,
! welcome. and with the host intentions
in the world, endeavDrnd to set him a
his ease. Susie met him in the hal
with joyful smile. crushed her pinl
! chiffon sleeve against his arm, and hel,
up her face for an expected kiss. Mrs
Harmon and Aunt Emma greeted hin
| graciously and sweetly, Uncle Henry
and the boys were cordially polite
| while Mr.. Harmon, whose long-fe;r
want seemed now about to be gratflcd
beamed upon him, patted him on IN,
back. gave him fatherly advice, ant
finally, as a great mark of his esteem
took him all round the rooms to sh ~
him the oil-r lintings and family por,
| traits.
Then dinre.' was announced. I. was
one Of those long, tedious English din.
| ners, which carry the participant by
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