Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-12-08
A Bottled Proposal

LoHuon makes ltS lOllel luler lHaH
any other city. More shame to it! But
yet on this particular morning romance
was not in the least wanting. Some
one was saying:
''My dear Rose, of course mean all
what's straight. How could anyone do
otherwise, my dear little woman?"
The young man who thus spake was
well-groomed creature, with some
what assertve air of gloves, ties and
gardenia in button hole. The gloss ON
his hat would have more than passed
muster in Capel Court. His spats were
not unworthy of Kempton Park. His
stick was a triumph of hooked poetry,
and would have shed luster on the
Prometad des Anglais in the height
of the Riviera season. Yet, despite all
this, there was an over-smartness both
morally as well as physically which
was not by any means agreeable.
The girl he was speaking to? Type
writer of the highest order persona
fed.
So Miss Rose Johnson's Gig of Re
spectability was Hansoms Patent
Safety.
So she evidently meant it to be un-
derstood as the tale Of love was being
told into her shapely ear this steam
ing hot morning by the dustbins of
Threadneedle street.
Rose" again. said the young man,
who was walking beside her with his
glove touching her elbow, Rose, how
can you doubt me?"
''If you wanted TO marry me-" she
answered, couldn't you have written
and said so?"-and, perhaps imper-
ceptibly even to herself, there was
faint lowering of the dexter eyelid.
But, then, you're a lawyer, Mr.. Ster-
rimer, and lawyers are not overrash
at putting pen to paper"
"What a prosaic little darling you
arel Haven't publicly shown you
every attention."
"Yes, you gave me watch, ring, UNI
brella, before my cousins. Watch at
Richmond; ring at Box Hill, in the
Burford Bridge Gardens; umbrella at
the Holborn, when you stood that dim
ner to Maude and me before we had the
box at the Tivol. But I'm busy now,
and have got to turn in. Ta-ta! Per-
haps you will be round in the after
noon"
"Good-by, darling and the young
solicitor, for such he was, spoke in as
dulcet tones as if he were asking tax
ing clerk in chancery chambers not to
knock off too many letters. But when
the girl had tripped away up the stone
steps of her Office somewhat serious
look shaded his face.
think I'm going bit too far.
Meeting the ma was rather stupid. |
don't think gave myself away much
before the girls. But how nice She is,
and how nicely she does manage to take
care of her dear little self! Too risky,
though, j. Laurence Sterrimer, Esq.
Felers who are rising professional men
don't want to marry typewriters. Be
sides, you stand chance OF getting
Louisa Rousenbaum. And 5000 shin
ing golden beans, dear boy, make
good lift for good start
He was, you see, careful young man,
who well knew how to take care OF HIM
self. If he patronized a music hall
matinee-and he loved to do so if sup
piled with the gratuitous order - he
never seltzer-and-w -whiskied ii in inn
moderation. His betting transactions
were few and far between, yet for
tunate. The "Juggins," as he loved to
think was man after his own heart;
that is, he would not succeed in being
after his own pocket. He was the sort
of young man who kept cigar case Tor
himself and cigarette ditto for his
friends. In his profession as solicitor
he was curiously smart. He could
snap judgment or hold his own amidst
any of the denizeps of the Bear Garden
in the royal courts of justice.
Yet, for all that, such is the force of
love, vanity, inclination, or what not,
that that very self-same afternoon he
found himself seated alone with Miss
Rose johnson in the room where she
worked.
As usual, the youth told his tale of
love. The maid did not appear to be
immoderately coy.
"And do you mean to marry me?'
asked sweet Rose. "If | am so ugly
she smiled coquettishly-"you can shut
your eyes as you make your proposal
again. viii you say, MS you did before:
Dear Rose, / love you for your beauty
and virtue. BE my wife, darling |
should glory in your love, and glory to
make it known to all the world Shut
your eyes, sir, and you shall smell these
lovely roses to inspire you and make
you think Of your own dear Rose"
j. Laurence Sterrimer, Esq. looked
about him. There were no witnesses.
No one behind the screen; nobody at
the keyhoe, The room was double
doored. green baize and heavy oak. In
spired by love and the bouquet of roses
placed against his somewhat llebraic
proboscis, he said with manly distinct
ness:
"Dear Rose, love you for your beau
ty and virtue. BE my wife, darling! |
should glory in your love, and glory to
make it known to ell the world"
The young man opened his eyes. The
girl had laid the bouquet of roses on the
side table. He clasped her to his heart.
Three weeks afterward j. Laurence
Sterrimer was eyeing two letters which
lay beside him on his breakfast table.
The one ran:
Camden Town, N w, II Colgrove Road,
1899 My Darling Johnnie: Why this
cruel, cr'Iel silence? Why should your poor
feoso ltte thus to humiliate herself7 Your
pver, Il rruelly treated, loving and faithful
ROSE.
No. letter was:
sir: Your treatment OF my daughter ig
that OF a.coward and no gentleman. lfyov