Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-01-19
HE SAW A LIGHT.
hut for His Eagle Eye There Nigh
Have Been Serious Hitch I'm
the Courtship.

you haven't given me tour-youS
usual greeting, Byronia," said the
young man, with something like cloud
on his brow. is anything the mat
ter?'
Haven't l, Gerald?" moodily replied
the young woman, drumming absently
on the table with her fingers.
You know you have not. And you
haven't answered my question, either"
What question:"
Il asked you if anything was the mat
ter"
"No-yes, everything is the matter.
It's nothing new, though. Gerald,
aren't you getting tired of this?"
Tired of this" he echoed, feeling his
hair beginning to rise on end. Tired
of what?'
The whole business! See here, Ger
aid. Your people have always wanted
us to marry, haven't they?"
YES"
so have mine. We haven't any rela-
tives on either side that have opposed
the match, have we?"
No"
NO. They've all done the best they
could to throw us together"
We'll, what Of"
And when you proposed to me I fell
right into your arms, didn't I?"
well, you did come pretty near it
that's a fact" admitted Gerald.
Il haven't any small brothers, either,
to play tricks on us or make fool
speeches to you while you are waiting
for me in the parlor, have ~"
NO"
NO. And mamma never listens at
the keyhole or calls down the stairway
to ask if that young man Is here yet,
does she?"
Surely not"
Surely not. And papa has never
asked you if you could support me in
the style to which l have been accus-
tened, has hep"
Not he. He knows"
"Yes. He knows. And we've never
quarreled, either, have we?"
"No. But, Byronia, dear"
You've never been the least bit jeal-
GUS of anyone else, have your"
"No. But"
"No. Neither have 1. Does all that
show, Gerald, that we really don't care
for each other? No-stop-hold oni
Let me finish. How do we know that
we are not making dreadful mistake?
Think how terrible 1t would be II we
found out when it was too late that we
were never intended for each otheri"
Gerald had been doing some rapid
thinking.
He sat with his head in hands for two
or three minutes without speaking.
Then he said with deep, deep sigh:
~ don't know but you are right, By
ronia. You know Miss Harkalong?
am forcibly reminded of something
she said to me the other evening. 1had
called there"
''What We're you doing at the 1ark-
alongs?"
Simply making call. She saN to-
me-the eldest one, you know-ta1l,'
rather striking girl in appearance"
"Girli She's 81 II she's daylh
Il think not. She made some remarks
about the course Of true love never run
ming smooth, and then she said: Mr..
Higginside, have been expecting every
day to hear that it's all off between you
and Byronia Billiwink. There hasn't
been enough opposition, and"
"She said that, did she?"
"Yes, and I laughed little, and said
shouldn't WON"
"She'd been expecting to bear that
it was all over between US, had she?"
"Yes. I only mention 1t to show
that the same idea had occurred to 9TH
ers, and"
"Liz Harkalong had the assurance to
say to you that there hadn't been
enough opposition to our marrying,
had she?"
eyes. suppose She"
THE dried-up old maidl What busi-
ness was 1t Of hers should like to
know!"
"She may have heard the same thing
from Others, you know"
81 don't believe It'll The malicious
old cat! Gerald-dear-"
"WenY"
We'll marry now to spite her, won't
we?"
"Yes, II you-look out, dear. You'll
scratch your face against my scarfpin."
Chicago Tribune.