Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-10-05
My Engagement
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WE have all, suppose, in our lives
Wv made blunders- little blunders,
big blunders, and so forth, till one
reaches the pitch of irretrievable blum
der-and have just escaped from the
consequences of one that for the mo-
ment was likely to prove irretrievable.
I was-I had foolishly allowed my
self to be fascinated by Miss Stranger
ford-yes, fascinated is, I think, just
the word to meet the case.
Phyllis is dear, quite a dear, and
the brink. [ believe, as a matter of
fact, that I did propose once or twice;
but, of course, I knew she'd say "no."
She's so sensible But for one awful,
terrible moment, at the time I'm going
to tell you about, I thought she was
going to forget herself and say Eyes"
You see, the truth is, one is little
bit afraid of Miss Strangerford. Every
thing will seem to be going swimming
ly, and you think you're getting on
quite well, and being rather clever, and
all that; and then you look up, and you
see a something her eyes which sobers
you down again. It's in her eyes.
Somewhere right at the back Of them
there's a kind of glistening twinkle
that makes you feel that you're a fool.
Now, Laura is not like that. She is
sic and Ibsen, and she hardly ever
smiles. But Miss Strangerford just sits
curled up in her chair and chatters
about nothing. in particular, and says
funny things which make you laugh,
and dresses smartly, and; even some
times smokes cigarettes; and yet d.
rectly one begins to talk about deeper
subjects she stays quite quiet, and
keeps thatfunny look in her eyes, for all
the world as if she was laughing at
you to herself.
Last summer, down on the river, we
got on awfully well at first; it was
later on that came to the conclusion
that it would be mistake to carry
matters further; and as she had just.
well, not exactly refused but put me
off for the second time, I thoughtsit
better to let the matter drop.
Then I met Laura. Laura adores mu
sic halls. She says that she thinks the
color scheme of ballet most instruct
i've, and has come to the conclusion
that it is unconsciously based on the
primitive principles Of color music. 4
am sure she's ght-I like them myself,
saw good deal of her after that
dinner, and last week we practically
became engaged. Naturally I wanted
to give her some souvenir to commem-
crate the. day--not the ordinary vulgar
ring, but something with alatent mean
ing to it. Laura is great on latent
meanings, so I knew she would appre-:
ciate it.
On the morning after the engage
ment I went to Somerton, the jewel
er's off Piccadilly, and explained what
I wanted. Dickson, their head man,
spotted the idea at once.
You want something with pretty
sentiment in something original"
couldn't think of anything myself,
but he showed me a design which ne
declared would be just the thing. It
was a sort of brooch with two hearts,
one a ruby and one diamond. The
ruby was supposed to be mine, because
Dickson explained that it signifed pas
!, Sion and devotion. The two big stones
were bound together wit a true lovers.
knot in diam onds-a copy of an old
pattern, he assured me, and pretty it
looked. z gave him my card toslip into
the box when it was sent home.
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