El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-20
ABOUT A PROPOSAL

cnalr. "A Fellow Ism allowed TO see
Baby Jones alone for five minutes"
why do you want to see her aloneT'
/ said, for the fifth Jones girl. in my
mind, was still a child. Perhaps this was
due to the fact that she is called Baby"
but Jack says it's because she's not al
lowed to have her seventeenth birthday
until the two elder girls are off" Mann
ma Jones may be right. More than four
girls out at one time is a great RESPONSE
biiity.
Bailey junior, who had retained the
suffix Junior ever since he went to
school with his eldest brother, looked at
me in surprise.
'Nhy do l want to see her alone?" he
replied. Because l want to propose. Of
course. A fellow can't propose with an
audience
You propose!' 1 echoed. Propose to
Baby Jones"
''And. pray. why shouldn't I?'' he ask
ed. Anything the matter with me?"
He pulled down his coat and stuck out
his brown riding boots on my new hearth
rug. Bailey junior nrided himself on
his bootmaker. Il can afford to keep q
wife. Jacks married"
'Oh, but Jacks quite differentw
said. "Any one can see in a moment that
Jacks different. Besides. you'll never
get the chance" l continued, remember
ing Jones theory.
''Why the deuce not?'
because the four others have to go
off first. and they must go in proper or
der. If the county knows that Baby )
old enough to marry. that would make
the others just too old. don't you see?
It's q point of honor with Baby to re-
main under II until the eldest girls off.
''PhewI' said Bailey junior. Now
/ see. That's why she's so closely guard
thrown in my way. But l won't have
world will make me ma. ~ the eldest.
None of your serving for Rachel business
for me-"
That's right" / said. But you'll
have to wait for Baby until some other
fellow does want the others"
''Oh, Lord"' he exclaimed, in a tone
of voice which was scarcely compli-
mentary to the eldest Miss Jones. And
/ sail for India this day week.
I'm awfully sorry" l said, but that's
the principle and code of honor in tie
best and leave Mamma Jones saddled
for life with the plain ones"
Bailey junior was silent, and l tried
my best to think of some plan to help
him out of his difficulty. 1t was of no
use to suggest asking Baby Jones to
spend the day with me and letting Bailey
junior meet her here. for the Jones girls
never went about singly. They hadn't
enough friends to go all around. SO that
il you asked one to tea two always
came. They were such devoted family.
In fact. everything that l could think
of to help this despai,:"g soul along in
his lovemaking had some drawback that
made the scheme impossible. There was
absolutely no way it could be worked to
get just those two together without
bringing in one of the other sisters.
"Dear little girl" he said. sacrificed
to her elder sisters! She'll be 80 before
she gets her hair up at that rate. l won
der what her age really is?'
''She's proba bly, got mixed herself" l
said. But isn't it up yet? 1t will be
getting quite worn out"
Its in a sort of maidenly plat"
Bailey junior said redectively; lawfully
becoming. don't you know. but
But it's time she wore quite long
dresses and put it right up. isn't it? A
big girl. old enough to be married, in
short skirts! Jack thinks it horrid."
Il think they're lovely" Bailey junior
answered.; 80 archei and slender. Just
think of the eldest girls
"Oh. no enc Does" l said. "She was
put into long skirts before she left the
nursery. and she was never allowed to
play lawn ,ennis.'
Bailey juniors furlough was up. and
he went back to India without having
proposed to Baby Jones. l met her six
weeks later. and she told me she had had
a letter from him asking her to marry
him. She seemed much astonished that
he should want to marry her and not her
eldest sister. The Joneses are not an
imaginative family, and such an uncon-
ventional proceeding had not suggested
itself to the youngest of the family.
Poor old Bailey!' l said. He sat for
an hour and a half talking to Bella
that is the eldest girls name-''the day
he went to say goOdby, hoping that you
would come in. He was determined to
propose to you before he sailed"
Baby Jones opened her big eyes wide.
'Did he really? But he ought to have
known that mamma said he was to mar
~ Bella. was sent out to do some
shopping. and the others staid in their
rooms and said they were out. / wonder
why he didn t propose to Bella? 2"
Because lie was in love with you,"
said. Don't you like him. Baby?"
"Oh. yes" she said slowly. Hes nice
ly sunburned. and"-with a little sigh
Il do like his boots. But it's Bella's turn
first"
She took Bailey juniors letter and
opened it.
Il must ask mamma" she said. "for
the poor fellow seems quite anxious. and
he's in such a hurry. He wants me to
wire back Yes or No He needn't
be SO impatient when it's only me he
wants."
Baby" ! said coaxingly. don't ask
your mother until you have sent the wire.
Mothers don't always understand these
things"
Then l turned and left her reading the
letter slowly to herself.
Bella will be awfully cross" l heard
her murmur. perhaps he has an elder
brother who wouldn't mind marrying
Bella"
BY the same post next evening l re-
ceived two letters. The one was from
Bailey Junior. asking me to plead his
cause with Baby Jones. 1t was an ardent,