Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-17
ABOUT A PROPOSAL

said, finging himself down in jacks arm
chair. "A fellow isn't allowed to see
Baby Jones alone for five minutes"
"Why do you want TO see her alone"
4. I said, for the fifth Jones girl, in my
mind, was still 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 ut one time is a great RESPONSE
bility.
Bailey Junior, who had retained the
buffix Junior" ever since he went to
school with his eldest brother, looked at
me in surprise.
"Why do / want to see her alone?' he
replied. "Becnuse T want to propose, of
course. A fellow can't propose with an
audience"
You propose" echoed. Propose to
Baby Jones?'
"And, pray, why shouldn't II" he ask
ed. Anything the matter with mc?"
He pulled down his coat and stuck out
his brown riding boots on my new hearth
rug. Bailey Junior prided himself on
his bootmaker. 81 can afford to keep a
wife. Jacks married."
"Oh, but Jacks quite different" 1
said. "Any one can see in moment that
Jacks different. Besides, you'll never
get the chance" continued. remember
ing Mamma Jones' theory.
why the deuce not?"
Because the four others have to 90
off first, and they must go in proper or
der. If the county knows that Baby's
old enough to marry. that would mike
the others just too old, don't you see?
y It's point of honor with Baby to re-
main under II until the eldest girls oif.s
''Phewv' said Bailey junior. "Now
see. That's why she's so closely guard
ed and why the eldest girl is always
thrown in my way. But l won't have
her, tell you. No Mamma Jones in the
world will make me- marry the eldest.
None of your serving for Rachel business
for me-
Z "That's right" 1, said. rBut you'n
have to wait for Baby until some other
fellow does want the others" t-
"Oh, Lordw he exclaimed, in tone
of voice which was scarcely compli-
mentary to the eldest Miss Jones. "And
sail for India this day week."
"I'm awfully sorry" said, "but that's
the principle and code of honor In the
Jones family. You can't pick out the
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 despairing 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 sistersi She'll be 80 before
she gets her hair up at that rate. won
der what her age really isT'
"She's probably got mixed herself"
said. "But isn't it up yeti It will be
getting quite worn out"
Its In a sort OF maidenly plait,"
Bailey junior said refeetively; lawfully
"But it's time she wore quite long
dresses and put 1t right up, isn't it? A
big girl, old enough to be married, in
short skirts! Jack thinks 1t horrid."
II think they're lovely" Bailey Junior
answered; $50 arched and slender. Just
think of the eldest girls"
"Oh, no one does" said. rShe was
put into long skirts before she left the
nursery, and she was never allowed to
play lawn tennis"
Bailey juniors furlough was up, and
he went back to India without having
proposed to Baby Jones. I met her six
weeks later, and she told me she had had
letter from him asking her to marry
Ii. CI,z - l. ~
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" I said. "He sat for
an hour and 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 mara
ry Bella. ] was sent out to do some
shopping, and the others staid in their
rooms and said they were out. l wonder
why he didn't propose to BellaW
Because he 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
II do like his boots. But it's Bella's turn
first"
She took Bailey. juniors letter and
opened 1t.
IL must ask mamma" she said, "for
: the poor fellow seems quite anxious, and
he's in such 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 turned and left her reading the
letter slowly to herself.
bella will be awfuly cross" heard
her murmur. Perhaps he has an elder
brother who wouldn't mind marrying
Bella"
BY the same post next evening re-
eeived two letters. The one WINS from
Bailey junior, asking Inc to plead his
cause with Baby Jones. 1t WAS an ardent,