The Colfax chronicle., 1900-08-25
proposal, but I'll be blamed if she did
MT. She did it with whirl, too, that

proposal, but I'll be blamed if she did
MT. She did it with whirl, too, that
almost made me dizzy. IexplaiDed that
could not come, as my friend-mean-
ing myself-would suspect something,
and it would not do to offend him until
we knew exactly how we stood. She
felt Just as did about it, she said, and
the only way to dispose of me was to
spring it on me and have it over all at
once.
sSThe evening of the day on which 1
received her letter of acceptance, SO te
speak, I called on her, as did every
night nearly, and incidentally ! men,
toned Hart-who, by tine way, had
never seen any of the letters she had
written-and shes aid, with coquet-
tish little smile, that she didn't under
stand why he had never come to see her
again, because she liked him, and be-
| lieved he liked her. / told her had
asked him as special favor not to
come because / was afraid of him, and
she chaffed me and said / was 'jeal-
Gus old thing and that if kept peo-
pie away as was keeping Mr.. Hart.
she never would know anybody and a
whole lot more of the same sort.
"When left her that night we fixed
the wedding for four weeks from then,
which would make it on the 18th OF
June. The next morning / sent her q
letter saying that / understood my
friend-meaning myself-would be out
of town over the following Sunday,
and l would come over on the morn
ing train, arriving at noon, and would
call at two o'clock and we would ar
range for an elopement, as that seemed
to be the only way to get rid of the
'old man'-meaning myself. also told
her to wire me Saturday evening Lett
ting me know if my friend-meaning
I.myself-had gone as he thought of do
ing.
THAT evening being Friday, called
as usual, and informed her that was
called out of town and would be gone
from Saturday evening until Monday
moon, and would probably meet Mr.
Hart, as he was expected to come down
from his town on a matter of business
in which we were both interested.
told her would be glad to deliver any
message she might like to send; but
she said Mr.. Hart had neglected hel
shamefully and she hadn't any mes
sage to send to him, and what wa.
more she never expected to see hin
again. She showed some little anxiety
when / spoke of expecting to meet Hart
but it was so slight as to have escaped
the notice of any ordinary observer
Saturday afternoon we took walk
ending at the station at five O'Clock
when she saw me off. told her good
by so seriously that she laughed at m
and said was saying it as if l neve
expected to see her again, and then, b.
Jove, kissed her and wrung her han3
. again. You must know that l was no
) entirely without feeling.
r 81 staid on the train till sevel
: O'Clock and got off at a junction to wal
: for a train that would get me bacl
/ home about II o'clock. kept to m.
E room next morning, sending the hote
boy to the post Office at noon for m
mail, in which received from Hart tn
/ telegram which he had received tn
r evening before. 1t read: Coast clear
' expect you tomorrow and signe
' with my own name. little subterfugs
: as Hart explained to me, to throw tn
e telegraph operator of of any suspicion
, At two o'clock / was at the front docl
! and, as is the custom in smaller towns
e she opened it for me herself. That sh
r was startled by my presence was plai
e to be seen.
e "'Oh,' she gasped, L thought
i "'Yes, 1 know you did, / interrupte
) her. You thought it was Mr.. Har
r You are not mistaken. l am Mr.. Ear
e Here is your telegram to me- and
e handed it opened to her.
e "She gazed at me for a full minut
3 dozen contending emotions plainl
: visible in her face, as the scheme III
t folded itself to her, and then her Liz
I frightened across her teeth as she fairl
e hissed at me:
v "'You contemplate curl
' "She slammed the door in my fac
d Of course, after that there could /
h nothing but an end of our amicable r.
lations, and the end came for all tim
4 We never spoke to each other agail
n and the gossips had all they could
v to find out why we had broken OF
q engagement, but they never knew, ft
/ she nor nor my brother ever told til
. story. / am telling it now for the fir
q time, and because have been wonde
ing all these years whether she w;
~ right or not when she said / was
r. contemplate cur. What do you say
r. Every man of them was plunged int