The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-02-23

to marry. 1T Would never GO. NnI :,
you re Just boy, Will, and II am
an old maid"
You are nothing OF the sort, Mirry,
he said, stoutly. You're far prettier
than Kate. | don't care if you are
older than THAT will never make any
difference. I've known you all my life
and we've been such chums--and
you must marry me, Mirry. Promise
me now, do, dear.
"You will change your mind in a
year or two she warned him.
IL won't If you don't take me, I'll
never look at any other girl. Oh!
Mirry, why can't you say right up
that you'll marry me ard make a fel-
low happy, and not keep putting him
off this way every timer
Miriam sighed Will had said the
same thing a dozen times that summer.
Nobody knew or guessed it but herself.
Will Harper had always made sort
of second home at the Norths'. Mi
ram had been a grown-up young lady
when he was boy in knlckerbockers,
and he had always been a pet with her.
1t was only this summer that he had
taken it into his head to be so-ridicu-
lous.
Her own family looked upon her as
very ancient, and thought Wills boy
ishly displayed devotion partook of a
filial character Hadn't Mirry always
patronized him? Only Miriam knew
the difference.
"Will," she said, finally, sit seems 4
very silly thing for us to think o.
very silly. You'll say so yourself.
some day. can't give you any an
swer now But. if. when you come
home next spring, you feel just the
same and-and-ask me again, Ill
give you your answer then"
This did not suit Will at all, of
course. He assured and protested that
he would always feel just the same, and
that it was all nonsense, and positive
cruelty besides, to drag him through a
year Of miserable suspense, when she
might just as well settle the whole
thing at once. But Miriam was firm,
and Will had to acccde grumblingly.
Well, he would write her anyhow
every week, and she must write him
and he would work like slave at col
lege for her sake-and she wasn't to
forget that she was as good as engaged
to him.
They went in then for Will to say
goodbye to them all. Kate noticed
Miriam's S crimson cheeks at once, and
asked her "if Will had been painting
or kissing her out in the garden" Kate
was the terror of poor Miriams life.
Will said good-Aye all round, and
parted from Miriam with whispered:
"Remember now, Mirry."
After he had gone, and while Mrs.
North and Kate and Bob were saying
how much they should miss him, and
praising him up for smart boy and
likely to do we'll, Miriam went softly
upstairs and sat down in the moonli ght.
She was very happy-and year
would soon pass-and, if Will was as
fond of her as ever when he came back
she did not round out the last SELL
tencc, but buried her face softly in her
hands, and blushcd at her foolish
dreams.
Will wrote regularly, as he had
promised, and Miriam wrote back. In
the spring he came home. On the
night she expected him Miriam was
dressing pains-takingly in her room,
having first locked the door to keep
Kate out. She tried on doz n differ
ent dresses, and finally settled on a
new, crisp, all-wllite suit. When size
had finished dressing, she surveyed
herself contentedly. She looked we'll
and hoped Will would like he: appear
ance All white became her She
pinned cluster Of roses at her belt
and picked on a perfect bad for Will.
Sic hoped that terrible Kate would not
notice anything unusual, or comment
on it if she did.
She pccrcd with some lisqui,t 1T the
visible lines about her mouth and the
crows feet at the corner of her eyes,
and put up Il finger to smooth them
away. After all, she reflected, they
were no palmer than they were Il yeal
ago, and Will had loved her then.
She pulled up the blind, and sat
Il 'wn by the open window to watch the
sunset through the naples. She was
very, very happy. Will-her Will
wonL come in a few minutcs-the deal
boy. She had been cruel to make him
wait 50 long for bis answer. But the
winter had gone, and he should have it
at last. How happy they would be
they two. 1t should make no differ
encc, after all, that she was the older
at least, she felt as young as he. He
did not care SO she huggcl herself
in little paroXysm of joy. To hurry
the tagging moments she got out Will
letters to read over Most Of them
were rather interesting, though not at
all sentimental; but then she had for
hidden him to write sentimentally
The last ones were rather short and