Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-10-24

mo, 1 won't. Propose to the first
grill you meet, and welcome.
MAUD"
He came. I gave him the heartless
eeply. He bore it open. He scanned
It.
by heaven" he exclaimed in saw.
age determination. "Pll take her at
her word! / will will"
He turned and hurried away. He
had gone as far as the door, when he
same back. There was now "a curious
book-a look of puzzled embarrass-
met os his handsome face.
Il say" he began confusedly, bend
ing over the counter toward me, and
speaking in low, rapid tones, "you
know what l told her I'd do if she re-
fused me? And-and 1 mean to do it.
But-well, you see-in fact mean to
say-that is-you were the first girl
l saw after receiving her reply; and
II l am to be as-as good as my word
-l-,hem-Iye got TOTO propose to
you"
He blushed furiously as he SIAM
mered out these words, and averted
his gaze in the utmost embarrassment.
1 Gould not help smiling. The hum
or OF the situation tickled me i'm
mensely. l saw how 1T was, He did
not want to propose to me, but he felt
IN honor bound to carry out his
threat, more especially as l myself
was acquainted with it's exact terms
and had been a witness of his fixed re.
solve to execute lit. However, 1 could
easily eNtricate him from that little
dilemma.
Every WE'LL" said laughing. I'm
order to satisfy your sense of honor,
you may propose to me. You
need not be afraid that 1 shall take
advantage of you. Ask me to marry
you. L Will refuse. You have done
what you threatened, and there's an
end ito it,
But he did not jump AIT hits simple
method of evading the consequences Of
his nash undertaking SO readily as I
had expected.
''The fact is he said quickly, CT
tn Chit that if ! was engaged to-an
another girl Maud might be sorry
when she found that she had lost me,
and-well, You See, it might bring
her around and all might come right"
'Rather rough on the other girl,
though" / replied, smiling. ito throw
her over and go back to Maud"
''I'd like to talk this over with
| you. You have taken such a kind inter
est in the-the affair When-when
| do you leave off work."
''Not until O'clock l replied.
''Let us go into the park" he said.
I'VE can talk there quietly"
We went into the park "a nd sat down.
Ut was "a beautiful summer evening,
but only a few people were about. We
went into the park and sat down.
had our seat TO ourselves.
"You-you remember what I was
saying to you this afternoon?" he be.
gan with an awkard, nervous air.
''Bult we are strangers" 1 protested,
land, although of course l feel fiat
tered by your expression of confidence,
still-well, l really do not see that I
can put myself in such false posi-
tion."
| He sat silent for "a minute or two
after THAT looking straight in front of
him. Then suddenly he blurted out:
81 say, don't don't-be angry with q
fellow, but if there was to be no-no
humbug about tiff it was to be "a
real engagement"
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
"I-I-oh, hang it! I can't keep up
this-this shamming any longer. I
must tell you the truth. Those-those
kilograms ITO Maud were all bun.
combe."
CALL what?' I calculated.
GAN buncombe," he repeated. "The
fact is-oh, hang it, I hardly know
how ITO explain! II fell in love with
you the first time l saw you. So
hit upon "a dodge for getting you TO
take an interest in me and be sorrS
for me, and serve as an-an introduc-
ton. My brother helped me, and
and-I say, are you awful angry with
fellow?"
I WAS so paralyzed with astonish-
ment that I actually let him gather
me up lin his arms. and when he slip.
ped a ring ON my finger l was too
much taken aback to resist; and the
engagement was held good till our
wedding.-Truth.