The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-05-31
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
Yates walked merrily down the road
whistling "Gayly the Troubadour."
Perhaps there is no moment in mans
life that he feels the Joy of being alive
more keenly than when he goes to pro-
pose to girl of whose favorable an
swer he Is reasonably sure, unless it be
the moment he walks away an accept
ed lover. There is a magic about a
June night, with it's soft velvety dark
ness and its sweet mild air laden with
the perfume of wood and field. The
enchantment Of the hour threw it's
spell over the young man, and he re-
solved to live better life and be
worthy of the girl he had chosen, or
paused a moment leaning over the
fence near to the Howard homestead,
for he had not yet settled in his own mind
the details of the meeting. He would
not go in, for in that case he knew he
would have to talk, perhaps for hours,
with every one but the person he
wished to see. If he announced him
self and asked to see Margaret alone,
his doing SO would embarrass her at
the very beginning. Yates was nat
urally too much Of diplomat to COM
mence awkwardly. AS he stood there,
wishing chance would bring her out of
the house, there appeared a light in
the door-window of the room where he
knew the convalescent boy lay. Mar
garet's shadow formed silhouette on
the blind Yates caught up a handful
of sand and flung it lightly against the
pane. Its soft patter evidently at
,tracted the attention of the girl, for
after a moments pause the window
opened carefully and Margaret stepped
quickly out and closed it, quietly
standing there.
Margaret" whispered Yates, hardly
above his breath.
The girl advanced toward the fence.
lis that your she whispered in re-
turn, with an accent on the last word
that thrilled her listener. The accent
told as plainly as speech that the word
represented the one man on earth tc
her.
Eyes," answered Yates, springin9
over the fence and approaching her.
''Oh!' cried Margaret, starting back
then checking herself with a catch in
her voice. ''You-you startled me
Mr.. Yates
''Not Mr.. Yates any more, Margaret
but Dick. Margaret, I wanted to sec
you alone. You know why I have
come He tried to grasp both hc7
hands, but she put them resolutely be
hind her, seemingly wishing to retreat
yet standing her ground.
"Margaret, you must have seen long
ago how it is with me. love you, Mar
garet, loyalty and truly. 1t seems a.
if had loved you all my life. I Ger
tainly have since the first day saw
y9 HPH;" ~,
me like this
my darling, how else can talk t,
you? 1t cannot be a surprise to you
Margaret. You must have known i
long ago."
II did not. Indeed did motif yo7
really mean it,"
"Mean it? never meant anythin,
as mean this. It is everything to me
and nothing else is anything. hav
knocked about the world good deal
I admit, but I never was in love befor
never knew what love was until
met you. tell you that"
please, please, Mr.. Yates, do no
say anything more. If it is really true
I cannot tell you how sorry I am.
hope nothing have said or done ha
made you believe that-that-oh, I d
not know what to say. I never though
you could be in earnest about any
thing"
"You surely cannot have so mis-
judged me, Margaret. Others have
but I did not expect, it Of you. You ar
far and away better than am. No on
knows that better than I. I do no
pretend to be worthy of you, but vii
be q good husband to you. Any ma
who gets the love of a good woman,
continued Yates, earnestly, plagiari.