Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-07-28

proposed II to him. She did not know
him at all, so when had him come over
to my town and took him to call on her
80 Mr.. Hart, she had no idea that he
was any other than ns represented. BE
was handsome fellow, much, hand
somer than 1 was, and the smooshest
chap with women ever saw. Hewas
nne brunette, while was red-headed.
and nobody on garth would have taken
as for hnsmen.- Our call was extended
until after IL o'clock, and when we
came away had u feeling thatifit had
been anylsdy else except my brother
1 would have BEEN jealous. He left at
eight the next morning. and two days
later wrote him letter TO Miss Blank.
which he was to copy and send to her.
This he did, and in due course re-
ceived IN answer, and from that a req
ular correspondence grew, which very
soon called for three or four letters
week. He would send her answers to
me, and would write an answer and
send 1t to him, which he would COPY
and forward TO her. At the same time
L became more attentive than ever
and began to insist upcA her naming
the day when we should be married.
She thought June was the prettiest
month for wedding, and at last we
came to an indefinite conclusion that
we would marry in June. Meantime nv
letters to her over the signature of Mr..
Hart became more intense, as did hers
TO him, and at last 1 proposed to her.
Now you would suppose that a girl
yVOIIId
something more about him, and par
ticularly that she would not when he
was only hundred miles away and
could come in person and make his
proposal, but I'll be blamed if she did
mt. She did it with a whirl, too. that
almost made me dizzy. explained that
could not come, as my friend-mean-
ing myself-would suspect something.
and 1T 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 1t over all at
once.
THE evening of the day on which /
received her letter Of acceptance. so to
speak, / called on her, as 1 did every
night nearly, and incidentally men
toned Hart-who, by the way, had
never seen any of the letters she had
written-and shes aid, with a coauet-
fish little smile, that she didn't under
stand why he had never come 10 see her
again, because she liked him, and be-
iieved he liked her. 1 told her had
asked him as a special favor not TO
come because 1 was afraid of him. and
she chaffed me and said I was zeal
Gus old thing and that II 1 kept peo-
pie sway as was keeping Mr.. Hart,
che never would know anybody and
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 L sent her a
letter saying that 1 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 elopeEenS, 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 let
ting me know If my friend-meanine
myself-had gone as he thought Of do
ing.
That evening being Friday, called
as usual, and informed ksr that / was
called out OF town and would be gone
from Saturday evening until Monday
noon. and would probably meet Mr..
Hart, as he was expected to come down
from his town on n matter of business
in which we were both interested. I
told her I would be glad 10 deliver any
message she might like TO send; but
she said Mr.. Hart had neglected her
shamefully and she. hadn't any mes
sage to send to him, and what was
more she never expected to see him
again. She showed some little anxiety
when Ispole of expecting TO meet Hart,
but it was so slight as to have escaped
the notice Of any ordinary observer.
| Saturday afternoon we took a walk,
ending at the station at five o'clock,
when she saw me off. told her good
| by so seriously that she laughed at me
and said l was saying it Us if never
expected to see her again, and then, by
Jove, / kissed her and wrung her hand
again. You must know that was not
entirely without feeling.
Il staid on the train till seven
o'clock and got off at a junction to wait
for train that would get me back
home about IL o'clock. kept to my
room ReXt morning, sending the hotel
boy TO the post Office at noon for my
mail, in which received from Hart the
telegram which he had received the
evening before. 1t read: Coast clear,
| expect you tomorrow and signed
with my own name, little subterfuge,
as Hart explained to me, to throw the
telegraph operator of of any suspicion.
At two O'Clock was at the front door,
and, as is the custom in smaller towns,
she opened it for me herself. That she
was startled by my presence was plain
| to be seen.
"'oh,' she gasped, I thought
"'Yes, L know you did, interrupted