The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-29
A Bottled Proposal

III
IN morning in the city: Threadneedle
street chock full of hurrying clerks
Yet, if the nose be held tight between
the fingers, the busy scene might be
enjoyed.
London makes it's toilet later than
any other city. More shame to it, But
yet on this particular morning romance
was not in the least wanting. Some
one was saying:
My dear Rose, OF course I mean all
what's straight. How could anyone do
otherwise, my dear little woman?"
The young man who thus spake was
a well-groomed creature, with some
what assertive air of gloves, ties and
gardenia in button hole. The gloss on
his hat would have more than passed
muster in Capel Court. His spa;s were
not unworthy of Kempton Park. His
stick was triumph Of hooked poetry,
and would have shed a luster on the
Promenade des Anglais in the height
Of the Riviera season. Yet, despite all
this, there was an over-Smartness both
morally as well as physically which
was not by any means agreeable.
The girl he was speaking to? Type
writer Of the highest order personi-
fed.
So Miss Rose Johnson's Gig of Re
spectability was Hansom's Patent
Safety.
So she evidently meant it to be IN
derstood as the tale of love was being
told into her shapely ear this steam
ing hot morning by the dustbins Of
Threadneedle street.
Rose" again said the young man,
who was walking beside her with his
glove touching her elbow, Rose, how
can you doubt me?"
'If you wanted to marry me-" she
answered, couldn't you have written
and said so?''-and, perhaps imper-
ceptibly even to herself, there was a
faint lowering of the dexter eyeid.
But, then, you're a lawyer, 8lr. Ster-
rimer, and lawyers are not oyerrash
at putting pen TO paper"
what prosaic little darling you
arel Haven't 1 publicly shown you
every attention."
"Yes, you gave me watch, ring, UNI
brella, before my cousins. Watch at
Richmond; ring at Box Hill, in the
Burford Bridge Gardens; umbrella at
the HoIborn, when you stood that din
ner 10 Maude and me before we had the
box at the Tivoi. But I'm busy now,
and have got to turn in Ta-tal Per
haps YOU viii be round in the after
noon"
"Good-by, darling" and the young
solicitor, for such he was, spoke in as
iulcet tones as if he were asking a tax
ing clerk in chancery chambers not 10
knock of too many letters But when
the girl had tripped away up the stone
steps of her office a somewhat serious
look shaded his face.
Think I'm going bit too far.
Meeting the ma was rather stupid.
don't think gave myself away much
before the girls. But how nice she IS
and how nicely she does manage 10 take
care of her dear little self. Too risky
though, ]. Laurence Sterrimer, Esq
Fellers who are rising professional men
don't want to marry tyPewriters- Be
sides, you stand a chance OF getting
Louisa Rousen baum And 5000 shin
ing golden beans, dear boy, make
good lift for good start"
He was, you see, careful young man
who well knew how 10 take care OF him
self. If he patronized music hal
ND tinee-and he loved to do so if sup
piled with the grsJ@l7ous order = he
never seitzer-aLd-w b >kied it in i'm
moderation. His betting transaction:
were few and far between, yet for
tunate. The "Juegns," as he loved tC
4 think, was a mat after his own heart
that is, he would not succeed N beng
after his own pocket. he was the sorf
of young man who kept cigar case fol
himself and a cigarette ditto for nj:
friends. In his profession as solicitor
he was curiously smart. He coul(
snap Judgment or hold mis- own ami6s
any of the denizens of the Bear Gardel
in the royal courts of justice.
Yet, for all that, such is the force o
love, vanity, inclination, or what not
that that very seif-same afternoon b
found himself seated alone with Mis-
Rose johnson in the room where sh
worked.
As usual, the youth told his tale o
love. The maid did not appear to b
immoderately coy.
And do you mean to marry me?
asked sweet Rose. IF am so ugly
she smiled coquettishly-'you can shu
your eyes as you make your propose
again. VIII you say. as you did before
Dear Rose, love you for your beaut.
and virtue. Be my wife, darlingl
should glory in your love. and glory 4
make it known to al the world Shu
your eyes, sir, and you shall smell thes
lovely roses to inspire you and max
you think of your own dear Rose"
]. Laurence Sterrimer. Esq. locke
about him. There were no witnesses
No one behind the screen; nobody q
the keyhole. The room was doubl:
doored, green baize and heavy oak. IL
spired by love and the bouquet of rose
placed against his somewhat Hebrai
proboscis, he said with manly distinc
ness:
Dear Rose. I love you for your bea,
" and virtue. Be my wife. darling.
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