St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-11-16

CO0O106L1OQ OF OlOuQ Q81r 6uO PINK
muslin on his arm, and as they joined
q group of dancers who had come out
side for air, she who had advised him
to make up his vacillating mind on this
very occasion, demanded to know If
he had made that concession in Peg
gy's favor. The captain replied that
with the full consent Of those whom he
had already refused he had done 50.
and that the consolation in this in
stance was to be fancy saddle horse.
swell, Peggy, such a horsewoman AZ
you certainly cannot afford to ignore
such . chance. You would better
speak now or forever after hold your
peace" laughed this irrepressible
meddler.
"How can I propose now?" asked
Peggy. "Whoever heard Of . ballroom
proposal where there wasn't . conser-
vatory?"
"Couldn't we 'unconsciously drift
apart from the others?'" asked the
candidate for matrimonial nomina-
ton.
'That might d." answered Peggy.
and she drew the tall captains arm
through her own, and together they
strolled among the lantern-lit trees.
The irrepressible meddler looked
after them, and thinking that Peggy
never appeared lovelier than she did
tonight in her pure white gown with
field daisies in her hair, she wondered
If the captain would remember her
joking advice. The lights grew fewer
and farther between.
swell, Peggy, why don't you begin,
surely you have heard this thing done
times enough to know how?"
She had dropped his arm and the
joke as soon as they were outof sight
Of the group on the veranda, but he
insisted on keeping up the converse
ton as it had started out.
Miss Randall was generally regarded
as young woman without a vulner.
able point; stony-hearted, in fact. In
reality she was girl of unusually
high ideals and probably because she
had so much to give she expected much
in return. Not perfection, but her
ideal of manhood was a noble one.
and Capt. Nicely at times seemed to
her to more nearly fulfill it than any
man she had yet known.
It always seemed to her that she
never appeared to such poor advan-
tage when with him, for then all the
ability as conversationa1ist with
which she was credited seemed to de.
sert her and she felt that to him she
must appear a most uninteresting
person.
Now she dared not let him see that
she was afraid to go on with the farce.
so in the gayest manner she began
again just as they came upon q seat
among the trees, into which the cap
tain deliberately threw himself, leav.
ing her standing: "My adorable James
isn't that the way they usually be,
gin?"
"Very good" was the answer, ''but
I positively refuse to listen to any pro-
posal unless the sutton gets down m
her knees"
''You base man, you evidently meaA
to luxuriate in the situation, but !
can't go down on my knees here. I'll
soil my dress"
Capt. Nicely gravely spread his
pocket handkerchief on the ground in
front of him and imperatively mo.
toned her to kneel. and that she did,
and in the most approved voice Of sup
pressed emotion began:
my adorable James; while deeply
conscious of my great unworthi.
ness"
Don't mention It,"
"-I must utter the words that have
SO long trembled upon my lips--I-
+"
"Well, utter them"
May I dare believe that the Yess
ing I entertain for you is in meaa.
ure reciprocated, and that at, NO dig.
tant time may have the unutterabls
happiness of calling my own one
whose welfare SO entirely fills my
soul and whose slightest wish will
ever be my law?"
"You may" gravely answered the
beloved one, and he bent forward to
raise the accepted sutton from her
knees.
"Oh, you promised you would re.
fuse" and Peggy looked as though .
cold shower bath had suddenly de.
scended upon her.
Promised! I promised nothing oi
the kind. merely said what would
do in case refused. But, you see,
do not refuse. accept"