The Newtown bee., 1901-11-22

him fer the first time, and two years
since the last. He would try his luck
again; Jose phine was certainly more
gracious than he had ever remember
ed her to be before.
When the meal was over Josephine
cleared the table and washed the dish
es. When she had taken dry towel
and sat down by the window to polish
the blue china David understood that
this was his golden opportunity. He
moved over and sat down beside her on
the sofa by the window.
Outside thesun Was setting in mag
nificent arch of light and color, and
the distant snow-clad hills and deep
blue water of the st Lawrence gulf
seemed to rise and cradlein the splen-
| dor like some huge bowl of pearl and
sapphires brimmed with wine and fire.
David grasped at the sunset as an in
troductory factor.
"Isn't that fine, Josephine?" he said
admiringly. "It makes me think of
that piece of poetry that used to be in
the old Fifth Reader when we went to
school. Dye mind how the teacher
used to drill us up in it on Friday af-
ternoons? 1t begun
Slow sinks more lovely ere his race is run
Along Morea'S hills the setting sun.
Then David acclaimed the whole
passage in sing-song tone, accompanied
by few crude gestures rememberel
from lOng-ago schOOl-boy elOcutiO,9
and Josephine knew what was coming.
Every time David had proposed to her
he had began by reciting poetry. She
twrled her towel around the last plate
resignedly: if it had to come, the soon
er it was over the better. Josephine
knew by experience that there was nc
heading David off, despite his shyness,
when he had once got as far along as
the poetry.
''But it's going to be for the last
time" she thought, determinedly
.'I'm going to settle this question so
decidedly to night that there'll never
be repetition.'
When David had finished his quota.
ton he laid his hand on Josephine S
plump arm.
'Josephine." he said, huskily, 81
s'pose you couldn 't-could you, now?-
make up your mind to have me.
wish you would, Josephine wish
you would. Don't you think you could
Josephine?'
f<,l 5l,,I l,or fou
her hands on it and looked her wooe
squarely in in the eyes.
david Hartley" she said deliber'
ately, ''what makes you go on asking
me to marry you every once in a while
, when I've told you times out of minC
that | can't and won't9'
because | can't help hoping tina
, you'll change your mind through time,
| said David meekly.
well you just listen to me. ! viii
not marry you. That is in the frs
, place. And in the second, this is to bt
final. 1t has to be. You are never tt
l ask me this again under any circum
l stances. If you do, l will not answe
you Will not let on | hear you at all
, but"-and Josephine spoke very slow
~ and impressively-'I will neve
= speak to you again-never. We art
! good friends now, and | like you rea
we'll, and like you to drop in for
neighbOrly chat as often as you like
l but they'll be an end, short and sudde1
to that, if you don't mind what l say.
InCnn1,inn it,' hn hal
hard:" protested David feebly. II
seemed terrible to be cut off from al
= hope with such tinalty as this.
II mean every word of it, returned
Josephine calmly. "You'd better g
home now, David. l always feel as i
: Id like to be alone for a spell after ;
: disagreeable experience"
David obeyed sadly and put on hi
} cap and oyercoat. Josephine kindl.
/ warned him not to slip and break hi
, legs on the porch because the floor wa
) as icy as anything; and she even light
} ed candle and held it up at the kit
: chen door to guide him safely out
5 David as he trudged sorrowfully home
ward across the fields carried with hin
the mental picture Of a plump, sons,
} woman in her trim dress of plum col
: ored hOmespun and rutfled blue-checl
apron, halved in by an aureole of can
f die light. 1t was not very romanti,
, vision, perhaps, but to David it wal
g more beautiful than anything else il
S the world.
Y When David had gone Josephine