Middletown transcript., 1901-12-07
Courtship By Wire

AOtAoPs mot Dub lsnb IL fAtnof
rash threat?" / could not help saying
"It may be. / don't care. If she
loves me she won't drive me to it, and il
she doesn't love, me, then it won't
matter" he answered in gloomy despera-
ton. you'll send it on at once, won't
you? And I'll call again for the reply" I"
| l dispatched the message. I awaited
the reply in positive suspence. 1 felt SO
awfully sorry for the poor lovelorn boy.
The reply came. quite wished that
had Miss Maud handy, so that I could
have boxed her ears soundly for being SO
cruel and insolent to him.
No, I won't. Propose to the first girl
you meet, and welcome. Maud.
| He came. I gave him the heartless
reply. He tore it open. He scanned it.
"By heavensr' he exclaimed in savage
determination. II will take her at her
word! 1 will willp
He turned and hurried away. He had
gone as far as the door, when he came
back. There was now a curious look-a
look of puzzled embarrassment on his
handsome face.
; II say" he began confusedly, bending
over the counter toward me and speaking
in low, rapid tones, "you know what ]
told her I'd do, if she refused. And
and mean to do it. But-well, you see
in fact-I mean to say-that is-you
were the first girl / saw after receiving
her reply; and if am to be as-as good
as my word-I-'hem-I've got TOTO
propose to you"
He blushed furiously as he stammered
out the words, and averted his gaze in
the utmost embarrassment.
l could not help smiling. The humor
of the situation tickled me immensely.
I saw how it was. He did not want to
propose to me, but he felt in honor
bound to carry out his threat, more
especially as I myself was acquainted
with its exact terms and had been wit
ness to his fixed resolve to execute it.
However, could easily extricate him
from that little dilemma.
every well," I said laughing. SIN
order to satisfy your sense of honor. you
may propose to me. You need not be
afraid that shall take advantage Of you.
Ask me to marry you, I will refuse. You
have done what you threatened, and
there's an end of it."
But he did not jump al this simple
method Of evading the consequence of
his rash undertaking SO readily as had
expected.
''The fact is," he said, quickly. 'T-I
1 thought that if was engaged to another
girl Maud might be sorry when she found |
that she had lost me, and-and-well,
you see, it might bring her around and
all might come right"
"Rather tough on the other girl,
though" I replied, smiling, ito throw |
her over and 70 back to Maud"
"Ah, you don't quite understand mel"
he murmured. II thought that if I |
could find some-some kind, sympa-
thetic girl of the right sort who-who I
wouldn't mind pretending to be engaged
to me, I-I-might-"
But at this critical moment my attsn-
ton was claimed by other senders of
kilograms, and SO his remarks were
brought to premature conclusion. He
did just say, however:
'T'd like to talk this over with you.
You have taken such kind interest in
the-the affair. When-when do you
leave off work?'
''Not until O'clock" replied.
May wait for you then at the corner
of the street?''
His request was made so pathetically
that 1 had not the heart to refuse. I
nodded assent. It was perhaps inadyised
of me, but be looked so unhappy, and
was go sorry for him.
When I reached the corner of the
street soon after P. NJ, there he was.
sure enough, waiting for me.
"Let us go into the park" he said.
"We can talk there quietly"
We went into the park and sat down.
It was beautiful summer evening, but
only few people were about. We had
our seat to ourselves.
"You-remember what was saying to
you this afternoon2" he began, with an
awkward nervous air.
ooh yes," replied. "You said that
you wanted to find some girl Of the right
sort who would pretend to be engaged TO
you, in order to make your-your sweet
heart sorry that she had lost you, and SO
to bring things out all right" II
"Yes-yesi That is it," he said, hur-
riedly. 81 say, don't-don't be annoyed,
but I've been thinking that, as you have
been so kind in taking an interest in me,
and as you're the-the sort of girl feel
that I can trust, perhaps you wouldn't
mind-I mean you might-might let me
pretend that was-wss engaged to youp
'But we are strangers, protested,
"and although of course / feel fsttered
by your expression of confidence, still
well, really do not see that can put
myself in such false position"
care you afraid of my not-not acting
on the square with you?" he cried in
tones. i:
sNot in the least. I have no. doubt of
your honor. But girl, such az am,
living alone, must needs walk very cir
He sat silent for minute or two after
that, looking straight in front Of him.
Then suddenly he blurted out:
"T say, don't-don't be angry with .
fellow, but if there was to be mono
humbug about tiff there was to be IA
real engagement"
seWhat do you mean2" l demanded.
'T-I-oh, hang i'll can't keep up
;his-this shamming any longer. must :
ell You the truth. Those-those tels- 6
grams to Maud were all buncombe. rs