The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-02
BY KATHERINE PRINDvILLR
Copyright. 1901. , Authors syndicate3

compulsive submission to a decree
which seemed to make a night in the
woods q necessary part Of her sum
mer's experiences. when she was
reused by the swapping Of a twig and
startled by q sharp exclamation of
masculine wonder OF course the man
stood before her. Nobody else would
have found her as she was. Nobody
else would have seen her at her worst
But there was no laughter in the
brown eyes then, as he bound up her
ankle so carefully and lifted her help
less form so gently in his arms. that
in spite Of q feeble protest which the
man stifed with a word. she was only
TOO glad 20 lay back against his breast
in thankfulness. and let him carry her
10 the house.
And he was good to her then and aft
erwards. but, Of course, ii could not
last long The mischievous spirit
would come dancing back 70 his eyes
and a whimsical sllusion to her scci-
dent soon tore the flag OF truce into
tatters. They quarreled in the morn
ing. in the afternoon and at night. the
man with a teasing railleTy, the girl
With exasperated retort They fought
their way to intimacy through every
stage Of its progress. from polite diff
ferences about the weather to impolite
discussions on personalities.
And so when he asked her TO marry
him. Of course she said she would not.
She could not have said anything else.
She Owed that at least TO her self-re-
spect. But he seemed 70 consider that
ne owed something. too. TO his persis
tency. for he declined TO be banished
with negative and asked her again
and again. In fact, he said she must
marry him. He refused to allow her
an alternative. for how else could she
hope to vanquish the mischievous fairy
who led her into scrapes? So he in
sisted and commanded and bullied, and
she Haunted and taunted and scorned,
to the diverting entertainment of the
onlookers and the mutual tenacity of
the belligerents.
But it ended. of course, as such
things viii when the man is battling
for his love and his happiness and the
woman is warning not only against
the arguments Of the opposition whose
logic she knows to be infallible. but
is al enmity, too. with the protests of
her own heart, whose desires she en-
deavors to combat in vain with pride
Well If you must have it So" she
exclaimed, finally Il give in. But /
warm you now that life will be any,
thing but beer and skittles for YOU,
sir. I'll put salt in your cof-
Ice anu SuS dI on your meat.
I'll quarrel with your best friends,
and refuse to smile at your
favorite Jokes. III laugh when YOU
are moody and cry when you are
merry. Do you think you want me
nov? Take care. and consider well.
sir and remember the long list of
scores have against you"
Yes, l want you now and to-mor-
row and for all time" answered the
man, with persistent fervor. "and I
defy the salty coffee and sugary meat
TO be anything but nectar and ambro-
sia. You may jeer at my friends and
make cause with my enemies. but
want you nevertheless, dear. in the
worst possible way, and / never will
let you 60"
Then take me now. and keep me
close. the girl exclaimed, with i'm
petuous tenderness, "and I'll try to be
good, dear, I'll try to be as good as
can"