The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-04-11
Who Was the Winner?
BY EVA WILLIAMS MALONE.

copyright, 1871, by Daily story PuD. '-oD
A pair of gloves to box of candy
that l can bring your adorable young
rector to proposal before Eas-
ter! You all think he's made Of ala
baster and can't come down to COM
mon clay! Never mind, I'll prove to
you that he's man-just like the rest.
VIII you take the wager?'
She was bewitchingly pretty and she
ew it; she was a consummate h-rt
aud others knew it, if she did not.
''I'll accept the wager on one condi-
ton: the Rev. Alonzo is to propose
and to be rejected. It's rather danger
GUS sport turning these ravishlng
young divines into ones own especial
preserves, Mabelle-" and he gave her
look that might mean cousnly affec-
ton and might mean great deal more.
Rejected! OF course he's to be re-
jected; they all are, for a century, at
least" and her merry laugh rang
through the room. To look at her,
one would have felt that she might
we'll defy Time and Change; and claim
Youth and Beauty as perennial dow
er. A kiss sealed the compact-quite
cousinly kiss. to be sure; and then
the wicked little sinner began to form
her plan of campaign
The next afternoon the Rev. Alonzo
was surprised and delighted to see ma
belle at the Lenten services. Her
worldliness (and her beauty had caus-
ed him sundry pangs; and there is no
knowing how many of the prayers in
times past had been said with the Wis
sion of pair of dar.cing blue eyes be-
tween the young rector and the book.
One must naturally grieve at the way
wardness of his own Sheppard if the
sheep be very young and fair, one
is but flesh and blood to grieve just a
little more ardently, to be sure! So,
the Rev. Alonzo put unusual fervor
and JUNCTION into the services; and that
willy sinner with the unspeakable
guileless eyes was surprised to find
that the game promised to be some
what less of a "bore" than she had an
ticipated. She fingered just little
| to make quite sure that he was aware
of her presence. Then, when she felt
her, she slipped away. He went home
feeling that the services had not been
quite what he had hoped for. Just
how and where the lack, doubt if he
admitted to himself.
The following day she came late; but
fingered to ask him if he would mind
dropping in, quite informally, the next
forenoon to discuss a little plan of
hers about the Ragged School Had
she invited him to drop in and dis
cuss protoplasm he would have felt
with the first sweet thrill OF surprise
at such proposal from so bewitching
a sinner-that protoplasm was, just
then, the most enthralling theme in ex-
istence!
But, to discuss the Ragged School,
that darling object of his affections.
She had heart-a gentle, womanly
heart! He had suspected it all along;
her friyolity were only surface deep,
The Ragged SCHOOL," Could any but
saint in embryo be interested in so
unsayory a theme?
'My" she unused, as she went from
the church, just wee thrill lingering
in the hand he had clasped, why cid
l say Ragged School? Wasn't there
something else that would have serv-
ed the purpose without committing my
dense ignorance to such a test? Ragged
School! Is there one other subject
that l know or care quite so little
about as the Ragged School? 1 Won
der where my good fairy was when she
could not put some other excuse for