The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-12-25
SARAH BEANS OFFER

Sarah Bean was spinster of IS. She had
never married on account Of her face. She
had a modest income left her by rela-
tive. ard she elected to live alone IN
cottage in Hopeville, but if she had been
worth a hundred thousand dollars and
lived in a manor house, her chances OF
marriage would have been no better. Men
could overlook Sarah's No. s feet and No.
hands and angular points, but they
turned from her face and sald they were
sorry for her. She had lived to be "a years
old before she realized her LONELINESS
She didn't realize it then, She simply com
batted the blunt statement made by old
Mrs. Hastings and argued that it was a
case of jealousy. True, she had never had
a beau, much less a. sweetheart, but shelaId
the fact to her coyness and shyness. She
had been coy and shy from her birth, and
the Characteristic had grown. up with her.
Sarah was wedding the bed of hollyhocks
in her garden ard getting along after the
shy old way, when old Mrs. Hastings
dropped in to complain of her rheumatism.
IL is easy to lead up from rheumatism TO
matrimony, and after little, the old. lady
bluntly announced:
Sarah Bean, you. must be goin' on 40
years old, and it's time you quit simpering
around like young girl Folks have been
talkin' about it, for ever so long"
"I'm. not going. on 40 and you know it, ;"
was the r,ply; "and if act grly that's
my way, and | can't help it. The idea Of
anyone saying / simper!"
81 should call it simpering, Sarah, but
mebbe you don't mean to do it. You amt
thinkin Of gittin' married, are you"
"Of course not"
of you was, you'd have hGrd time OF
it, guess. Did anyone ever tell you how
homely you was?
"How dare you talk like that 10 mel'
gasped Sarah, as the red came to her checks
for the first time in years.
"Well my way is to talk plain, and
even if the truth hurts you, | must say
that you are the homeliest woman in Hope
vile. | amt sayin' so because you wont
let my chickens scratch up your garden,
but because it's so. / don't wonder you
never caught a husband"
"But | never wanted to-"
Good thing for both of you! You'll
never have an offer as long as you live, and
so you might as well quit smpering."
L ii nave an OIIcT Nlbulu Il HUlLu, anu
you go home and tend to your business!"
exclaimed the Inundated and angered spin
ster.
Eyes, III be moving on with my lame
knee Rheum ism is a bad thing-a bad
thing. Ddn'y mean to say nothing to
provoke you, but | thought you'd better
know the truth and save crimpin' your
hair every day. You'll be bald-headed in
a year or two more if you keep on. BE
more naybuTly, Sarah, and run in as often
as you can That's what we were put on
earth for-to comfort one another"
When old Mrs. Hastings had limped her
way, Sarah Bean sat down among her hol-
lyhocks and cried Then she got up and
dashed her tears away, and got mad. Then
she ran into the house and stood before
her glass and criticised her features, one
by one, and said to herself;
"She just wanted to make me feel bad
for driving her chickens out. I'm not
beautiful, but I'm fair looking and coy
and shy to boot Nobody ever asked me to
marry EN- but that's because | haven
encouraged 'em. AS for my not ever hav-
ing an offer, I'll show old Mrs. Hastings
and the other gossips-l'll have an offer
WITHIN month.
Sarah Beans bedtime was nine o'clock
At that hour she wound the clock and
entered every room below stairs to fastcn
doors and windows. On the evening OF
this day she entered the parlor as usual
at the usual hour to meet with a sur
prise A sash of one of the front windows
was up and man was half way over the
sill into the room. Sarah screamed, of
course. Her sudden advent, followed by
the scream, startled the intruder and he
made move that brought the sash down
across the small of his back In that po
stion, with head and arms inside, and leg
and body outside, he was practically help
less The woman was coy and shy Of mer
who looked at her with eyes of love, but
not of burglars who were after her cash
She realized the situH ton of affairs in ;
moment, and it wa not long before the
intruder was bound hand and foot anC
pulled over the sill into the room.
"Well, what have you got to say fol
YOURSELF" asked Sarah Bean, after looking
| him over.
The fellow made no reply, but regarded
! her with puzzled, wondering look.
"You needn't try to play deaf and duml
on me. I'll go out IN minute and cal
for help and have you taken to jail. Wha
are you looking at me this way for?"
81 was looking at your face" he growied
us there anything the matter with it"
"N-o That is, if | had seen your fac,
before getting in here | shouldn't hav
tried it,"
"You must mean something" said Saral
as the blunt words of old Mrs. Tasting
came TO her mind. "Do you mean tina
I'm n homcly woman
"See here, miss" replied the intruder
lodging the question 81 am not bat
man. This is my first crime, and | wa
driven to it by want. | should have take
only food from your house. Let me s
my way and make a new start in life"
He had called her miss and that soft
cned her heart He saw that she was yield
ing, and he renewed his promises and pre-
| testatons and managed to work tears int
| his eyes.
81 think I'll let you GO" she said, afte
time, "but ] want you to cell me tn
truth about something. Am | homely!'
"No, | wouldn't say So
Would you marry me if | was willing!
The man was silent. lie was a bad mar
| but he also had conscientious scruples.
"WOuld Won or would Won not p repeaI