Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-10-02
Isle W. Quirk in -Four O'Clock.


Harland was young, handsome,
wealthy; he might have married any
woman on earth. Bonner was forty,
I WTinliled, poor; he had been married
and happy for many day.
The two were the best of friends,
and Harlands state Of bachlorhOod
was the subject of scores of jokes
on the part of his friend-until a
certain day.
1t was the time-honored custom of
lhe married man to wander into his
friends apartments with the remark
that he had heard that Harand was
about to be married That person
would gravely assent, and describe
with minute eXactness the perfect
woman who was to be his helpmate.
Then he would cordially suggest they
drink to the future Mrs. Harland,
and for couple of hours the glasses
would clink merrily.
All this was well enough in its
way. But one day Bonner strolled
in with his customary salute, and met
blank silence. He looked at his
friend and that person colored red in
an instant After that the joke
ceased. The subject had become too
sacred to the younger man.
The girl was pretty, clever and
eligible in every way. SO the court
ship swung along with a rush till it
reached a certain point, where the
difficulties apparently damned up into
an insurmountaDle obstacle. No one
would have imagined Harland to be
bashful, but though it was a doubly-
magnified fact that both were deeply
in love, no announcement of the en-
gagemCnt greeted the friends who
stood with open arms. The couple
met and loved and parted, and met
again, with apparently no better
understanding than in the past.
Such was the condition of affairs
when Bonner sauntered into his
friends room late one afternoon, and
found the young man busily and
gulI,uy sCribDling on countless sheets
of creamy white paper Beside the
desk stood a waste basket, half filled
with the ink-bedaubed specimens,
which closely resembled the monot-
onOus multiplicity of copybook
models.
Bonner graciously examined rare
etching on the wall for a number of
seconds, while Harland Clumsily dis
posed Of the circumstantial evidence
of his guilt Once at ease the two
friends chatted and clinked glasses as
of old, and Bonner, at least, soon for
got that woman ruled the realm of
man He had been lounging com,
fortably for some time when he sud
denly sprang to his feet with a sharp
exclamation.
By JoVe!" he said, Il forgot to tell
my wife about going to New York to.
night But l can telephone" he
added crossing to the instrument on
the wall Let me see, | wonder
whether Blanders number is 81 or
SIP"
Harland looked up quickly. 1T
can't be 3D." he said, because"
Then he stopped.
Bonner stared doubtfully at his
friend, Then he thumoed the direct
DRY rapidly, and with plausible display
of luck found the number
Mrs. e. j. Marion, 731," he read.
She has a daughter, has she not?"
Harland colored, OF course you
fool You know Dolly. She is
We'll rpnfDupJ ~ H., - lo,ro ,.;.t
Dolly" And he opened his eyes sud
denly as if he had let slip an i'm
pOItant secret.
SO have noticed" smiled Bonner,
dliIy, AS a close friend of you
both, may | ask why you don't pro
poser"
I am afraid to-" confessed Harland.
have tried dozen times. but she
looks right into my eyes so innocently
every time that branch off and say
something foolish. She Just waits
and smiles and shows her pretty
teeth, and all the time want to take
her in my arms and kiss her. 1t is
awful Don't you think she is nice
girl, old man? cant see why every
body isn't in love with her. But Just
the same | haven't the courage to ask
her to marry me"
why don't you propose by tele-
phone?"
Well, have even thought of that,
said the other seriously; but hang it
all, man. YOU would feel chean TO do
thing up in that order"
so you would" assentc, Bonner
Siayely, but if were you / wouldn't
be such a fool as to let some other
fellow marry the girl | loved, just be,
cause bit of tormality hindered."
Harland shock his head YEARLY and
LETT the room. Bonner turned to the
telephone and called up the number
at which his wife was visiting, and
moment later heard her familiar voice
over the wire in a metallic drawl
This is Fred" he explained.
When | was with you this morning.
my dear, there was something
wished to ask you, but Van Doun and
his wife Joined us just as began, and
as | did NOT caro- n iptnrr,,pt ~, 49,,