Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1903-06-26

There, now" he cried, Il was sure
Il was stiff
Then why write it2|
1T wasn't my own composition"
Whose them Your aunt'sy'
"Oh, no. II was person Of the name
Of Slattery-"
Goodness Who is her"
Il knew il would come out, felt
that 1t would. You've heard OF SlatteTy.
the author7T
Never"
~He IL wonderful at expressing him
self He wrote a book called The Secret
Solved: or. Letrer-writing Made Easy
II gives you models Of all sorts OF let
ters"
Ida burst out laughing so you actu-
ally copied one"
1T was to invite a young lady 70
picnic. but I set 10 work and soon got
it changed so that IL would do Tery
we'll Slattery seems never 70 have
asked any one 70 ride a tandem But
when / had written it. II seemed 50
dreadfully stiff that ! had TO put lit
tie beginning and end OF my own which
seemed to brighten it up a good deal
Il thought there was something funny
about the beginning and end.
did you2 Fancy your noticing the
difference in style. How quick you are.
I am very slow at things Ike that 1
ought 10 have been a woodman, OF
gamekeeper. or something 1 was made
on those lines. But 1 have found some
thing now"
What Is that. then2"
branching. / have a chum in Texas,
and he says IL Is a rare life / am TO
I buy a share in his business II is all IN
the open air-shooting. and riding. and
/ sport. Would it-woUld it Inconvenience
you much, Ida. to come out there with
me-"
Ida nearly fell on her perch in her
I amazement- The only words OF "nicn
she could think were My goodness
meg' so she said them
IF it would not upset your plans
OF change your arrangements in any
way" He had slowed down and let go
OF the steering handle. SO that the great
machine crawled airnlsssly about from
one side Of the road to the other
know very well that I am not clever or
anything OF that sort, bat Still l would
do all I can 20 make you very happy
Don't you think that in time you might
! come 70 like me a little bit2
{ like you If you run me against brick
WALL she said. as the machine rasped
against the curb. do attend 70 the
steering"
Eyes. will But tell me- Ida whether
you viii come with me-
sOh. I don't know It's TOO absurd.
How can we talk about such things
when I cannot see your You speak 70
9 81 I have
to twist my head round 70 answer
Il know. That was why put You in
front upon my letter. I thought that
| it would make it easier But il you
would prefer it VIII stop the machine.
and then you can sit around and talk
about IL"
Good gracioust' cried Ida Fancy
our sitting face TO face on motionless
tricycle. in the middle Of the road. and
all the people looking out OF their win
dows at usl-
II would look rather funny. wouldn'
it2 Well, then. suppose that We both
get of and push the tandem along in
front OF us2"
.-Oh. no. this is better than that"
.sOr L could carry the thing"
Ida burst out laughing That would
be more absurd still"
Then we viii go quietly. and viii
look out for steering 1 won't talk about
il at all if you would rather not But /
really do love you very much. and you
would make me happy If you came 10
Texas with me. and 1 think that per-
haps after a time 1 could make you
I happy. too"
But your aunt7'
.-Oh. she would like il very much ]
can understand that your father might
not like to lose you I'm sure I wouldn'
either, If were he But. after all Amer
lea is not very far off nowadays, and
is not so very wild We would take a
I grand piano, and-and-a copy OF
Browning. And Denver and his wife
would come over TO see u.s. We should
be quite a family party II would be
jolly"
Ida sat listening to the stumbling
words and awkward phrases which were
whispered from the back Of her, but
there was something in Charles West
macott's clumsiness OF speech which
was more moving than the words Of the
most eloquent of pleaders- He paused,
he stammered. he caught his breath be
tween the words. and he blurted out
In little blunt phrases all the hopes OF
4 his heart. II love had not come 10 her
vet. there was at least pity and SYM
patty, which are nearly akin TO It
Wonder there was also that one SO
weak and frail as she should shake this
strong man so. should have the whole
course of his life waiting for her deci-
sion. Her left hand was on the cushion
at her side. He leaned forward and tool
II gently in his own She did not try tc
draw it back from him
May j have it," said he. for life ?
~Oh. do attend to your steering" said
she. smiling round at him: and don't
say any more about this today Please