The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-11-04
Beating AB6lgt
 ...The Bush
toridnaLl

Parker? IT ye'd "a taken @ wife ten Tears ago ye'd "a had a nice family now Instead of Twin alone on yer hnc hrm."
 "I came very near marvin onct Sally. ' mlsmanaged the thing at thc btart"
 "How's thatT
 .I was worxln' fur Mir Noble at che dme, and one day be said to me. sayl be: Parker. I wish ye'd git married cause a woman would be handy about the place. don't mean a servant; ono to call on occasionally for a job'
 'I was jest o-startin out to trim the hedge and stood with the shears in my hand thin5in' on what he'd said
 "'I reckon that's a good idee, MT Noble. I tole him. am idee that's oc- cured to me quite frequent of late. Fact ls. thurs a young gal been thinkln' of askln' to marry me fur some time
 -'Haye ye done any cOurdn'r he asked
 "'why. no. hain't DO good at courtin' uohow Anybody marries me 'U hey Co do it without courtin'
 "'Wen Parker. In some eases where practical women are concerned ! don't know but It's Just as well to tell yer story oFhand as Co beat about tho bush. Who's the girlF
 The young schoolteacher that start ed in last fall-Miss Field
 'WhatT he says, surprised Ike. Mss FieldT
 Yea I says. Dye think she's too good fur mel
 "she's the one to decide that Parker. It wouldn't be right fur me to express an opinion. The only way ye can do is Co put the case Co her and let her tell ye herself
 -He went Into the house lookln sort O queer. and ] worked on the hedge au day. That eyeuin' I concluded to try my luck with the schoolteacher go I puts on my store clothes and Btarts roun' to Deacon Weeks, wheU abe was boardln' The twilight was scu on. and she was a-sittin on the porch an alone. Thur was a smell O roses in the air and a half moon in the aky. She was a-readin a book. but when she see me she laid it down and give me welcomin' smile.
 How d' do. Mr. ParkerT she said with the sweetest voice in the world
 "I stood kind O awkwari-like and to help me on she asked who I'd come to gee. and when ! tole her I'd come to sec her she asked me Co sit down. Then. rememberin' what Mir Noble said about not beatin' round Che bush begun
 Miss Field ! says I was a-talkin' with Nlr. Noble bout my takin' a wife. He thinks one a be handy bout the place. He advised me Co go right Co che girl ! wanted and tell her. ] tsle him that you was my choice, but that l thought you might be too good fur me. He said you was the one to decide that
 "Fust oR she turned sort O pale; then he color come rushin up into hei cheeks 's lt cock bed been turned ou Inside Der Gurus I thought how some wlmmen 'u De taken aback by anything student After aL it might "a been better to "a done a little pro vus beaun' bout the bush
 "I hope ! h0In't said nothin' that I shouldn't "a said ! stammered
 Not at all. she answered me, gath ern' herself together. You have paid me a very high compliment, but ] con fess I don't like Mir Noble's taking h upon himself to instruct you in the af. falr
 Pm sorry I mentioned him.
 'Thsre's DO harm done. After all BIT. Nobls has aothing Co do with the matter: nothing at au You have made me a proposition and are entitled to an answer. You can tell Mir Noble who has thought proper to attempt to secure me for a handy person, that a previous"-
 "I thought ye said MT. Noble he'd 1othin' to do with it."
 "You're right. SO be hasn't Well then. rhile feel very much comph mented. I must decline your prOposi dou. l shall always think of you kind 1v and remember how you have bon orsd me"
 Then went away. ] was dead cer tain that I'd made her mad by bringin Ia Mir. Noble. After au that was beat lu' about the bush. The next mornn as be was drlvln' out O the place l tole him I'd done the job He pulled in and asked me all about it. repeated what we said as well as ! could remember and tole him I'd made mistake by bringin' him Into lt
 Perhaps you did. Parker he said after Hstenin to it an mighty Interest cd but since the lady has a previous attachment that would have beaten you anyway.
 "'He drove of lookln mighty glum Fact Is be seemed to take my failure as bad 's 1T he'd made it himself. To Been lem more or less together that spring. but never agin til the next fan. Then I see 'em walkin' down by the river side. Ar. Noble was a-bend tn' over her and talkin' mighty earnest while she was a-lookin' the other way.
 He's a-tryin' to undo what be done tnr ma as yell as hLmseIf.. ] saId-