The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
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kk1 Kitty Floyd. All the fellows in
I41SbI our town have done. so in the
80 natural course of events They
couldn't help it. suppose. she is by far the
prettiest girl anywhere around-even my SIS
ter. who is a dear friend of Kitty's, admits
that-and as for character and intellect.
well she has 'en to burn. But when you've
said all that you have only begun to enum-
crate Ritsy's charms. and if you don't know
Kitty you can't understand. AS old Du
Maurier said, How can a man describe
peaches to a man who has only known APP.
ples?" Then, too, when fellow is misun-
derstood and treated like a kid at home it
Is a relief to be talked to seriously by a
woman Of the world like Kitty. She was
Miss Kitty" to me for good many years.
but when came home that winter from
college on account of my eyes we became
great pals, and was over sat her house.
which Is next door TO. ours, pretty constant
~. Seated on the big couch in front of the
library hse. with her yellow head gainst a.
red cushion, Kitty would talk to me about
souls and mind reading and all sorts OF deep
subjects ike that. Then one evening when
i told her, how awfully much loved her.
and Couldn't live without her. Ishes looked
very serious and somewhat .startled for a
moment and then she laughed: Not mock
ingly. you understand, but I'M: her whole.
souIed way. which 1t would do. your heart
good 10 hear. A great artist might succeed
in painting Kitty, but the picture would be.
incomplete. for no artist could paint her
laugh. She has a little scarlet. scaIloped
mouth and her laugh is the most musical
sound aver. listened TO. "Oh, no, Bobby.
she said. I'm going to continue to be a
bachelor girl, so of course l can't marry
you" and then she laughed again. r-,,s-
I had an idea. well. can't yen be en-
gagged to me?' asked. oh, yes; she could
do that easily enough.
Engaged people always kiss each other"
said. ~,
I'm cure would just as soon kiss you.
Bobby DEAR said Kitty and she did so.'
but In a way that somehow made me feel
about ten years old. However. I set it
down as Kitty's way, and that night at the
supper table 1 announced to the assembled
family. Pm an engaged man. go
An engaged what?' said my sister, Be-
ing FIVE years older than I she has nasty
way of ignoring the fact that I have
grown up.
- to Kitty" went on.
My sister shrieked "She is ages older
than you are. Why, Kitty is twenty-seven
years old il she's a day." she said.
My mother looked anxious. She never
quite approved of Kitty. Kitty Is so, so
pronounced. she said. Ny older brothers,
who had both been through the Kitty
fever. looked at me with varying express
sions Of pity and interest. Kitty Is deli
>ciousH' said my father, and so it was set
tied.
The next morning I bought the largest
diamond ring / could afford. It cost me
Just the price father had given me for a
new riding horse, but it seemed to me- that
Kitty was worth 1t. After that we be-
came chummier than ever. We golfsd and
walked and danced and drove. together,
but most of all we talked together We
had one topic Of conversation which never
failed Us. and that was the man who lived
en- the other side Of Kitty,s. He was q.
newcomer. a widower, and reputed to be
vastly rich. Kitty detested him. She has
q sharp tongue and directed its invectfVes
against Mr.. Guinnip. which was the rich
widower's name, in way which afforded
us both much amusement. >. s.-.fs
'T hate those big, dark, solemn-looking
men," she would observe when she saw
him drive past in his smart runabout AS
/ am slight and blond and said to be
cheerful looking. her observations pleased
me. At another time she would say that
Mr.. Guinnip had the manners Of a plow-
boy anc she was sure he had driven his
wife into untimely grave by his I'M
governable temper.
was forced to leave Kitty for a week
and so to Cincinnati on business for
father. / hated to do Ii, but OF course a
fellow feels important to be sent on big
law business like that. so I really forgot
to worry about Kitty while / was gone.
You may imagine that it was something
of shock when 1 drove home from the
station to see Kitty alighting from Mr.
Guinnip's aforesaid smart trap and run
into the house followed by the owner
thereof. Directly after supper I went over
to Kittys. L never remember to have
saen hsr so radiant. and her talk was all
Of Mr.. Guinnip. "Oh. BOBBY" she ran on,
he Is a millionaire and has seven serv-
ants In his house and has an automobile
and a private car and goes to Europe every
summer and really he's awfully inteIlec-
tual and interesting when you really know
him. and. er Qrrelevantly). am led to be-
leve that he wants to get married.
Well said, 'T hope ne will find some
girl willing to marry such a disagreed bic
cross-grained. ugly old man as himself -
had always considered GuiDnip rather a
good sort Of fellow myself, but 1 was
quoting Kittys language"
why. he's nothing of the sort" said
Kitty. hotly. besides, detest handsome
men" Now as 1 am distinctly good look
tag, that was unlkind of Kitty. :. Sstse
HE IL DID, / said. .l.8
"A very proper age said Kitty, wither-
tngly. I'm short" she went on. ct have
every reason to believe that he Intends &c
ask. some one to marry him. here Kitty
surveyed the rosetten on her Ssffpper and
twirlsd Mr.. Guinnip's roses in sssy fngers-
toto ask me-"
Now I leave it to anyone If that wasn't
pretty rough on me. If Kitty had acted
differently. / should have behaved de-
Gently myself, but her cool audacity. made
me furious. .sr. - 80
I'm have you to know that you're en-
gagged TO me-" L said. ,sterniy.
But never promised to marry you. "
she said.
You promised either to marry me OF