The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-02-06
MATRIMONIAL SELECTION.

| much all at once Therefore, i have
come 10 you 20 ask II you can give mt
! any useful tips. based upon your OWL
experience as a past proposee."
"Ah." said Dollle, smiling, you wish
me. in fact, 10 coach you up In the
manners and rules OF good proposingr
II wish you TO tell me-" ] answered
"what phraseology Mr.. Cattistock
made use Of when he proposed TO you.
IL may serve me as useful line
Dollie thought for moment or two,
picking up the threads OF recollection.
Then she rejOined:
Very well, my dear, you shall have
n precise account Of all the circum-
stances. The affair took place al Lady
KS dance. Frank began by remark
ing that the room was devilish-he
begged my pardon-confounded hot.
/ acqubesced. Have you made a note
OF that, my dearT'
"Go on" remarked, with some i'm.
patience. IL wish 10 get TO the kernel
OF the nut. These little preliminary
breaklngs OF the outer shell are i'm
material
May" answered Dollie, you can
not get 10 the kernel without these
little preliminary breakings OF the
outer shell. II is an Integral part Of
Franks next observation referred 10
the floor, which he declared 10 be n
ripper. concurred. Then he snid,
give him such floor and n partner
whose step suited his. don't you know,
and. by Jovc, what more could n fellow
want? ] said nothing. only looked
hard at the toes OF my satin shoes. |
knew now what was coming. and that
the less | interrupted the quicker il
would come. Frank cleared his throat
and tugged at his mustache. Then he
embarked upon confused and un.
grammatical rigmarole, in which
Partner-stcp suited-ball OF life
heaven on earth, Were the only distinct
and intelligible expressions"
Dolic paused.
"And that's ALL" she said.
"Do you mean" | demanded, "that
he never asked you, in so many words,
to marry him."
"Ncvcr! Without another remark
we were In corner of the conserva-
tory behind two OleandcrS and plas-
ter Apollo-he took me in his arms.
offered no objection. SO there We were.
That settled IT,"
well" | said, after brief rencc-
tion, II shall meet Charles Wilton at
Mrs. Us dance tomorrow night: and
| will see what can be done-if l get
the opportunity"
IF my dcar?" cried Dollc. There
is no 'if' in the matter. The proposer
makes his opportunity"
IL suppose he does" was faln to
admit. "Thcre are good many things
to learn about this new role, after all"
1T is an art and has its technicalities
like every other she replied.
Which was so undenable that ]
agreed TO il without comment.
Next evening. | went to Mrs Us
dance. There, rs anticipated, | met
Charles Wilton. | cast about how
should make my opportunity. But
this proved 10 be unnecessary. He
asked me II would sit out the fourth
waltz with him. l did. The ground
being thus cleared, II only remained for
me to put into practice Dollie's man.
ncrs and rules OF good proposing.
| began:
Don't you think the room-er-very
hot?'
Now he ought 10 have acquesced
But he didn't. He answered instead:
"Do you think so? l find II just
comfortable"
This departure from the rules OF the
game rather puzzled me. What was
TO do? ] decided to ignore IL and pro-
ceed rs though II had not occurred.
IF you ask me-" he answered 81
should say that there is triGe too
much bceswax on It,"
This reply was still more upsetting.
However, l made bold dash
"Given such floor and partner
whose step suits one, what could a girl
want moreT'
He was not silent. He did not stare
at the toes of his pumps. He did not
(evidently) know what was coming.
Instead. he answered gcnially:
Don't matter a button-top TO me.
The only dancing | ever do is TO walk
through a square. But dare say that
what you suggest Is very jolly for those
who like IT,"
This was too vexing. II quite killed
my opening for that metaphor about
The Ball OF Life" aud Heaven on
Earth" so | was brought To stand.
still. Soon afterward he took me back
to mamma; and the chance was gone.
Evidently Dolly's method was no go
And on thinking IL over | saw why Il
was no go. Ii was because II was an
abusive method. Now the allusiv,
method is. no doubt, very sound for Q
man, and for this reason Woman
knows him TO be n proposing animal
she is. therefore. on the Qui vive; she
leads up TO Il. But n woman proposing
for the first time. rs | was doing. is IL
very different position. The man
naturally. never suspects her inten
tion (having always regarded her as I
mere passive proposee); he canno
make out what she is driving at. an,
so her allusiveness is lost on him.
Yes" said To myself. there Is onl,
one way-the direct way. | must trea
him as one treats children. must ~
plain, literal. precise. must sa!
what | mean in the most simple. IN
cquivocal language Yea! must. a
IL were, propose TO him in words OF on