Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-04-04
THE MISS AND THE MILE.
Ply E. RALPH.

tic felicity, bat at IS he was still
bachelor. still in vain pursuit of the prin
cess OF his dreams.
Now. it was perfectly clear that the
one thing above all others which stood
in the way OF his settlement in life was
his painful shyness -shyness which al
ways seemed to aflict him most when,
as had happened some dozen times Or
more he had screwed his courage mp to
the particular point of interviewing the
current lady Of his choice with view to
a proposal.
As matter of fact, it never came to
that; the proposal never, by any chance,
got farther than the intention; the three
blondes. two brunettes, and seven other
young ladies who were a little of each,
being left in that unsatisfactory state of
ignorance which is not bliss. lie had an
eXasperating way of yelling his meaning,
SO that even the Sphinx would have been
puzzled to solve the riddle.
still in spite Of all this, he had GER
tain sort Of attraction for ladies general
~. lie was rich, fairly personabIc, and
which was a great point in his favor
he was OF q romantic turn of mind.
Now, romance is all very well, but it
doesn't appeal to everybody; and, there
fore. while women of the younger sort adj
mired Septimus Smith for the magma
ton that was in himj his own sex, to a
man. wrote him down as being something
very much like an ass.
For some months prior to the date of
this chronicle he had been an object of
solicitude to one of his lady friends.
Della Spence did not deceive herself into
the belief that she loved the bashful Sep
timus, being so far candid as to acknowl-
edge TO herself that picturesque, up-to-
date west side fiat, together with plenty
Of money 10 keep it up, and a little over,
were The things most to be desired in
connection with her dilatOry suitor's an
ticipated declaration.
Every reasonable opportunity was
given Mr.. Smith when he paid visit to
AS Delia's terrible young brother called
it-'come M to the scratch" but surely
no bird was ever so difficult to approach
with the salt-boX Times out of number
Mrs. Spence with all a mothers anxiety
for her daughters matrimonial future.
found something to do elsewhere, so that
the consequent tete-atete might have
every chance.
Delia's younger sister, Connie also, was
not q whit less considerable than her
mother, and invariably vanished at the
sound OF Septimus Smiths hesitating
knock and ring.
But it was all thrown away, and poor
Septimus, much as he desired to declare
himself, never succeeded in getting to the
"Will you be miner"
Then he came to resolution.
1t was the last day of March, and he
felt that, for him, there was only one
way to take the plunge
It's no use" he said to himself, "if
wait Il. doomsday' I'll never be able
to do it. Somehow the words seem to
freeze on my lips Just when | am going
I'll do. 1t viii be easier for me; and
have precisely the same effect"
There was no hesitation now. A cow
ard in the presence of beauty, Septimus
Smith was a veritable hero on paper. The
letter was triumph of the epistolary
art, the writer's hand and heart being
offered for his lady loves acceptance in
terms at once splendid and convincing
With the fateful missive in his pocket
he set out for Harlem in the spirit of the
man who has greatly dared, and con
scientiously looks for his reward.
But the fair Della had also, herself, on
that same last day of March, come to
resolution. She was what people style
getting on'-being sensible, she knew
it-and felt that if much more time were
wasted" she stood a very good, or bad,
chance Of attaining to the shelf"
She was determined if Septimus Smith
really meant anything he should be made
to say II, or give place to another and 4
better man III the person of Lieut.. Treen.
| I. :. n, who, though not so well off as
! Sephmus, was younger and better look
| ing.
To give her hesitant swain no shadow
Of an excuse tor longer delaying his
declaration, Della had concocted a scheme
winch certainly did credit to her inge
nmty.
Procuring, through a friend. tickets for
a hubelk recital at Carnegie Hall for
| that evening, She had asked the gallant
lieutenant to his great delight, to escort
Connie and herself.
AZ the last moment n toothache or a
headache compelled her, she said, to re-
main at home, hut that Mrs. Spence
could take her place.
IL was astonishing how rapid was her
recovery, for when, ten minutes after the
departure OF the concert party. Scptimus
smiths knock sounded at the door, the
ache Lad vanished, and Della was
"arbling In Old Madrid"
Mamma and Connie have gone to hear
kubehk,' She said, by way Of first shot.
! Il expect they'll he late"
They talked in whispers, and sat with
their chairs very close to each other. hut
Scptmus Smith only uttered a string of
Wneanlng generalties; he did not so
much as attempt 10 pop the question.
! All IN vain were Delia's modest efforts
to elicit the words which would make her
prospective mistress OF the west side flat
and The comfortable income.
Had she but known that the hause.
maid. Who had opened the door to Sep.
tunus, had in her possession. for deposit
III peha.s room, that hero's written pro-
Posal Of marriage, she might, perhaps.
have acted differently
NeNed beyond bounds, she saw her Wis.
ltor depart, with almost savage satisfac-
uon-it such a tate Of mind can be i'm