Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-08
FAIR OR DARK

0O1ELL, Madge, did Sir Godfrey
WM Pelham propose last night!
But, never mind, of course he
didn't, or you wouldn't look SO cross
and streaky this morning"
Lady Margaret, whose temper some
times matched her hair, was lolling in
her own particular arm chair beside
the fire. Raising lack-luster eyes from
the pages Of the Morning Post, she
treated her sister Celia to u CLASSY
stare.
Gross ana streaky" she repeated,
slowly. "Well, suppose it takes
fair woman to look beamng by II
o'clock in tho morning"
Celia, OH tiptoe before the fireplace,
smiled ut her own pink and white re-
Election In the mirror.
when a man does not PROPOSE"
she announced. apparently addressing
tho coal box, ait is invariably the wom-
ans fault. Why did you manage so
badlyT
Silence.
either" proceeded Celia, "either
you Mubbed him atrociously, or you
encouraged him indecently. Which
was it?'
Still silence.
Celia, though delighted with her
own eloquence, felt she had missed the
bull's-eye.
Twisting round on the fender stuA,
she faced her sister.
Margaret" In a tragic whisper,
Margaret, were you mad enough to
laugh at hin,f'
The Morning Post rustled impa-
tiently.
"You think you know everything,
Celia, but you don't"
"But I mean to-" replied the other,
Significantly, land good intentions
count for something. It's no use qnib-
bling" she went on, "you did or said
something to gag Godfrey Pelham.
What was it?"
Lady Margaret gave mirthless
laugh.
"Oh, he proposed, right enough" she
said.
The blue china eyes opened wider.
Proposed, did he? Then why on
earth
Then Lady Margaret dropped the
Morning Post.
Cecilia" she asked, you admire
dark men, don't your"
The whilom inquisitor blushed.
Most awfully," she murmured,
"but what of that?"
Nothing, only l don't; and last
night L"
Good heavens!' gasped Celia, 81 be-
lieve you told hire So"
Silence.
margaret (sternly), I give you up.
You tell that peacock OF Il Geoffrey
that you don't admire him. and then
weep inside the Morning Post because
he didn't propose"
ooh, dear" moaned the culprt, 81
only said how queer it felt to find my
self accepting him when I'd loathed
dark men all my life"
"And, pray, what did he say?" In
quired Celia with the air of the kind
keeper to the prize imbecile.
| "He-he jumped up, turned blacker
than ever. and said since he was per-
sonslly repugnant to me he would re-
tract his unfortunate proposal"
"Hm," said Celia. in scornful pity.
Il should think you and Sidney Rendle
mad better marry each other"
sidney Rendle? Why?"
"Why not? He's almost an Albino;
fair enough to please even you, l i'm
agine, and he loves dark women"
How do you know
| "He told me So"
"Told you so. When? Last night"
"Yes; he was quite charming to me
till we went out to find n glow orm,
! and then-then thought he was going
| to, but-but-"
But he didn't" supplied Lady Mar
garet. Drying her eyes, she sat up.
| when young man doesn't pro-
pose" she quoted, 'it is invariably the
| woman's fault. Why did yon manage
so badly"
at was not my fault" cried Celia.
"I neither snubbed nor encouraged
him. l didn't laugh at him nor CEN
sure his appearance. 1t was he who
said, all of sudden and without any
warning, that he had an aversion to