Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-04-04
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
WHEN NAN PROPOSES

"Do look perfectly calm?" inquired
Polly, climbing into the wrong side of
the sleigh, and trying to tuck the lap.
robe around the dashboard. Because"
she went on, beginning to take off
her gloves. and then, as she recollect-
ed herself. nervously drawing them on
again, though you might not suspect
1t, Tina little--excitcd. I've just fin.
ished getting proposed to-
gave the check rein a violent jerk
that must have insulted horse like
Marc Antony.
81 wouldn't even ask who" be-
gan.
"Oh, you needn't" said Polly. ut
was only Bobby Paddineton."
started. The check rein slipped
from my fingers and let the whip fall
with thud into the snow.
why, what Is the matter?" asked
Polly. at isn't polite to be surprised
when girl gets proposed to. 1t looks
as If you had thought she couldn't"
'Oh, il isn't that" said /. Anybody
could get proposed to by Bobby Pad.
dington-and in leap year"
Pooh" said Polly. as | stepped into
the sleigh and tucked. the robe around
her. Leap. year has nothing to do
with it--nor Bobby Paddington, either
If girl has really made up her
mind. Leap year merely gives her
privilege which a woman can take
whenever she likes. It's like the kiss
under the mistletoe, entirely joke.
You wouldn't dare kiss any girl under
the mistletoe whom you wouldn't dare
kiss anywhere else. And no girl would
think of asking a man to marry her on
leap year, or at any other time-that
is, no girl with particle of common
sense or delicacy."
"Or womanliness," I declared.
"Or knowledge of men," said Polly.
"Or breeding"
"Or experience"
81 wonder" said I, ''if any woman
ever did use that leap.year privilege"
Never" said Polly, "since she has
had the every year privilege Of max
ing n man propose to her Il would
have been so very unnecessary. Any
woman who uses little tact and sets
out to can get proposal. The differ
ence between proposing herself and
making man propose to her Is the
difference between using a whip and
spur. You don't have to whip a horse
that is. a horse worth having do
you? But you do often have TO spur
him when you come to a jump. A man
is like horse; he hates a whip, but
he minds a spur"
"Oh, see," said I. clucking to Marc
Antony until the sleigh sped over the
frozen road; "a proposal is like a
hedge. A fellow wants to get over 1t,
but he Is afraid of what is on the other
side. He may land In tangle-or he
may get cold water dousing."
"Or he fancies there might be a
ditch somewhere"
"Or trap" suggested gently.
Exactly" said Polly, land that Is
why It needs little mental suggestion
from the girl to spur him on. II she
attempts to drive him with a whip he
balks. But mental suggestion"
THAT isn't anything like-hypno-
tism--is 1t. Polly?"
"Well-a little," acknowledge Polly.
"Its making somebody think some
thing that isn't So"
making him think that there isn't
cold water on the other side?" in.
CURED.
"Yes; or a tangle." said Polly. THE
average man breads getting tangled
up worse than he does plunging into
cold water. But II you can hide all
the cords Of binding engagement and
all the bonds Of matrimony, or can
make them look like garlands, or GOV.
er them with silk and can persuade
him that proposal isn't a hedge at
all, but just bower Of roses that he
can slip over without any discomfort,
and that the water on the other side
, couldn't possibly be cold, but just
warm tears of affectionate sympathy,
and that there aren't any bitches in
which to be entombed alive, or any
traps In which to be caught, and then
can make him believe that you don't
care whether he takes the leap or
not"
"He viii! go pell.mell on to his
DOOM" finished tragically.
Like Bobby Paddington," Polly gig.
gled.
"Oh, Bobby Paddington!" ! remark
cd with disgust. "He Is just like some
fool horses that would take any hedge,
II It was brick wall-and always land
on their feet. There is a divine Provi,
dence that protects Bobby"
I'm very sure you're very uncom'
plimentary," said Polly. "And, besides
Bobby Paddington landed right in the
ice.cold water this time. ] refused
him-as hard as could"
looked down at the demure little
bundle of fur beside me, with one
curl and nose sticking out Of the
big collar
did you do II for my sake, Polly?"
=. Ia