Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-01-23
FAIR OR DARK

0ELL, Madge, did Sir Godfrey
wv 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 a CLASSY
stare.
Gross and streakyT" she repeated,
slowly. "Well, L suppose it takes a
fair woman to look beaming by IL
o'clock In tho morning."
Celia, on tlptoe before the fireplace,
smiled at her own pink and white re-
Election In the mirror.
when a man does not propose"
she announced, apparently addressing
tho coal box, lit is invariably the wom-
ans fault. Why did you manage so
badlyT"
Silonce.
''Gather," proceeded Celia, "either
you Enubbed him atrociously, or you
encouraged him indecently. Which
was rtY'.
Still silence
Celia, though delighted with her
own el~oqueDce, felt she had missed the
bulps-eye.
Twisting round on the fender stool,
she faced her sister.
Margaret" in a tragic whisper,
Margaret, were you mad enough to
laugh at him?"
The Morning Post rustled impa-
tiently.
you think you know everything,
Celia, but you don't"
"But l mean to- replied the other,
significantly, land good intentions
count for something. It's no use quib-
bling" she went on, you did or said
something to gag Godfrey Pelham.
What was it?"
Lady Margaret gave a 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 las
night I"
Good h~eavensl" gasped Celia, 81 be
lieve you told hiro So"
Silence.
Margaret (sternly). 1 give you up
You tell that peacock of Il Geoffrel
hat you don't admire him. and theI
weep inside the Morning Post because
he didn't propose"
"Oh, DEAR moaned the culprit, 8"
only said how queer it felt to find my
self accepting him when I'd loathe.
dark men all my life"
"And, pray, what did be say?" In
quired Celia, with the air of the kin,
keeper to the prize imbecile.
"He-he jumped up. turned blacke
than ever, and said since he was per
sonnIly repugnant to me he would re
tract his unfortunate proposal"
Him. said Celia, in scornful pity
81 shoul think you and Sidney Rendl
had better marry each other"
Sidney Rendle? Why?'
"Why not? He's almost an Albino
fair enough to please even you, 1 i'm
agine, and he loves dark women"
"How do you known"
HE told me So"
Told you sol When? Last night2
Eyes; he was quite charming to m
till we went out to find a glow-worn
and then-then Thought he was goin
to. but-but3"
But he didn't" supplied Lady Ma
garet. Drying her eyes,, h sat up.
"When a young man doesn't pre-
pose,' she quoted, sit is invariably til
woman's fault. Why did yon manag
SO badly?"
at was not my fault" cried Cell;
"I neither snubbed nor encourage
him. 1 didn't laugh at him nor eel
sure his appearance. 1t was he VIII
said, all of a sudden and without an
warning, that he had an aversion I