Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-05-18
001 ELL, Madge. lid Sir Godfrey
WhW Pelham propose last night,

W 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 III
her own particular armchair beside the
boudoir fire. Raising !ackiuster eyes
from the pages of the Morning Post,
she treated her sister Ceiia to CLASSY
stare.
Gross and streaky" she repeated
slowly. well, l suppose it takes
fair woman to look beaminS and bloat-
ed by II o'clock in the morning.
Celia, on tiptoe before the fireplace,
smiled at her own pink and white re-
Election in the mirror.
when q man does not PROPOSE
she announced, apparently addressing
the coal box, 1T is invariably the
woman's fault Why did you manage
90 badly?'
Silence.
Either" proceeded Celia, "either
you snubbed him atrociously or you
encouraged him indeceiltly. Which
was it,"
Still silence.
Celia, though delighted with her own
elouuence, felt she had missed the
bulls 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 inpatient
".
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
clubbing" she went on, you did or
said something to gag Godfrey Pei
ham. 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.
Celia" she asked, you admire dark
men, don't you?"
The whilom inqusitor blushed.
Most awfully," she murmured, but
what of that:"
Nothing, only I don't; and last
night /"
Good heavens" gasped Celia, Il
believe you told him So"
Silence.
margaret" (sternly) 81 give you up.
You tell that peacock Of a Godfrey
that you don't admire him and then
wept inside the Morning Post because
he didn't propose"
"Oh., dear," moaned the culprit' Il
only SID 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
CURED 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-
sonally repugnant he would retract his
unfortunate proposal"
HIN" said Celia in scornful pity.
ri should think you and Sidney Rendle
had better marry each other"
Sidney Rendle? Why:'
"Why not? He's almost an albino;
fair enough to please even you, mag
Inc, and he loves dark women"
How do you know"
HE told me So
Told you so. When? Last night?"
Eyes; he was quite charming to me
ill we. went out to find a glowworm
and then-then l thought he was going
TO, but-but-"
But he didn't," supplied Lady Mar
garet. Drying her eyes. she sat up.
when a man doesn't propose" she
quoted, lit is invariably the woman's
fault. Why did you manage 50 badly"
ut was not my fault" cried Celia.
II neither snubbed nor encouraged
him. l didn't laugh at him nor CEN
sure his appearance. 1t was he who
said all Of a sudden and without any
warning that be had an aversion to
fair women. Oh, it was awful" And
Celia, too, produced her handkerchief
And what did you say"
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