Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-14
Miriam Leslie $
 Proposal By HARRY l. HORTON

lOT II IL lSut lO give the SlTiS dn Up- portunity to help out those of the other sex who don't know how to help themselves? So here goes! He can't do more than refuse, and he won't do that; but, whatever the verdict know that he is too honorable ever to breathe word of the aaffair."
 When Miriam Leslie had concluded the delivery of this speech, which had only Miriam Leslie for an attentive aI- dience, she s@ down at her desk at once and began to write the letter which she had planned the night be- fore, after Frank Webster had left the house. She had parted from him with smile on her lips, but the smile had lasted only long enough for the door to close upon him, and as Miriam had entered her room she looked far from happy.
 She had enjoyed Franks call, but it had ended as satisfactorily as had all tho others, in that words which she believed had been almost upon his | lips many times had again remained unspcken. If the man she loved wouldn't take hint, he must be given something broader than a hint; ari when Miriam went to sleep, 1t was with the determination to write let ter on the morrow that even stupid man might understand.
 Strangely enough, as she admitted to herself, the morning found her mind unchanged, with determination fixed | to take advantage of her leap-year prerogatives.
 The writer of the letter had gone over in her mind it's prospective con- tents a number of times, and, as a re-
 suit, her editorial revision had
 "boiled down" until it was brief and i to the point. It ran as follows: 1 Dear Frank: You have been coming to
 see me for several years, and the happy evenings we have enjoyed have made me l think how pleasant it would be if we could
 go on spending them together the rest of | our lives. Has the idea ever occurred to ! you? MIRIAM.
 The girl heard her brother pass her door, preparatory to starting for busi-
 ness, and she no longer waited for the l ink to dry but grabbed piece of blot ting paper, and the letter was soon Tn | his hands. He was told that it was ' important. and that it must be posted
 by him when on the way to his office. Her brothers departure was time
 ly, as Miriam had begun to weaken
 s,, |, 1k.tarp,ioofinn and ha a
 him the letter she said to rerself:
 "Now I haven't chance to change my
 mind"
 She did. however, have many changes of mind through the day, which seemed |. to her one of unusual length. Soon after
 her brother had left she was tempted t to telephone to him to try to get the
 letter back from the post office but Rshe didn't know if that would be pos
 sible, and, besides, the request would cause him to ask a good many ques- tions which it would be awkward for
 her to answer, and so the request was not made.
 By the afternoon post Miriam re- ceived a letter addressed in the we'll known handwriting of the young man to whom she had proposed. Is 1t possible that he had answered so uuickly?" she asked herself, as she i held the envelope in her hand fearing 1 to open 1t.
 ! She had had little experience as . writer, and knew that quick return5s usually meant no sales. and her first ] tntought was that Frank had declined the honor of being her husband That was a mortlfying thought in itself. and
 the continuation of the train of , thought suggested by the comparison { of her offer with the manuscript was not a comforting one.
 She had offered herself. even as she { had been wont to submit a story or poem to an editor The only conso-' lation she could get out of the com parison was found in the thought that ] she wasn't exactly placing herself on ! the market, as if one editor. Frank l Webster by name. declined. sue
 wouldn't offer herself to another. When Miriam thought to look at the ] rcstmark. she was convinced that the letetr had been posted before Frank could have received her letter With trembling fingers. this maid, who had had so much courage a few hours be- fore. opened the envelope, and read as follows:
 My Dear Miriam; I see you SO often | that ft seems eowardiy to write what l might speak; but. although many times ' when In your presence I have tried to say | certain words courage has always failed me. Resolutions made when alone have not been kept when found myself by your side.
 think you know what has been In my heart for a long time. and I have occz- sfonaIiy felt that you cared for me; but ] 1T you have. you have never made the least ] attempt to help me out I should have ] forgiven you If you had made 1t easier | Tor me and should have blessed you for having done SO. and yet. after all, dear. | love you all the more for your womanly [ reserve. ard have always ccntrasted it with | Yle actions of some Of your ser. who seem ever ready 10 say: This is % suddenr' I hone. dear. that you do care eEough for me. or feel that you can care enough some dav to make me the happlsst man on earth. ! know they aii say that; but for ! give my Jack of oririnslity. and remember | that there is something original about my statement. as really mean on the day you say you will be my wife l shall be hap | pier than anybody in this or any other
 neigh borhood.
 Don't answer this lsfter ir hurry. un-
 less ycu can at once reply to ny question.
 'sTfii you bs mT wifeT cy saying Yes. If you can send that answer l shall have