Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-11-02
Miriam leslie S
Proposal
By HARRY /. HORTON

By HARRY /. HORTON
- DON'T care If it's unmaidenly
I'm going to do it. I know the
man loves me, and what is leap year
for if it isn't to give the girls an op-
portunity to help out those of the
other sex who don't know how to hep
themselves? So here goes! He can
dc 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 al
dience, she sat down at her desk at
once and began to write the letter
which she had planned the night te-
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 unsatisfactory as had
all the others, in that words which she
believed had been almost upon his
lips many times had again remained
unspcken. If the man she Lowell
wouldn't take a hint, he must be given
something broader than hint; ani
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 determinations 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 re-
suit, her editorial revision had
"boiled down" until it was brief anu
to the point. It ran as follows:
Dear Frank: You have been coming to
see me for several years, and the happy
evenings we have enjoyed have made me
think how pleasant it would be if we could
60 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 bust
ness, and she no longer waited for the
ink to dry, but grabbed piece of blot
ting-paper, and the letter was soon IN
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
~, as Miriam had begun to weaken
in her determination, and as she gave
him the letter she said to rerself:
"Now 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
to telephone to him to try to get the
letter back from the post Office, but
she didn't know If that would be pos
sible, and, besides, the request would
cause him to ask q good many ques-
lions 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 it
possible that he had answered SO
quickly?" she asked herself, as she
held the envelope in her hand, fearing
to open it.
She had had little experience as
q writer, and knew that quick returnSs
usually meant no sales, and her first
Thought was that Frank had declined
the honor of being her husband. That
was notifying thought in itself, and
the continuation of the train of
thought suggested by the comaprison
of her offer with. the manuscript was
not a comforting one.
She had offered herself, even as she
had been wont to submit story or
poem to an editor. The only oonso"
lation she could get out of the COM
parison was found in the thought tina:
she wasn't exactly placing herself on
the market, as If one editor. Frank
Webster by name. declined. she
wouldn't offer herself to another.
When Miriam thought to look at the
pcstmark, 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 few hours be-
fore. opened the envelope, and read
as follows:
NV Dear Miriam: see you so often
that it seems cowardly to write what
might speak: but, although many times
when in your presence have tried to say
certain words. courage has always failed
me- Resolutions made when alone have
not been kept when I found myself by your
side.
think you know what has been in my
heart for a long time. and have occa-
sionally felt that you cared for me; but
If you have, you have never made the least
attempt to help me out. I should have
forgiven you If you had made it easier
~nA .ho,,IH hovo t1oSsod vng, f0r