Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-08-11
TAKEN AT
HER WORD
By JOANNA SINGLE
Copy right, 1906. by f.. c. PARCELS
By JOANNA SINGLE


f"Statlon of rage would surely delight
ROSalie She wsS watching his dppar-
turr from the window. and he was an
CriIy conscious that She knew he
would. aS usual, return in Il few days,
altnoJgh she had said she hoped she
would b" rid OF him for awhile. She
was so young and so brautiful-and SO
provoking.
At the entrance to the little park al
ready growing green In the April sun,
he met her sister. He did not know
Anne very ll-hc had been too busy
with RoSaie. He wished now that he
had mad" friends with her; her blue
eyes We're 50 like and still so unlike
RosalicS. Anne stepped in front of
him and stopped him unCercmoniouslv.
Been trampled upon again" she OBJ
served. john Mason, for so clever
man generally you're sometimes an
awful fooI"' She submitted this
thou"hfully, in voice too gentle to be
Insulting.
"Thcn You and RoSalc are agreed,
and | suppose you are expert t"stI-
mony. May l turn and walk with
YOU"
She nodded and then asked matter
of fact question. How many times
has She refused yout'
Il had not thought to keep count
RoSali" just now informed me that this
was the last time didn't know had
been the same sort of a-fool so often.
But dun'f you think she ought to give
me credit for my persistence: Not ev
cry man proposes so many timcs-to
the same girl"
Anne laughed dryly as he continued:
Il would have given up long ago If
| were not un"Nplainahly sure that she
does care for ne. In fact she never
has said directly that She does not She
simply says she won't marry me.
What's the matter with me: Am too
rich? | can give away the stuff If she
likes. Am | too SuCc"SSfult | light
lose a cas-" to please her. Should | be
as ugly as Satan? Perhaps she would
like Beauty and tn" Beast effect!
What does she want? I've said and
done everything under heaven, and she
walks on me-Shr trails me-
"rrrciSely. That's why | called you
what | did. \ girl likes to trail
man. but hates the man that will be
trailed. Not logical, is it? To use her
own words. you are always around
und"rfoot. You give her no time to
want You or miss you or think about
YOU. She's too sure of you. She
knows Just where you'l he. You never
let her want anything bad enough to
appreciate it when ii comes She has
always had her own way. She needs to
be Il bit afraid of you. She needs to be
hullicd"
He frowned. Il am not brute. That
is not my way
"No: We'll, what has your way nc
compliShrd:"
He tried to laugh. "Oh, I'll take your
advice. I'll do anything You say. 1t
can't be worse than it is now
WELL hate the responsibility. If
you get her you'll fight; if You don't.
you'll both he miserable anyhow. You
must get hcr-und then work out your
own salvation. In the first place, you
must give her Il shock. Write her a
note and accept your dismissal. Tell
her You begin to see that she is right
and that YOU wish to be friendly with
her and the family. Then call some
timcS-on the father or on me Don't
stay away. Absences of that sort are
tlattrring; You must be quite unatrcct-
ed 10y her presence"
You know that is impossible. You
know how the sight of her
"Iou've got to do it. And you must
take another girl out occasionally. Be
ing naturally modest. | dislike to sug-
geSt that YOU send me flowers some
times and come for walk with me-
That will bring things home to her \
girl hates to have an admircr transfer
himself bodily to any one, but eSpe-
cially to her sister"
When they had planned their cam
pai%n and he left Anne at the gate
she had him laughing. RoSalie saw
them and shrugged her shoulders.
While removing her hat in the hall
Anne remarked to her sister:
well, dear. John tells me that you
have dismissed him for good You
know | never would have interfercd if
you had wanted him. but am glad
you do not. Now You may find time
for your music. Your talent is too
marked to be neglected. 1t will he a
relief for you to have him out of the
way awhile. You're too young to leave
father and me. and, after all, | think
yOu re right about his not being the