Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-09
AN
WISHED
PROPOSAL.
by C. D. LEWIS,
Copyrighted. 1905. by Associated
Literary Pross.

more or less. especially when the moth
er Is widow. 1t isn't through any
spirit OF avarice that she would hs va
her daughter marry rich. 1t is simply
that the money may be In the house
when the man comes around with tbo
gas bill. 1t isn't because OF snohbish.
ness that she would prefer to be the
mother-in-law of a duke rather than
a commoner. but dukes are said never
to call their mothers-in-law old cats.
1t isn't from any desire to smash ro-
mances or break hearts that they Inc
the daughter OF twenty Off to Europe
IN hopes she viii forget the man OF
twenty-five to fall In love with a
sutton OF sixty. 1t Is that the dear
girl may have a grandfather. father
and a husband all In one.
Such were the guiding principles of
Mrs. Deland. relict OF Judge Deland
and 1t Is requested that a fair per
cent OF the readers OF this story be.
come her partisans and give her a fair
show.
VI course the daughter, Clara. had
received the education given to ali
young girls whose fathers or mothers
are able to pay for the same ty the
square foot, and she had arrived at the
age OF twenty without causing any
particular worry to anybody when she
met young Albert Lee. They called
him young Lee because he was only
twenty-five and because there was an
| old Lee, who was sixty.
Young Lee was still Mt college, and
1t was still an unsettled question as to
what profession he would select To
make his way through life. In an in
definitely definite way he had been
paying bis attentions to Miss Clara
for several months before the widowed
mother, with a woman's Intuition.
aroused herself to the realization that
her lamb might be stolen away. Then.
like dutiful mother. she began max
Ing inquiries and scolding her daugh-
ter at the same time.
1t did not take long to exhaust the
schedule Of inquiries. Young Lee was
all right socially. and his sixty-year-
old father would leave him o COM
Portable property when the reaper
came, but there was no telling wheth-
er he would pass away at sixty-one or
eighty-five.
IL was long odds for mother with
a business head on her to take. She
at once put her foot down, and Of
course 1t was the wrong foot. She
began by criticlsing the sutton and
ended by announcing that she would
rather see her daughter in her grave.
There were arguments. protesta-
lions. tears. A girl who is beginning
to feel the impulses OF love may be
argued or bulldozed into silence. but
to convince her Is quite another thing.
After few minutes Clara had moth
Ing further to say. and In her exuber-
ance over her triumph the mother an
nounced an early trip to Europe.
Young Lee would not follow. The ex-
elements and enjoyments OF London.
Paris and Berlin would quite drive
him from the daughters mind. and
some day that daughter would kneel
at the maternal feet and exclaim:
BLESS you. mamma. that you have
caused me to forget that penniless
young man and engaged me to the liv-
ing remains OF an ancient lord, duke
or countr'
The living remains appeared In Lon
DON He was Lord Somebody or 9TH
er. The only certain thing about his
age was that he was over sixty. The
only certain thing about his attentions
to the daughter was that he believed
the mother far richer than SIZE was
and that he had several mortgages
on several ruined castles that he wish
ed to repair.
After the hrst meeting, which came
about through accident, MILFORD was in
evidence at brief intervals during the
tour. lasting three months and more.
He received all proper announcement
from the mother. and there were times
when the daughter sat and looked at
his dyed hair and false eyebrows and
pasted wrinkles and was amused.
In due time. which was a day or
two before the ladies sailed for home,
he made his proposal. 1t was first
made to the mother, who received it
smilingly: then to the daughter. who
also smiled q little. but prevaricated
by saying that she didn't know her
own heart
Milford was In duty bound, as gal
liant remains are. to say that. ae would
give her time, and Clara looked back
at London from the decks OF the
steamer and congratulated herself that
this ended II all.
That was where she was Just as
much mistaken as her mother had
been. They had been home only four
weeks when MILFORD put I'm an appear
ance at the American manor house
1t was no ones business but his own
how he had managed to raise the cash
for the trip. There are money lenders
In London who will take long chances.
His love had not grown cold with the
departure OF Miss Deland.
Just as the mother had figured on.
young Lee hsd not followed the cou-
pie abroad. There are postofiices all |
over the civilized world. however. and
siangy girl might have said that IL
was cold week when Clara didn't
receive and answer a letter from n |
certain New England college town.
she may have even met young Lee
after her return. They may have met |
and stroiled on the broad highway |
leading to the village-just IittieI
stroll and just little talk IL SO. the
mother didn't know anything about It.
Milford had arrived to renew his pro-
posai, and not three days had passed
when the mother wanted to know
what the daughters answer was to be.
asIf no rroprcao 20 mo 1910 81