Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-11-25


 "Ah, that's the trouble. You weren't thinking of me. Of course, oughtn't to have cared for those little boys" (some of them were inches taller than he), but couldn't help 1t. l kept saying inside, This is foretaste of what I've got to suffer when she's staying with Katherine at the Moor ings.' don't know when I've been so unpopular with myself. don't see how I'm going to get along unless you'll be nice to me, right now.'
 q am nice to you," l said. "As nice as know how to be-"
 "I could teach you to be a lot nicer. Say, Lady Betty, let me. won't you"
 His eyes. though they are such pale blue, had that silly. melting look in them that my cousin Loveland's have when he talks to me. Let you do what?" I asked almost snappishly for a person sitting in such a lovely place.
 Teach you to like me. fell all over myself in love with you the first minute saw you"
 Day before yesterday" I exclaimed. What nonsense. You're poking fun at me. I don't believe in love at first sight-at least don't think I do, Any how. nobody could fall in love with me in that way"
 Couldn't they, though? That's all you know about 1t, then. All Amer jeans will fall in love with you like that, and It's just what want to guard against. I want you to be en- gagged to me before you go to New port. Then I shall feel kind of safe" t'Dear me, are you really proposing. and it isn't in joke?" I asked. T do wish you wouldn't"
 Would propose to Lady Betty Bulkeley in joke?" he reproached me.
 1.-The idea Of proposing to any girl when you've only seen her three times!"
 What did tell you about my friend in San Francisco? was working slowly up to this, even tl.en."
 "Slowly!'
 "Yes, very slowly. I think I've shown a great deal of patience. Amer ican girls-the beauties, 1 mean-are 1 quite hurt if fellow doesn't propose somewhere along in the first day or two. They think he can't appreciate their real worth and that he deserves what he gets if some other chap walks away with them Now, I'm not going to sit still on my perch and see any thing else walking off with you"
 I couldn't help laughing. I'll call for help if think there's no danger" said I, but can't promise more than that. I didn't come over to America to pick up husband"
 He looked at me rather queerly when I said that, almost as if he thought had come for that express purpose and was trying to conceal it. But of course he couldn't be so horrid as to suppose such thing really, and must have imagined the strange expression. If he only knew I came away so that another girl might be sure to get q husband, and I'm not allowed to go back until he has been got!
 They're just growing around on blackberry bushes and In trawberry patches for you to pick and choose" :" said. Potter, land that's what worries me. I'm a wildly jealous fellow. I've got two months leave so as to be with you at Newport, and I tell you I shall see a bright beautiful crimson if too many dudes come fooling around the shanty. Say. won't you just play we're engaged anyhow and see how you like itT
 But now I was really cross and wouldn't hear a word more of such nonsense. so jumped up, and he had to scramble up too.
 doubt" said l, you must please un- derstand that you've been formally re- fused But I forgive you because l believe you must have been chaffing and because it's my first proposal, so at all events I can't die without having had at least one. Now, do be sensible and take me back or I shall have to find my way alone or else ask a strange cadet to pilot me-
 That threat found vulnerable spot and he was not half bad on the way home-perhaps no worse than the name of the walk allowed.
 I was a good deal excited about the ball, as it was my very first. Sally Woodburn had looked at my things and told me what to bring. Not that it was a hard choice, for I have only four frocks with me in which could go to a dance. The one Sally wanted me to wear at West Point is little white thing of embroidered India mus. lin. Thompson made it after one of Vic's, and it is a rag compared to Sally's and Mrs. Ess Rays gorgeous things. But when Sally had done my hair in a new way 0hey had left Louise behind, as there was no room for her) and fastened around my throat a lovely string of pearls she brought on purpose booked quite nice.
 The hop" was in a great big room which the cadets use for something or other. I forget what. and it was dec, orated with quantities of American flags. There were lots of girls-the youngest things. Hardly any of them could have been out. but there were even more men; counting officers and cadets. at least two for each girl