The Somerset reporter., 1908-08-27
AN
UNFINISHED
PROPOSAL.
BY c. B. LEWIS.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press

Literary Press.
E~N<N~>~~<~>N~~>
When mothers put it the way they
do we must sympathize with them
more or less, especially when the moth
er is a widow. 1t isn't through any
spirit of ayarice that she would have
her daughter marry rich. 1t is simply
that the money may be In the house
when the man comes around with the
gas bill 1t isn't because of snobbish-
ness that she would prefer to be the
mother-in-aW of a duke rather than
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 lug
the daughter of twenty off to Europe
In hopes she will forget the man OF
twenty-five to fall in love with
sutton Of sixty 1t is that the dear
girl may have grandfather, father
and husband an in one.
Such were the guiding principles of
Mrs. Deland, relict of Judge Deland,
and it Is requested that a fair per
cent of the readers of this story be-
come her partisans and give her a fair
show.
OF course the daughter, Clara. had
received the education given to all
young girls whose fathers or mothers
are able to pay fer the same by 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 at college, and
1t was still an unsettled question as to
what profession be would select to
make his way through life. In an III
definitely definite way he had been
paying his 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 a dutiful mother she began max
ing inquiries and scolding her daugh-
ter at the same time.
It did not take long to exhaust the
schedule of inquiries. Young Lee was
all right socially. and his slxty-year-
old father would leave him com
Portable property when the reaper
came but there was no telling wheth
er he would pass away at sixty-one or
eighty-fve
1t was long odds for a mother with
at once put her foot down, aud OF
course 1t was the wrong foot. She
began by critlclslng 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 he
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 pennlless
nd rod tn 40 10
Ing remains OF an ancient lord. duke
or COUNT
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 she was
and that he had several mortgages
on several ruined castles that be wish
ed to repair.
After the first 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 encouragement
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 day or
two before the ladies sailed for home
he made his proposal 1t was first
made to the mother, who received it
smillngly; then to the daughter. whe
also smiled a 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 he would