The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-29
~ THE
PROPOSAL

And 1t is DuC nereQlIdTy, 1
that never to this day have I seen
anything remarkable in the fact that
it took me ten years to make up my
mind to propose to Sally.
It did not take me ten years to
know that Sally was pretty, and good,
and charming; but it did take me ten
years to be sure that I wanted to
marry her-that I admit.
But what is there amusing in that?
Heavens! Has not a man a right to
u and consider so important a
matter as. getting married? And
what right have people to link ones
name with another's prematurely?
Isn't it dreadful?
Now, I haven't told a soul before
not a living soul-and if I open my
lips now it's because I am tired OF
hearing people litter when I ap-
proach, and because I think it's about
time that some one knew the truth
of the whole matter. I hope I am
man enough-Down, Mimi, down.
I will put her out if she annoys you-
Naughty! Naughty! Mimi, lie down!
There!
Well, as 1 was saying, I had made
up my mind, and I went to see Sally.
I was full of the subject. Never had
I felt so much of a man before. I
was, don't you know, lifted up. I
was nervous, of course. All men are
at such times, I suppose, and I don't
know how I managed to get into the
house. I think I did remember to
ring. Oh, I'm sure I rang! Of course
I did! But what I mean is, that 1
was in such a state, don't you know,
that T was quite unstrung.
Well, Sally came down, as pretty
and darling as ever, and with a rose
in her hair. She wore her gray crepe
de chine-you know, the n she
made for Mrs. Gales reception, with
the Venetian lace. I had never seen
her look better-neYer! And that
very fact disconnected me. Still.
when I make up my mind to any
thing, you know, nothing daunts me
nothing! 1t is not my way to let
anything interfere. So, after the
usual salutations, I said to her:
Sally, 1 have something very i'm
portant to say to you"
And I said this to her, mind, in
such a way that I supposed she might
guess the nature of my intended con-
fidence, not so much by the words
themselves, as by the-by the mel
lowness with which don't you
know. For-would you believe it,
she did not dream of what I meant!
She only laughed and said:
"Oh! I know; you've cone to tell
me about Minis puppies. Elaine
told me yesterday. Aren't you going
to give me one of them? think you
might"
Fancy! Fancy my feelings! Here
I had come to her on wings of fire.
to offer my heart and hand. I was
stunned. I did not know how to pro-
coed. But l said:
oh, no! 1t wasn't that I came to
tell you; though, Of course, you shall
have one if you like. 1t was to tell
you-"
And right then a bright idea came
to me-to turn defeat into victory!
ut was to tell you, Sally" I said,
"that you might have all of them
all seven-and Mimi, too"
I wish you wouldn't laugh at me.
How else could 1 put it-after what
she had said to me? I thought it
rather clever of me-rather neat, you
know-to turn the phrase into what
one might call its larger sense, and so
seize victory from defeat. But even
then she did not understand. She
burst out laughing.
"Oh, I should like one" she said;
"but what would l do with all seven,
and MIMI"
And she went on laughing at the
notion until I was quite-oh, quite
discounted, you know.
Sally" 1 said, you persist in mis-
constituting my-my intentions"
Why" she replied, II thought you
offered me all seven, and Mimi"
SO did, Sally, in a way" 1 said.
"Oh," she said, then it was an
Indian gift, was it,"
An Indian gift?" I repeated, per-
picked.
Yes; a gift with a string to it.
And what is the string, Freddie? Do
tell mel I want to know"
then an idea struck me. Another
idea! I suppose it was love that put
so many new ideas into my head
Oh, it must have been love. So ]
said:
Yes, there is a string to my gifI
Sally; l am the string"
YOU" she repeated.
az" l said.
THE string?" said Sally.
"The string?" said 1. And Their
passionately: "Oh, Sally! Don't you
comprehend me? Don't you? Have
you never heard the old, old saying:
Love me, love my dog?'"
She was pink all over, and would
have taken her in my arms-I really
would-had she not said to me:
We'll, l have already told you
Freddie, that | might take II of tho
puppies, but not all Of you!"
She did. She used those yer!
words to me, and | was-oh, l wa!
] crushed, don't you know. But I rose