Sharp County record., 1908-10-02
RANL.EY'S
G0uH 'TSHIp

tildl HdHlSy WIS III luNt WIN isClli'
She herself was very certain of it, for
Of all the young men who had ever
boarded with her mother he gazed
at her the most soulfully and remem-
bered her the most frequently with
candy and flowers.
These tributes were not bestowed
in person, but were left at the door Of
the dark back parlor which Leila and
her mother used as n sleeping room
It was something Of a disappointment
TO her when she first realized that the
delightfully."- mysterious boxes We're the
gifts of the exceedingly plain Raney,
for neither his appearance nor his
manner was in the least romantic.
Leila had her sentimental dreams, but
the comfortable reality of the sweets
and posies made up for the shy, halt
ing speech and awkward presence Of
her admirer, so she accepted his at
tentions with almost as much grace
and coquetry as if Ranley had been
the embodiment Of her girlish ideals.
One evening as Leila was about to
join the group of boarders who were
trying in almost suffocated silence to
get a breath of air on the front steps
she was stopped In the hall by Ranley.
With one impulse the boarders
ceased tanning as they heard him say
Mis- L-Leila, m-may | s-speak to you
alone a m-minute in the p-parIor?"
1T has come" Kissed the mothery
boarder to the vacation school teacher
by her side I knew he'd propose this
week"
ITS about time" giggled the young
girl stenographer, who had often
looked enviously at the bouquets with
which Leila decorated her simple dim
lty frocks.
pray hush, admonished the mid
dle.aged man who prided himself upon
his courtly manner. "Our talk is de
trop. We must not interrupt the
course Of loves young dream"
His fellow boarders shifted at his
words, but sympathized with his de-
sire not to Interfere with the forth
coming declaration, so they sat silent,
while Ranley, behind the open
screened windows, coughed and
cleared his throat with a preliminary
solemnity which brought the bushes
to Leila's cheeks and raised the ex-
pectation of the boarders to fever
heat
Miss L.Leila, you-you must have
n-noticed m-my attentions to y-you,'
he stammered.
yes" murmwed Leila, almost In
audibly, but the boarders somehow
knew what she was saying,
Il w-wanted to ttell you, to a-ask
y-you-that is, It m-means Hot to
me. W-wlll you--oh, Miss Leila, !
hesitate to ask you, b.but--' He
struggled and coughed and then, with
a supreme effort, continued I've got
c.cold. VIII you make me a MINUS.
tard plaster?"
The boarders gasped The motherly
boarder who was the first to regain
her composure, exclaimed Wei, /
never In all my born daysl"
The insurance clerk said' Me too
For a week or so there was a no.
tlceable coolness IN Leila manner to.
ward Ranley He, however, kept up
campaign Of chocolates and carna.
tlons that melted her heart One
night the young girl stenographer
tlptoed out TO the front steps where
the boardors as usual had assembled
and announced in u stage whisper TO
the insurance clerk Hes taken her
into the parlor again
I'VE don't wish to e6vesdrop, Of
course" remarked the middle.oged
man. but Il Is only polite to main.
tain silence"
The mild chatter accordingly ceased
and the deprecatng voice Of Ranley
was heard humbly begging leave 10
tell M-Miss L.Leila something
I'm sure I'll be glad TO hear any.
thing you have to say" brayely helped
Leila
"W.well III thought y.youd like to
know pause Yes ! saw your
mothers cook washing The d'dog In
the dish pan
The boarders looked at each other
blankly and the middle.uged man sur
prised them by saying; We'll, upon
my word | fear It's all or
The next night, however, when the
party adjourned from the dinIngroom
10 the front steps the excitement was
high.
II saw II the minute she sat down
mt the table" said the motherly
boarder In n boastfu tone,
How could You help lt2" asked the
vacation school teacher, tartly "She
took every opportunity 20 wave her
hand In our faces, think large dla.
mond Is ilashy and vulgar myself"
But how did Il ever hanpenY"
asked the insurance clerk, "Ranloy
must have been going some since last
night"
Don't forget that this Ia loan year,
remarked the young glrl stenogranher
Just then Ranley and Leila IN.