Smyrna times., 1908-09-02
kAN
PROPOSAL.
By c. B. LEWIS.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.


more OF less, especially when the moth
er Is a widow. 1t isn't through an,
spirit of avarice that she would bav
Ler daughter marry rich. If is simnI,
that the money may be in tbe hons,
When the man comes around with th,
gas bill. 1t isn't because of snobbisb
ness that she would prefer TO he FL,
mother-in-law of Il duke rather tba1
a commoner, but dukes are said never
TO call their mothers-in-law old cats
II isn't from any desire to smash ro
mahces or break hearts that they In,
the daughter of twenty off 70 Enron,
IN hopes she will forget the man Of
twenty-five to fall in love with q
sultor of sixty. 1t is that the dea,
girl may have a grandfather fatbn,
and husband all in one.
Such were the guiding PRINCIPLES of
MIS-. Deland, relict of Judge Daland
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.
OF course the daughter. Clara bod
received the education given to all
young girls whose fathers or mothers
are able to pay for the same tv tbp
square foot, and she had arrived at tba
age OF twenty without causing anv
particular worry to anybody when she
met young Albert Lee. They called
hlm young Lee because he was only
twenty-five and because there was an
OLD Lee, who was sixty
Young Lee was still at college. ana
II Was still an unsettled question as to
what profession he would select tn
make his way through life. In IN ir-
definitely definite way he had been
paying his attentions to Miss Clara
for several months before the WidOve
mother with q 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.
1t did not take long to exhaust thn
schedule of inquiries. Young Lee was
all right socially. and his sixtv-vear-
old father would leave him a com
Portable property when the reaper
came, but there was no telling whetb-
er he would pass away at sixty-one o.,
eighty-fve.
1t was long odds for a mother with
business head on her to take. She
at once put her foot down, and OF
course it was the wrong foot. She
began by criticising the suitor and
ended by announcing that she would
rather see her daughter in her grave.
There were arguments. protesta-
tions, 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 a 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-
citements and enjoyments of London |
Paris and Berlin would quite drive !
him from the daughters mind. and |
some day that daughter would knee |
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 she was
and that he had several mortgages
on several ruined castles that he wish
ed to repair
After the first meeting. which came
about through accident, milOrd was in
evidence at brief intervals during the
tour, lasting three months and more.
lie 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.
IL NuC tlAits NHiCu WAS udN or |
two before the ladies sailed for home.
he made his proposal It was first
made to the mother who received it
then to the daughter. who
also smiled a little, but prevaricatod
by saying that she didn't know her
own heart
Milford was in duty bound, us sa!
ant remains are, to say that he would
give her time, and Clara looked back
1T London from the decks Of the
steamer and congratulated herself that
his ended it all.
That was where she was just as
much mistaken as her mother had
been. They had been home only four
weeks when milopd put in an appear
lnce at the American manor house
It was no ones business hat lis own
now he had managed to raise the cash
FOR the trip. There are money lenders
IN London who will take long chances