Middletown transcript., 1908-01-11
RIAM LESL les PROPOSAL
BIZ HARRY IRVING HORTON

often that it seems cowardly to
write what ] might speak; but,
although many times when in |
your presence | have tried to
say certain words, courage has
always failed me. Resolutions
made when alone have not been
kept when / found myself BY
your side.
I think you know what has
been il my heart for q long time,
and have occasionally felt that
you cared for NE; but If you
have, you have never made
the least attemIt to help
me out. | should have for
given you if you had made
it easier for me. and should have.
blessed you for having done so,
and yet, after all, dear, | love
You more for your womaniy
reserve, and have always con-
Arasted it with the actions OF
your sex, who seem ever ready
to say: This is SO sudden! !
hope, dear. that you do care
enough for me, or feel that you
can care enough some day, TO
make me the lappiest man on
earth. | know they all say that;
! but forgive my lack OF original
! ity. and remember that there is
!! something original about my
statement, as I really mean that
, on the day you say you will be my
wife shall be happier than any
body in this or any other neigh
borhood.
Don't answer this letter in Q
hurry, unless you can at once re-
| ply to my question: Will you oe
my wife? by saying: Yes. II
you can send that answer. ! shall
have necause to complain OF yor :
b .ste. ButI feel that | must
II
have the right answer TO my
question, aud If you cannot give
1 it at once, I want you TO take all
the time that You need in order
that you may arrive at the favor
orable verdict SO necessary to
happiness.
It is hardly necessaryLto say
that / shall not call again before
receiving your reply; but when
you say the word Come! it will
not take any great length OF time
lifor ma to accept the welcome in
| sitation. Ihope that you will be
able to say that word. Yours
with love,
FRANK.
| Miss Leslie's mingled feel
ings Of misery and joy when
| she read the letter may b
| imagined. Why did ! writ'
4 that miserable letter? Why
didn't give him one nnr'
day after all these years !? Oh
why wasn't I too sick to get III
this morning? were some of th'
\ questions that the poor girl ask
Il ed herself, when The feelings 3
]. misery were in control, as the
were during nearly all the res
Of the afternoon, the happiness
which she had felt. for . shor
time given way under the infiu
J ehce of the thought that sh,
might have been happy with
out the loss of her selfre
spect.
But perhaps there is yet
: chance to save it, thought Mir
lam as once more came to he
, mind that friend of mankind AM
womankind, the much abused ant
misunderstood telephone. Sh'
would try to get Frank at hi
!. lofice and if by any chance b
had not received the letter, or ha'
! not read Il IL he had received It
she would make him promise I
return it without reading. Blu
she realized that the hope was
faint one, as there was almost q
chance that the letter had no
been received, and if he had re
} ceived it-well, she would like t
J see him leave letter of hers IN
opened for more than q minute
ii And SO this contradictor,
. woman went to the telephon
! with weak voice and fain
heart, hoping against hope tina
Prank had been away from th
Office, and that the letter had ar
! rived in his absence. The repl,
ot her inquiry for Mr.. Webste
gave her momentary comfort, q
he was ont, but when sh
| asked further questions she lear
ed that he bad been at the 0fic
until q few minutes before th
time of her telephone call.
AS she hung up the receive
| Miriam said TO herself with q sal
| a. xL~ox -, :. s,,,;ohx,d che rso,1H