The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-07

AFRAID OF you'll" I repeated dfsgust-
edly. AFRAID Of youl OF course they're
AFRAID OF you. Every man know is
afraid Of you.'
What do you mean?" she asked with
an astonished look
My dear GIRL assured her, when
= man is afraid of you he il in love with
you Take my word for It, They're all
afraid Of you"
"Oh!" she said slowly. Then she
turned and looked at me curiously and
looked out across the distant hills.
'Oh!' she said again, more slowly still;
then. How do you know"
Never mfnd.' I said firmly. Take
1t from me. I know. Now go on
The Honorable Violet moved a little
eyes.
You are q brave man, aren't you?
Uncle Jack told me you had the Victoria
Cross. Is it true?"
looked at her In surprise Her eyes
were shining with excitement and her
lips were parted. waiting eagerly for my
answer. Yes" said CURLY and again
she looked at me euriously and I looked
at the distant view and again heard a
little "Ohp'
We'll. you see I did It, Yes" nod
ding her head enphatfcally. But, would
you believe it"-here she turned to me
and laid her hand lightly on my arm,
they all three gave me exactly
the same answer?'
I snorted.
Believe It'll OF course believe 1t.
They all said yes at once, of course"
The Honorable Violet smiled.
That's just where you're wrong.
They did nothing Of the kind They all
said they were utterly overpowered and
SO surprised. Might they have one
more dance later on and tell me then?
l said yes, and meant to slip away d.
rectly after supper and them with an
airy gesture OF her Htrle hands, "wrig-
gle out OF it somehow"
/ nodded. remembered after supper
she had called me to get her rickshaw
and, after keeping me waiting an in
fernal while, had allowed me to cut all
my partners and ride home by her side,
vouchsafing me curt nod of good
night on the veranda for my pains
Well" I said. what then?"
The Honorable Violet became gloomy.
Tt was hateful" she said angrily.-
They were all waiting about near the
cloakroom. I met them all three before
reached 1t. They were simply lurking
about, and every one of them said yes
and told me they would call on Uncle
Jack today! Every one-though I ex-
planned to them quite clearly it was
only a joke. a leap year joke. But they
said 1t held good and I was engaged.
Hateful, greedy things! They couldn't
all want me!'' Here the misery of the
situation returning upon her with full
force, the Honorable Violet once more
cried as though her heart would break.
believe they knew what meant to
do" she wept. "and waited for me there
on purpose, only they couldn't"
Then light dawned upon me and with
a shout I sprang to my feet OF course
they knew! They had known before
6andl How or through whom I knew
not, but meant to find out
The whole thing was a hoax, a mag
nifcent hoax from beginning to end and
my little girl the victim. my little
grill" I had never put it into words
before, not even to myself. But I knew
1t now. How sweet it sounded.
It'll do it, I cried. With my blood
at that pitch felt ready for anything.
Without giving it time to cool, or even
looking back, dashed off up the path
way and made for the generals study.
I fancfed heard little frightened cry
from my sweetheart as she wept among
the ferns.
Fifteen minutes later retraced my
steps looking for the Honorable Violet.
The general walked beside me. My
knees shook under me, and this time,
as the Honorable Violet allows, looked
as felt, pale.
The general took both her hands in
his and drew her to her feet.
''vio1et,'' he said, '11ook at me and tell
me what this is you have been doing"
Slowly, very slowly, my darling raised
her poor little tear-stained face to his,
then she flung her arms around his neck
while he told her all the story, more
than she knew.
Major Burnha1n had overheard the
two girls chatter at the club, and con-
filling the fact to the general, had
gained his permission to teach the Hon
orable Violet lesson. Sorely against
their wills had the other two men
agreed, but the generals consent held
good and the plot had prospered.
and now, madam" continued the |
general, 'since the leap year form Of |
proposal appears to find favor in your |
sight, propose you shall and in good |
earnest. Here is victim number four" |
his hand toward me. Make |
him a happy man. Ask him to marry |
you, my dear"
He glanced up at me with a twinkle |
IN his eyes, as stood before him. shak-
ng in every limb, the most abject man
On this earth.
mo, sirl' as tried to frame some
words in my terror. mo, sir, forbid
you to do it,
"she likes It'll Let her do it herselfl
Only" he Numbered. as he walked
away, don't you dare to refuse her, or,
by CAD, I'll place you under arrest
The Honorable Violet crushed her wet
into q small wet ball and
ooked at me from under her eyelashes
Are you afraid?" she said softly |
afraid Of me?'
And I assured her there and then, to
Ter complete satisfaction, that I was.
And so it came about that although
we've been married now three weeks,
he Honorable Violet never proposed.
Tor did I, for dare not disobey the
1908. by p. G.
1astnlent.)
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.