Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-01-15
RANL.EY'S
COURTSHIP


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 a sleeping room.
1t was something of a disappointment
to her when she first realized that the
delightfully."- mysterious boxes were the
gifts Of the exceedingly plain Ranley,
for neither his appearance nor his
manner was in the least romantic
! Leila mad 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 evenip6 as Leila was about to
join the group of boarders who were
trying in almost suffocated silence to
get a breatG of air on the front steps
she was stGoped in the hall by Ranley.
With one impulse the boarders
ceased tanning as they heard him say:
alone a m-minute in the p-parlor?"
1T has come" Kissed the motherly
boarder to the vacation school teacher
by her side. q knew he'd propose this
week"
ITS about time" giggled the young
girl stenOgrapher, who had often
looked enyiously at the bouquets with
which Leila decorated her simple dim
ity 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.
n-noticed m-my attentions to y-you,"
he stammered
Yes" murmured Leila, almost in
audibly, but the boarders somehow
knew what she was saying.
Il w-wanted to t-tell you, to a-ask
y-you-that is, it m-means a l-lot to
me. W-will you-oh, Miss Leila, l
n J. hut
struggled and coughed and then, with
a supreme effort, continued, I've got
a. 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; We'll,
never in all my born days!"
The insurance clerk said: ME, too"
For a week or so there was a no
ticeable GOODNESS in Leila manner to-
ward Ranley. He however, kept up
a campaign of chocolates and carna-
tons that melted her heart. One
night the young girl stenographer
tiptoed out to the front steps where
the boarders as usual had assembled
and announced in a stage whisper to
the insurance clerk: He's taken her
into the parlor again"
1--WE don't wish to eavesdrop, of
course" remarked the middle-aged
man, but it is only polite to main
tain silence"
The mild chatter accordingly ceased
and the deprecating voice of Ranley
was heard humbly begging leave Ito
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, II thought y-you'd like to
know" A pause Yes, | saw your
mothers cook washing the d-dog in
the dish pan"
The boarders looked at each other
blaHkly and the middle-aged man sur
prised them by saying: We'll, upon
my word, l fear it's all off"
The next night, however, when the
party adjourned from the dining-room
to the front steps the excitement was
high.
Il saw it the minute she sat down
at the table" said the motherly
boarder in a boastful tone.
How could you help it?" asked the
vacation school teacher, tartly. She
took every opportunity to wave her
hand in our faces. l think a large dia-
mond is lashy and vulgar, myself"
But how did it ever happen?"
asked the insurance clerk "Ranley
must have been going some since last
night"
Don't forget that this is leap year."
remarked the young girl stenographer.
Just then Ranley and Leila ap-
peared. looking conscious but happy.
Ranley said: "Y-you are all s-such
g-good Friends l w-want to t-tell y.you
THAT" He looked hopelessly at the
blushing girl beside him and she
smiled encouragingly.
II was j-just g-going to s-say that l
w-want to t-tell you I'll take my WA
cation next w-week If l get over m-my