Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-07-08
A HELPING HAND.
By C. {. Branch.

~ u ID anvil
Timothy Green was certainly
very bashful young man, of more
than ordinarily quiet and retiring
disposition. otherwise he would have
proposed to Blanche Meredith months
Ibefore: for if any woman ever show
ed a man she was in love with him
hat woman was Blanche, and The
man was Timothy. Still, notwith
standing every encouragement, h'
could not be made to ask the fata
question. and why he was so back
ward in the matter was a puzzle t.
himself as to The young lady.
He had made up his mind to dc
so regularly every morning fol
months, had punched himself in
manly fashion on the chest every
evening ere he saw his beloved anC
conjured himself to take his cour
age in both hands took it. and as
regularly allowed it to escape again
Then. when he reached home he
would sit on the edge OF his bed
looking at his reflection in the plate
glass door of the wardrobe.
"Timothy, ne would say, keeping
his eye on his faithful counterpart
"you are a fool about the biggesr
fool that ever walked the earth
Of course the counterpart never
contradictcd him.
"You've only got to ask anC
Blanche is yours. Yet you foo
around as though you were tongue
tied. Now what really is the mat
ter with yOu?'
The counterpart hung his head
bu never answered
Il can't understand it at all" Tim
othy would 80 on. It's a psycholog
zeal problem If you did not love
the girl. if she did not show you
plainly she loved you, you might
have a reasonable excuse for hest
tating; as it is, you've none-dye
hear? NOne!"
The counterpart must have heard
always, for on these occasions Tim
othy's voice would rise far above ITS
usual soft, duIcet tones; but he new
er disputed the fact.
But there" Timothy continued
81 suppose. after all, it's no good
kicking yourself. I know you feel
it badly enough However, there's
tomorrow evening Now, for heav-
ems sake be a man! I never thought
the like of you existed outside pen
ny novelties. I've laughed at writ
ers who assured confding readers
such was the truth, even called them
liars: but it seems to me they know
YOU better than you know yourself
Timothy If you don't pluck up
courage, Tim, l tell you what VIII
happen. The girl will get sick of
waiting. fancy you are only playing
tic fool with her, and jump into the
@cms of the first Johnny who pro
poses to her"
At the bare suggestion of such
pOssi bility something seemed to 90
all wrong inside Timothy, which
W 10 IoJ SlIO" II III Tic Goull ttI I|dl 1 ,
he would grow hot and cold by turns
and VOW by all the gods not to let
the morrow pass in silence; but he
had always broken his vows.
H had framed hundreds Of pro-
posaIs and learned them by heart
n fact. he knew 50 many that he
seriously thought about writing a
book on the subject emitting it ecu
pid's Guide to Lovers: Proposals for
All Occasions" He had been going
to propose on moonlight nights. star
ry nights, cloudy nights, in the twl-
light on the cliffs by the sea, in the
solitude of the railway carriage, up
the river, and still was going to
some day somewhere.
-
Even though YOU are the dearest
friend CT the young lady you broth
er is in love with, his proposal is a
subject you do not likte to mention
to her; it seems wrapped round with
sanctity, especially when he does not
propose. Looking at it in this light
sister Jane, who was
Blanche's bosom friend. kept mar
yelous silence for a long time.
Equally. when you are the dearest
friend of the sister Of the man you
are in love with. whom you are ex-
pecting to propose, there is a re-
straint which curbs your tongue.
You fear if you spoke the girl might
think YOU were really anxious to
marry her brother and go talking to
other mems sisters, as dearest
friends do. Regarding The situation
thus. Blanche maintained silence.
That Jane was not a girl of this
sort, however, subsequent events
would seem to show l say seem
because, after all. you can never tell
for certain, so peculiar is that thing
called q woman's character.
She was a girl of determination
and resource, and, having made up