Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-07-15
A HELPING HAND.
b. c, E. Branch.

b. c. E. Branch.
Timothy Green was certainly a
very bashful young man, OF more
than ordinarily quiet and retiring
DISPOSITION. otherwise he would have
proposed to Blanche Meredith months
before; for if any woman ever show
ed man she was in love with him
that woman was Blanche, and the
man was Timothy. STILL notwith-
standing every encouragement, he
could not be made TO ask the fatal
question and why he was so back
ward in the matter was a puzzle to
himself as to the young lady.
He had made up his mind to do
50 regularly every morning for
months, had punched himself in a
manly fashion on the chest every
evening ere he saw his beloved, and
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,
|
glass door of the wardrobe.
Timothy he would say, keeping
his eye on his faithful counterpart,
''you are a fool; about the biggest
fool that ever walked the earth"
OF course the counterpart never
contradicted him.
you've only got to ask and
Blanche is yours. Yet you fool
around as though you were tongue
tied. Now what really is the mat
ter with your
The counterpart hung his head,
but never answered
Il can't understand it at all" Tim
Othy would go on. tits a psychology
ical 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-d'ye
hear? None!"
The counterpart must have heard
always, for on these occasions Tim
othy's voice would rise far above It's
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. [ know you feel
it badly enough. However, there's
tomorrow evening. Now, for heav-
ems sake be man! I never thought
the like of you existed outside pen
ny novelties. I've laughed at writ
ers who assured confiding 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 will
happen. The girl will get sick of
waiting, fancy you are only playing
the fool with her, and jump into the
arms of the first Johnny who pro-
poses to her"
At the bare suggestion of such
possibility something seemed to go
all wrong inside Timothy, which
was not shown in the counterpart;
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.
He had framed hundreds of pro-
posals and learned them by heart
in fact, he knew so many that he
seriously thought about writing
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 of the young lady you broth
rer is in love with, his proposal is
subject you do not likte to mention
to her: it seems wrapped round with
Sanct'ty, especially when he does not
propose. Looking at it in this light
TimOthy's sister Jane, who was
Blanche's bosom friend. kept mar
velous silence for a long time
Equally when you are the dearest
friend OF the sis-er 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 We're really anxious to
marry her brother and 90 talking to
other mems sisters, as dearest
friends do. Regarding the situation
thus, Blanche maintained silence.
That Jane was not girl of this
sort, however. subsequent events
would seem to show I say seem.
because. after all, you can never tell
for certain, SO peculiar is that thing
called a woman's character
She was girl of determination
and resource, and, having made up