New-York tribune., 1909-12-19
BOWDOIN'S PROPOSAL
By John Hendricks Bangs
Drawing by T. X. Hanna

III
T. rested upon her silken locks, all tinged with
gold her wOndrous eyes, deep the sea
as blue as the skies, smiling a summer dav her
check than which no tinted tea could ever hope
TO be more dehCately pink her lips alongside of
which the cherry self seemed but pallid sreCter of
blushing beauty,-ever since Harley Bowdons eyes
had rested upon this lovely catalogue of iovous
things. and had come to know that with them all
came also disposition fair the gracious
day Of spring. all thoughts of other things fled from
ms BRAIN Awake or asleep, It was all the same. The
face. the form. the eXqusitey melodious voice the
elusive charm OF her presence, confronted him
al every turn adding much no doubt. to the beauty
OF the prospect, but seriously interfering with buS
ness
The law Is at best an arduous profession. but
when has TO untangle knOtty problems requiring
the most intense concentration of mind 1t is par
louS business TO have fragile a thing as a girl
constantly intruding her charms upon the line of
argument She derais the train Of thought, throws
the engine OF reasoning OFT the track. and switches
the freight cars Of logical conclusion from the main
line OF on the sdetracks OF iTrelevance. to end in
a chaotic mass OF Wreckage IN the bitches Of sheer
For his clients sake if not for his own something
had 10 be done and, Harley the situa-
ton from start to finish coming the pros and prosng
over the cons, he saw very that there only
TWO ways to get the young woman out of his mind
The first was TO assure himself that She could by
possibility be his The second to secure a posi-
tive acceptance OF the fact that she much his
that none other could ever hope to win her Obvl-
Ouslv. the only way do either of these things was
10 propose TO her and let her settle the question be-
vOnd all peradyenture and for all time.
Il would never do to repeat last nights perform
anCe for instance, when. after Colonel WillOughbv
the Chocolate Magnate had spent four hours of his
time every minute worth the weight Of his watch in
radium. acquainting him with his desires to the
methods 10 be employed IN the formation OF the
United States Cocoa Company, he had scarcely
heard a word OF the Colonels instructions. because
his mind was fully occupied with thoughts OF
Marie TO take in anything else.
HERE he was at his desk this morning supposed to
II be engaged in the preparation OF papers upon
the proper execution OF which hung millions of pros
reCtve profits. and not a notion in his mind beyond
the simple realization OF the fact that Marie eyes
were on the whole bluer than the heavens and
that no man had lived from the original harpist
down 20 Mr.. Debussy himself who quite capable
Of reducing the music Of her voice to numhersl
Undoubtedly this matter Of the maid must be set
tied. Harley BOWdoin law practice would go TO
the deInnItIOn bow-wows.
Then too. there another consideration that
made the question all the pressing. This grew
solely out Of the advanced Of the calendar and
the lOngings that surged his heart this
bachelor apartment. What place indeed has bach
el0r who l. not even uncle in the glad JOYS Of
Christmastide, Here Harley surrounded all
sides by busting. hustlng throng OF bundle bearers
making their way honeWard to hearthstones where
fires burned brightly and little faces beamed in JOY
anticipation Of good things TO come; but he
with great capacity for peace and good will to
he was alOof from all this tasting the mseries Of
Tantalus athirst but with the grateful waters be
yond the reach Of his parched lips.
There was nobody awaiting his home coming with
eEpectant bliss iumlng their faces, unless count
a few CallbCys and lanltor, and Mkt his Japanese
valet and he looked upon the sweets that had
come 10 these others he realized that life held much
III the way of happiness that for such he.
80 man a Santa Claus TO his valet, and even with
it. many comforts his apartment struck him
vain Of substitute for q home Surely the situa-
ton was rendered intolerable by all this gladstone
festIyitv going on all about him and must be RENE