Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-12-07
How She
Answered Him
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

Joel Constable had lived on his farm
at Crosby's Crossroads ever since he
was born, and that was forty-two
years before this story begins He was
homely, Joel was, and his face and
neck. which at his age should have
been comparatively smooth, were full
of burrows. II was weather beaten
face. speaking Of days exposed to the
heat and the cold. and when Joel
walked he seemed to be following the
pillow.
Joel had never married. People said
that he was so uncouth that no WON
an would have him. Whether OF no
this was the reason. certain II Is that
lie had never asked any woman to be
his wife There was only one person
In the world he wanted. and she was
| during most OF the time he wanted
| her a child. 1t cunt be said that be
| was waiting for her to grow up, be-
| cause there wasn't the slightest hope
that she would marry him when she
| did. At any rate. that's the way he
looked at it,
But now she had reached the age Of
nineteen. she was OF marriageable age,
and Ioel resolved TO do the one bold
thing of his hfe-ask her. He had
heard about courtshipS and wondered
how they were worked. Even IL they
had been explained TO him he would
not have understood them. much less
| t.,ta in Of M
He was aware that without court
ship a man had not one chance in q
hundred to win n woman. and as Il
. winning n girl twenty three years hii
Junior with or without one would b,
. next 10 impossible. There was blu
one thing in the world he wanted, on,
thing to make his life worth living
, | and that was Hester Blake. So on
evening. dressed In his store clothes
he went to see her and. happily find
4, ing her alone. said to her:
- What I'm going to say don't reall.
amount to anything but I'm going (
say II all the same. When you wer
% a child I left your father and mothe
- one day after they had said somethin
# to me. and just as was going out Q
al the house You were standing by tn
nc door. You were four years old and a
m pretty as little picture. You put u
n. your arms tn me- took You up
40 mine and you kissed me. Since thu
time I've h"en waiting for the day
- come when you would be old enoug
=. TO marry. and now that you are II
going to nSs You 40 marry me"
q.
" wax something SO pathetic in his utt
=" inability to Plead his cause that 81
i" pi.ied him. Then. too. she felt tn
there was sonnet hing incongruous
a. this furrowed man proposing to mar
u her. q round checked girl. 1t was
q her lips to explain this to him. b
IN somehow she hadn't the heart to do
st She wished to make some reply.
re didn't know what to say. For n mai
shift she asked him:
- What was ii. Mr. Constable. tn
my father and mother said to you
day you left them and kissed you 2
d The question seemed to make J,
\ feel very Ill at ease. He recrossed
q legs. pulled at n little tuft OF beard
his cheek. thereby drawing out
10 loose skin, hemmed a few times. th
said:
K "It wouldn't do for me to tell ,
that"
"Why not?'
IN "Well." Jared went on. getting
a. In the face. ut might make you
= as II you'd ort to marry me-"
v. II promise not to feel that y
Come, tell me all about it,"
There's another reason why IA