The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-12-29
My First Experience
with Dan Cupid
BY EisIe ChaetaIn.

She was sweet, susceptible l6. He
was one over whom 1S summers had
lightly passed, leaving his hair I'M
tinged with gray, and the gray matter
underneath the wavy crop-unhard
ened. But to her he was all that was
wise, noble and desirable; and to him
she was perfection. In truth, it had
been a case of love at first sight.
They had first met at party. She
had worn white. He was partial to
white. Her sunny hair had been ar
ranged loosely on her graceful neck.
He never had liked girls who did their
hair high. In fact, she had been
wholly, seductively charming, and he
had succumbed to those charms.
He had worn the regulation black
suit, of course, But, ah! how broad
his shoulders were; how merry his
eyes. A strange, incomprehensible,
ecstatic emotion had taken possession
of her soul. He had asked to take her
home, but she had not thought best.
May l CALI" he had asked.
She had felt the hot blood leap to
her cheeks. If she only dared say
yes" But no; there was mamma to
consider Mamma, who was SO aw
fully, uncompromisingly set on the
proprieties. Mamma, who thought her
far too young to have masculine adj
mirers. And to have one call! Oh, A
SILVER ran down her spinal column.
The young man, waiting for an an
swer, OWNED her thoughts.
Perhaps your mother would OBJ
ject?" he had suggested, and with sad
conviction she had answered:
"Ves-she would"
But l must see you some time" he
had insisted. Dear insistencel She
had thought for moment, then:
Mamma is going calling tomorrow
afternoon and l can meet you down
the river, right behind Blake's green
houses, at three O'Clock. Will that do?
He had been enraptured with the plan,
and the following day they met as
they had agreed.
He suggested boat ride. She ac-
guessed, and he rented Mr.. Blake's
boat. He assisted her to a seat, then
took his place at the oars. Something
was wrong about his way of handling
them, and the boat refused to move.
Don't you know how to row." she
ventured, after some moments of fran
tic, red-faced, but vain endeayors on
his part.
We'll, I-er-never did before" he
replied, then blurted out: Can your
why, yes" she said.
Suppose you do, then" They
changed places and she rowed him up
and down the river until her tender
hands were blistered and her heart
was sore. She was woefully disap-
pointed in him Never before had she
met a man who could not row. But he
talked entertainingly, and she forgave
him. True love overlooks many i'm.
projections.
After that afternoon they met fire.
quently. Sympathetic young friends
discovered how the land lay, and came
CALAMITY to the rescue, az young
friends will do at all times.
One evening she retired to her room
early, telling her mother that she
must study. Not so, however. She
had, instead, promised him to take
moonlight stroll. Her window was not
far from the ground, and with the aid
of foreordained cracker box she man
aged to escape from the house.
During that stroll he proposed. Told
her how he loved her. Fell on his
knees in knightly fashion and begged
her in impassioned tones to fly with
him; to leave her cruel mother and
her unhappy home for life of honey
and roses and-himself.
She blushed, suffered him to kiss
her hand and consented. In one week
she could make the necessary prepar-
atoms and then they would fly. All!
the unutterable bliss Of that meet.
ing!
Finally they parted, and she crept
stealthily around the house. AS she
neared the parlor window she heard
sounds of merriment. She peered in.
A peculiar scene revealed itself to her
view.
There sat her usually dignifed
mother, laughing until the tears ran
down her checks. On his knees be
fore her, with clasped hands and
ridcuously sentimental expression
spread over his pug nose and freckles,
was her small brother. He was speak
ing, declaiming, and as the sister rea
lized the import of his words she
turned cold with dread.
10000, Celeste, darling, angel,
listen to me! / love you! | love you
Promise me that you will be nine
Oh, 100000! Leave your cruel mother,
your happy home, and fy-yy with me!
Life won't be nothin' without you-oo.
My heart is breaking Ouch-ch- CHI
Waiting to hear no more, realizing
that her secret was discovered, the
young victim of unsympathetic kin
made for her room with all possible
speed, hoping to get there before the
cruel mother" should decide TO visit
it. She had just mounted the cracker
box and was cautiously raising her
head over the sill when the door
opened and mamma, not laughing now,
n. IA 10 no..