Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-04-07
His Rehearsal

After gazing at Trilling's six feet of
height, and taking in his broad shoul-
ders and his massive jaw, casual
observer would say that nothing short
of dynamite explosion could startle
him, and that really frightening him
was quite out of the question. How
ever. few persons knew about his in
fatuation for Eudora Carpenter.
Eudora was not quite up to his
shoulder when she stood on tiptoe,
and she had mild and gentle eye,
yet Trifling was instantly victim of
paralysis, tied tongue, enlarged hands
and feet and brain flag when he en-
tered her presence. In spite of this
he was not happy unless she was in
sight. 1t was joyful sort of misery,
or miserable sort of joy, that had
possessed Trilling for some time.
Knocked dumb and senseless as he al
ways was when near Eudora, he sim
ply couldn't tell her of his emotions
and get the agony over.
He had brooded over the situation
helplessly until he was ready to seize
at any straw that promised rescue In
his case the straw appeared one even
ing when he was agonizing at Eu-
dora's house and painfully pretending
he was quite happy and even greatly
enjoying himself.
Eudora had turned on the phono-
graph. 1t was a very good one, so her
action was justifiable.
81 just love It," Eudora told thrilling.
"Often when am alone I amuse N.Y.
self for hours with it,"
do you?" inquired Trilling, fatu-
ously. And just then he saw daylight.
He went home in a trance of ex-
element, for while he couldn't face
Eudora Carpenter and propose to her
he could think of dozen ways to tell
her of his alteration when he was
away from her.
There was very good photograph
er than to fill blank record with his
impassioned declaration, send it to her
and thus break the news? 1t would be
| far better than stammering out a
mangled proposal face to face. She
would be much more likely to listen
| favorably to an address of well-cho-
sen, graceful yet fervent phrases
| Altogether thrilling was vastly
| pleased with his unusual idea.
With some maneuvering he got the
members of his family away the next
evening. He inserted the blank rec.
ord, and then gazing into the insen
safe nav of the photograph horn, he
promptly experienced a cold chill. Fol
minute it was as disquieting as ga
zing into Eudora's eyes. Then he
opened his lips, coughed, opened then
again and, whirling on his heel stalke6
away with muttered exclamation.
hopping his brow he stared into ths
mantel mirror. thrilling was forced tt
confess that he felt like fool. There
was nothing of the actor in thrilling
and the task of making violent love tt
tin horn suddenly loomed monu
mental and overwhelming.
He shook himself and tried 1t again
"Eudora,' he began family. Then
bracing himself he repeated he;
name more loudly. "Eudora, I-er-
love you. Eudora, will you be m.
wife,"
He walled instantly: Hang it
That won't do! It's too cold, too fol-
mall"
He paced the room muttering en-
dearing phrases. He tried leading Vi
gradually to the declaration He trie
the serio- comic, the thrillingly grave
the pleading and likewise the tragic.
None of them sounded right. Their
was an artificiality, hollownes
about all of them that was repellent
Something vital seemed lacking.
Every time Trilling made the tur
at the end of the room the phone
graph horn yawned at him primly
demonlike. Once he picked up new!
paper, wadded it and hurled the mil
sile at the haunting machine.
: Still, there was an odd pleasure
; putting his secret hopes and wishe
into actual words. 1t made them nor
+ | real somehow and he extracted
Il strange and thrilling excitement frol
the sound of his own voice. Fl
!. IF found it possible to say "Eudora!"
exactly ten different ways and to col
vey the idea that he wanted to MARI
Eudora full dozen ways. Each tim
!. he proposed to the empty air Tri
D ling's chest inflated trifle more ar
presently he was actually swaggerir
4 in his walk. Finally he stopped ar
. regarded the photograph though
fully.
Disgust at its insensateness 70!
within him Then, without pausing
think, Thrilling damned on his ha
leaped into his coat and hurried ov
the intervening blocks to the Carpe
ter house
The girl of his dreams opened ii
- door.
y "Eudora," TriIling burst out, st
under the spell of his evenings ha
q work, its just dawned on me tn
p I'm a double-dyed idiot! I've be-
n working like a mailer for two hou