Connecticut western news., 1910-06-09
A FIRST PROPOSAL
The Way She Was Comforteo
 After It Was Over.
By KEITH GORDON.

! first warm weather and a friendship of several years standing. Though their eyes drank in the beauty of the scene about them-the great stretches of greensward. the trees and bushes that were bursting into the tender 1 green of the season as into a sort of ] silent song-neither of them was think. ! ing of it.
 Miss Farrar, indeed, was living over other days inevitably brought back by the warm breeze and the smell of growing things other springtimes when life meant only the beautiful possibility of love. And Mowbray was thinking of her and wondering if by any chance it would be worth while to tell her, for in spite of her unquestion- able attractiveness he could not help feeling that he would find it hard to look into those calm, clear eyes and talk of love. Yet he was neither cow ardly nor inexperienced. He simply had a natural shrinking from being regarded with suppressed amusement by the woman he loved. And in her apparent immunity from such emo- tions that was what he feared. She would in all probability only laugh her light, frank laugh and say, Nonsense, Clark; don't be sillyp'
 He sent speculative glance toward her as she walked beside him looking off into the distance with the preoccu- I pied air of a woman whose whole mind was given to some expressing and per sistent thought.
 "Let us sit for awhile" she proposed as they reached the top of a knoll where, under a solitary tree, bench in. vited relaxation. Suiting the action to the word, she seated herself comforta- ply with her elbows placed deiantly on the back of the bench, an attitude peculiar to her aggressive moods and one which Mowbray had learned to recognize as premonitory of an inten- ton to talk things out to a finish. He wondered what it would be this time, for he had long since dropped into his role of mentor.
 He waited patiently with eyes that roved carelessly over the mansions on i the far side of Fifth avenue, which in turn sent back a we'll bred stare, know ing that her feelings would soon reach the point of overflow. At last she i broke the silence. r. .A.
 Do look to you like person se- lected by fate to be distinguished among women - disagreeably distin- guished, mean?" she demanded, turn ing toward him with a directness which challenged a truthful answer. He re garded her in a manner intended to convey that he was making an expert examination. you do-that is"- He stopped rather vaguely. ~'
 "Oh, now don't try to soften the truth" she interrupted quickly. "I'm after facts, and I am not going to lay anything you may say up against you"
 "I haven't the least idea what 1t is about. but am glad that there is go- ing to be no animosity," Mowbray ob- served politely. Then he settled him. self to listen. It was one of his vir- tues that he never missed his cue.
 Her next words came out rather ab- ruptly.
 "Tm not especially plain, do you think?'
 Her tone was deprecating, but she turned her face toward him in a man. her as impersonal as if she were call ing his attention to the landscape. Then she continued impartially:
 "That is, suppose would be classed as fair to middling.'"
 He nodded assent, with gleam of mischief in his eye.
 "To tell you the truth"-her tone had dropped into the personal, confidential key-"rm not at all conceited about my looks, but I've always f1attered my self that 1 am rather interesting"
 The statement ended with a rising infection which made it a question, and it was evident that she was await ing his decision with some anxiety.
 Rather interesting, I think we may say" he agreed suavely.
 "And I'm sure Pm affectionate and fairly good tempered and-and''-
 Mowbray encouraged her by a nod.
 land domestic"
 'I shall have to take your word for that"
 "Well, I am domestic. know am! So I want you to explain to me'-her voice was growing tumultuous-'bu first promise on your honor that you'll never tell-how it is that I've reached the age of thirty-three without ever having had a proposal"
 Mowbray threw himself back and roared, while her arms came down off the bench and she dropped her face upon her hands and sat looking at him with the puzzled air of a pupil at the feet of a master.
 "When you've done laughing" she began with dignity.
 Pardon, dear, thousand pardonsw He had never called her that before, and there was something in his voice which bespoke a new hope and confi- dencey but she was too engrossed in her pursuit of self knowledge to mo- tice.
 "I forgot to say that Pm sensible.