The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-05-19
lis RoIlear32l

After ea1ing at Tri'ing's six feet of
h. gat. and tak,ug in his broad shou.-
dcrs and his massive jaw. a casual
observer would say that nothiag short
Of dynamite explosion couid startie
Sim, and that really frightening him
was cutie ont Of the question. low
ever, few nerscrs knew about his IN
filtration for Eudora Carpenter.
Eudara WIS not quite Up 10 HIS
shoulder when she stood on tiptoe.
and she had mid and gentle eye,
yet Triliing was instantly a victim OF
paralysis, tied tongue, onia Sed hands
and feet and brain fcg when he en-
tered her presence. In spite OF this
he was no, happy unless she was in
sight. II was joyful sort OF Misery.
or miserable sort OF Joy, that hal
Possessed Tri'ling for some time
Knocked dumb and senselcss as he al
Ways was when near FEDORA, he sim
NY couldn't tell her of his emotions
nd get the 9EonV over,
lie had brccded over tho situation
heipIessly until he was ready to seize,
at any straw that promised rascae IN
lis case the straw appeared one even
ng when he was agnnizing at Eg-
ora's house and painfully pretending
ie was quite happy and even greatly
moving himself
Eaeosa had turned on the paono-
graph II was very sool one so her
action was justilahle.
Il lust love It." Fidora told Trillirgs
.Often when am atone | amuse my
self for hours wi'h IT."
DO you?" inquired Triling fatu
ously And just then he saw daylight
He went home in trance of OK
element. fer while he couldn't fac
,udora Carpenter and propose 10 her
10 could think of Gozen ways to tell
her Of his eeosation when he was
away from her
There was very good photograph
at his home So what would be east
or than to All a blank record with his
lmpassioned declaration. send It to her
and thus break the news? It would be
far better than stammering out
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 Trilling 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 phonograph horn, he
promptly experienced a cold chill. For
a minute It was as disquieting as ga
ling into Eudora's eyes Then he
opened his Fps, coughed opened them
again and, whirling on his heel stalked
away with a muttered exclamation.
hopping his brow he stared into the
mantel mirror. Trilliug was forced to
confess that he felt like a fool There
was nothing of the actor in Trilling,
and the task OF making violent love to
A tin horn suddenly doomed monu-
mental and overwhelming
He shook himself and tried It again
'Eudora,' he began family, Then,
bracing himself, he repeated her
name more loudly. 'Eudora, Ter
owe you ECdora, will you be my
wife,"
He walled instantly: Hang IT.
That won't do. It's too cold, too for
mall"
He paced the room muttering en-
dearing phrases. He tried leading up
yradually TO the declaration. He tried
he serio-comic. the thrillingly grave,
he pleading and likewise the tragic.
None of them sounded right. There
vas an artificiality, hollowness
bout all of them that was repellent.
Something vital seemed lacking,
Every time Trilling made the turn
Il the end of the room the phono-
graph horn yawned at him primly,
lemonlike once he picked up news
9aper, wadded II ard hurled the mis-
3ile at the haunting machine.
Still, there was an odd pleasure in
putting his secret hopes and wishes
nto actual words. 1t made them more
cal somehow and he extracted a
TRANCE and thrilling excitement from
he sound Of his own voice. He
onnd 1t possible to say "Eudora." in
xactiy ten different ways and to con-
vey the idea that he wanted to marry
,udora a full dozen ways Each time
he proposed to the empty air Tril
ing's chest inflated tribe more and
presently he was actually staggering
n his walk Finally he stopped and
rcgarded the photograph thought.
ully
Disgust at its Inconsistencies rose
within him Ther without pausing to
think. Thrilling damned on his hat,
eaped into his coat and hurried over
the intervening blocks to the Carpen.
ter house.