The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-11-02
"A Middle AGED
Courtship ! s s.sa' !
re- Q, ANDREW 6. EWING N.
Copyright by American rfass Aeso-
cation 1911. 4stnI &g

was thirty-tive years old and be
somiug tired Of Ayself TIE summet
was coming on. ahd went 10 the sea
shore. thinking that might shake OF
ennui.
There were boys and girls at the
hotel who excited my envy by the
friendly way or the loverlike way OF
any kind of way they mingled,
There was young woman apparent
~ q year OF two past thirty who, on my
arrival at the hotel, seemed to regard
me with something more than an ordi
nary interest. She was sitting on the
porch as | entered the house and dxed
her eyes upon me with . peculiar ex'
preston. would have liked 10 be.
lieve-as I would have believed ten or
afteen years bef0re-that il had made
az instantaneous conquest. but that
day was past simply inferred that
there was something about me that
reminded her Of some one she knew
or had known had no remembrance
OF ever having met her before.
The next morning l joined group
Of ladies' commonly called the knitting
brigade sitting o. the porch. and Miss
Brown. the lady l have uentiOned. be-
Ing among the number l was intro
duced to her. Drawing a chair beside
hers. entered into nversation with
her. She had the faculty Of placing
nan on uncon ventional terms with her
ct once. q valuable gift in q woman,
that Is. whenever she cares to exercise
h-and felt at once as free with her
% II I had known her for years. The
ether ladies one by one withdrew and
left Miss Brown and me b. ourselves.
We cha tied till luncheon was annouac-
q aAd wondered what had become of
The morning.
That was the beginning Of it. There
was nothing between us that could be
called a Irritation. We had passed
that age. We simply found companion
ship In each other and spent much of
eur time together. q. rather. all our
time that We were not In our ro0mA
Miss Brown treated me not as
stranger. but as enc che. had known a
long while Every new and again she
would indicate that there was or had
beon at some previous time something
bstween US. but gave out nothing that
I could get hold of-nothiAs. that l.
eould even question her about, SO We
1afted from day to day.! ! every. NV
~ again running, - against this
vague something she seemed to have
q her mind. '''> F.. -
And here win remark tkaf there
~ circumstances, repissdes; happen.
6SEcall them what you liks that L
0AH Will forget. but Z woman will re-
member so long ~ she hves. 1t is the
large things that interest 4 man-his
career. the interests Of his country or
those questions which pertain TO the
ongoing Of the world. A woman will
treasure note, a button. anything
connected with some scene or person
near to her heart. r.
Finding Miss Brown companionable,
1t occurred to me that here might be q
chance for me to get away from my
lonely bachelorhood. to exchange club
life for home life. to settle myself for
the rest Of my days: Whether could
Do so was very easy to discover. All
that was needed was for me to propose
b Miss Brown. -;
But here was . difficulty. When I
was q young man could make love
for fun. as regarded it. by the hour.
! knew flirt by instinct, or thought !
did, and there were no boundaries with
such to my lovemaking. But now in
middle age to do the same thing. and
do, it seriously, seemed impossible. In
vain | attempted to say something
soft to her. The words wouldn't
come out. And how could propose
"in cold blood?" There must be some
approach to a declaration of love
coupled with an Invitation to the wo.
man to be my wife.
By dint perseverance l managed to
bring forth several hints as to what
was coming. Then. having prepared
the lady. the next thing was to make
Tie proposition | took her out for
long walk on the beach, hoping to gain
i1spiration from what the waves were
oAying. The waves seemed to say.
"Yeu old baldheaded coot, what sort
e 4 fellow are you to tell middle
ND woman you love her| kept
~ on her feet for two hours vainly
trying to screw up NJ courage 70 TIA
ssQaired point. Tie worst Of II vas
t1At knew she was aware Of what l
vas endeavoring 10 bring o1t ana
Was getting tired Of waiting fss h-aot
oaly tired mentally. but bodily. ssveek
alU In her legs. But couldn't q 4
4 marched her back to tie hotel
made several mere unsuccessful a.
eeDpts, but finally while We were ~.
ting In a corner of the piazza by ear.
selves. with no one about made .