The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-12-14
will you, he finished impress
sively. ''be my wife," @

"Oh, Aaron" walled poor Mary hys-
terically, ARE you crazy? never
dreamed of such thing. l thought
you cared for"
Then you refuse me?" he inter-
rupted gently but firmly.
"Oh yes, yes!" she said, and I'm
SO sorry. Aaron, If you are really sim
cere!"
You have dealt most kindly with
my presumption. Mary" he said
quietly will this make any differ
ence with our friendship"
Il shall always want you for
friend" answered the girl regaining
her composure.
Then we will forget all about it,
dear GIRL" he concluded with unmis-
taxable relief in his voice.
Lucy sat motionless long after they
had left the summer house.
Can he possibly have gone crazy?"
she thought.
When Lucy encountered Aaron
Stanley on the hotel veranda after
dinner that evening she studied him
critically.
His smooth tanned face looked
serene and healthy. His steady, sane
eyes looked into hers with a tender
ness that made her dizzy in spite OF
her overpowering fear and indigna-
ton.
Lucy" he said in his brief, CON-
polling way. come with me for \
walk"
The girl rose reluctantly.
mot far" she stipulated.
"Only to the arbor," he said.
| A sudden daring entered her heart.
Would he ask her, too? It is rather
an unusual experience to be proposed
to in words as familiar as those in
which this proposal would undoubt-
eddy be versed:
Il may as well see it through" she
thought bitterly.
In the fragrant twilight of the
arbor he made her comfortable in
silence.
There is to be a little variety this
time" she thought with strange hu-
NOR. II am not asked to be seated
that may have something very spe-
cial said to me. Perhaps he lays his
failures to fault in his system and
is going to vary the program with this
victim!"
Lucy he said huskily, taking her
cold little hands in his big comfort
able ones, Il love you'll love you!
1t seems almost absurd to tell you
so, because have loved you so long.
and it seems as if you must have
known it.
I could not ask you to marry me
before, dear, when l had nothing to
offer you. l have just got the new
position that I've been working for
I've only been reasonably sure of it
for two hours. and now can take
care OF you, Lucy. as l would wish.
Viii you marry me, darling? offer
you a clean record and as great q
love as man can give a woman"
"A clean record!" cried Lucy Des-
more.
Aaron Stanley, l was in the ham
mock back of this arbor this after
noon; ! heard every word! How can
you come to me this evening with a
tale of love? Do you suppose would
marry"
"Wait!" commanded the young
man sharply. do not say another
| word, beg you. You in the hammock,
Lucy? Oh. good heavens!" He
dropped her hands.
"Only trust me few minutes long
er, Lucy" he pleaded at last. Il can
explain the whole accursed thing,
black as it looks against me. Do not
say another word. Gomez"
She followed him silently.
Stay here" he whispered, seating
| her beside a window on the upper
veranda.
Then he tapped lightly on the win
dow and stepped inside.
"MacGregor." he said to the man
seated at the low table. you offered
me that position ON a peculiar condi-
ton. You want a married man."
Il do, Stanley"
And, since I am neither married
nor engaged, you stipulate that l am
to propose to three eligible young Ia.
dies, the first two of whom are to re-
ject me and the third to accept-that
this is to be done without any explana-
ton of any sort to the young ladies'
Those are the conditions?
You are right, my boy. Any
young fellow who has the nerve to
pull off stunt of that sort is just the
fellow l want"
Very we'll, sir. At four this after
noon proposed to Florence Tracey in
the rose arbor. She refused me. At
1890 l repeated the performance with