Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-09

mediately before leaving college l
made her a proposition of marriage. I
had n certain dread since I was so jul
venile and she so mature of facing her
and breaking over the line that had
thus far separated us. So wrote her
note in which in a very few words
asked her 10 be my wife.
l left college a couple of days later,
and before having received an answer
I left my address with the registrar
so that any letters coming for me
might be forwarded. Every day after
my return home I looked eagerly for
some word from Miss Whitney. None
came.
With all the constituencies Of a
youngster who had offered himself 10
n woman considerably older than him
self, and one, too, who was not with
out offers from mature men, some of
them desira BILE parties, l made up my
mind that the lady considered my of
fer IN the light of presumption and
had not deigned n reply. This view
OF the case was certainly not flatter-
ing TO her, but when sensitveness
comes into a question valid reasons
take fight
Twelve years passed. One day IL
was announced that the government
was about TO erect a building in the
town in which I lived A year later
It was finished and the pOstoffice
moved into It. Going to the door one
morning to receive my mail from the
carrier he handed me letter, at the
same time giving me an explanation
with regard to ii. In tearing away
the fixtures Of the Old postOfice sew
eral letters had been discovered that
from time to time had slipped down
out Of sight The letter he brought me
was one of these.
It was postmRrked at the town
where was located the college at
which I was graduated, had been for
warded, and the date stamped on it
was just twelve years before. 1t had
been addressed 10 me at the college
and forwarded. The handwriting was
that Of q lady, but unfamiliar to me.
l opened it without any thought
whatever as TO who had written it;
but. looking first at the signature, ] saw
it was Leona Whitney. 1t was reply
to my proposal OF marriage
1t Is singular to be transported by
some incident backward in time. Hold
ing that letter in my hand, I was again
a youngster Of twenty, in love with a
woman / considered far above me.
Then it occurred to me that Miss
Whitney must now be within a few
years of forty. while was thirty-twO,
and old at that
While these thoughts were flashing
through me began to read the letter.
IL told me that the lady had been
touched at the expression of the ten
der feelings had avowed for her and
considered my proposal, to say the
least, an honor. But there were rea-
sons why she should hesitate. While
men Of my age, 1t must be remembered
that In ten or a dozen years would
stiIl be a young man, while she would
be past middle age. She confessed
that this was her only reason for not
returning a favorable reply to my pro-
posal She suggested that / was just
at the beginning OF my career and IL
as time passed / felt the same she
would be pleased TO hear from me
refn-
vale / was reg ding this letter I was
sensible Of having passed from ny
youth 70 that period where a man be
gins TO feel that young girls consider
LIN old I lad been much BATTERED
that ny recent attentions 10 a girl Of
eighteen had zen looked upon with /,