Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-17

Tel! l9r InaI THIS move Is tue ESSd4i g
love. rot an expedient. II doesn't ma
ter that exrediency is your principa
reason. We must give women little
taffy. you know"
oh. these men.
But a matter of far greater impor-
lance arrested my attention-at least
it seemed more important at the time.
Father went to the door and called
me OF course there was no answer.
He went out into the hall and called
again. Then heard him go upstairs.
where's Sadie?" shes below"
No. she isn't" she surely isn't up
here" Find her"
Imagine my feelings. standing bolt
upright in the narrow space between
the doors and the portiere, the man
who had proposed for me so near that
was afraid he would hear me-
breathe, angry with him at his out
rageous proposition to take ME away
10 amuse him. sure to be discovered in
this unfortunate, disgraceful position
and. worse than all. in sweeping cos
tune. / surely thougEe l should sur
focate
Well, | must do something They
all knew that / was in the house and
would hunt till they found me. l
could better endure to face my lover.
My lover-jUst think of it, Better
call him my buyer-I pet dog for
his amusement Better that ! should
come out of hiding and face him than
be caught eavesdropping. tried
three times to make move before
succeeded. The third time, my heart
beating like a kettledrum, my face
red as a beet. / bolted for the door
leading into the hall, called to father,
Never mind: I'm here in the parlor,"
then slammed il to impress It upon
every one without the room that was
shut mp with my proposer and was to
be let alone Then l turned and faced
him
And he faced me I don't know
which was the more ludicrous, the
cape on his face or the modification
mingled with wounded pride on mine.
1t seemed that we two rather than
take up love and marriage were about
to spring at each other like two wild
animals.
The proper thing for me to have done
under the circumstances was to wait
for him to speak. But consider the sit
uation. If it was not enough to rattle
any girl. had she even the heart of
fish, then am no judge of situations.
Instead Of appearing sensible of the
compliment he had paid me in asking
me to be his wife. instead of explain
ing that had been an enforced caves
dropper, instead of saying lot Of
things should have said. I did what
I should not. pouring upon him tor
rent of abuse for proposing to make
@ convenience of me.
He stood listening to me deferential-
~. attentively and. I must add. admir-
ingly. When 1 came to pause he
spoke:
i've seen you in a number Of cos
tunes. but I never saw you look so
pretty as in this one"
Then for the first time 1t occurred
to me that I. was doing the wrong
thing, and l became conscious of my
costume.
! suppose IT was the sudden change
of expression on my face. At any rate,
nv proposer smiled Then the absurd
ity of it all occurred to me, and l re-
pressed smile. 1 was in no mood
for trifing
Let me explain" he said. "Tn talk
ing TO your father l was talking as
man to man, not as man to woman. ]
assure you | have no such talk for
you" He came up to me and, taking
me by the hand, led me to a seat and
sat down beside me. What he said IS
not to be repeated. but it certainly was
not what he said to father 1t put an
entirely different complexion on the
matter and not only Modified me. but
thrilled me.
He didn't speak long-there was ne
time. AS soon as he had my answer
he took up the practical part of the
matter. explaining to me how much
loneliness 1t would save him If | would
go with him to South America. for be
had a work before him that he could
not leave for long while. / consent
ed. agreed 70 meet him at the parsOn
age at 3 o'clock and go with him from
there to the steamer which was to sail
at Z
How l got ready in a quarter of
day to be married and go into cOun-
try lying on the other side Of the
equator. how without a trOusseau was
Joined in wedlock to a man who had
never spoken to me of love before thar
morning. how the telephone summoned
Clara and her husband TO be present
at the church and how we were waved
away to our foreign home were ana
are the wonder of my life