Holbrook argus., 1912-08-27
What the
 Man Said

Whenever Millie Kasper and Ralph Waters approached within hailing dis tance of each other they were instant silence. It was such an assertive si- lence that 1t drew the attention of everyone within sight. The knowledge of this added to the misery of the two principals.
 It was remarkable that two persons who were 50 shy should have fallen in love with each other. Not that they precisely knew they were in love- They merely realized that 1t was impossible 'or them to stay away from each oth- sr, and that it was an agony to be in each others presence. They suffered because they never had anything to say to each other.
 Sometimes Millie in sheer despera- ton would carefully rehearse a con- Versation for the next time she saw Ralph, but if she remembered her part Ralph, of course, was not aware of the part she had assigned to him, and nobody can carry on a conversa- ton without at least a little assist ance,
 While carefully tying his necktie and brushing his coat preparatory to calling on Millie. Ralph frequently fix sd in his mind some joke with the in- tention of repeating 1t to Millie and thus making himself appear perfectly at ease and indeed bit of wag. All the while he was laying these plans be had the hideous certainty in the bottom of his soul that when he ar- rived at Millie's he would be seized, bound and gagged by his unconQuer- able difhdence, and would sit sQuirm- Ing in silence, with his lips as immov- able as though padlocked.
 It is impossible for two persons, however shy. to sit staring at each other in silence for two or three hours at 8 time. So 1t had grown to be the habit of these two to play two-handed cribbage. The necessary remarks of 'Fifteen-two," "A pair," Sequence of four," and the like had to them the reassuring effect of brilliant repartee. Occasionally these remarks so braced them up that they smiled timidly. 1 6eetingly at each other, thus making their hearts thump tumultuously and hopelessly confusing their game.
 The exasperating part of it was that they were not troubled in this way by the presence of other people. Neither of them was vivacious, yet they found not the slightest difficulty in express ing their thtaghts to others when it was necessary. The pail of silence af. f1icted them only when they were with each other.
 When Ralph was seized by Jealousy at the sight of Millie talking to aB other man he began to have an ink. ling of how things stood with him. The thought of telling her that he loved her sent him into cold chill. And the idea of some other man mak- ing love to her successfully gave him another chill Altogether he was very unhappy.
 There were times when Millis thought darkly of the situation and decided that Ralph cared nothing for her except as a mere friend, yet when she weighed against this decision the
  week and endured the anguish of their unconversational evenings her melan- choly conviction was shaken. He must like to come. Still, if he did, why didn't he say SO?
 Ralph did try once, deliberately. It was just after he had said "Fifty-four" one evening in their third game of cribbage, and he hurried on without taking breath. Before he realized 1t he had said: q want to tell you some thing, Millie-I-er-think it's going to be a nice day tomorrow"
 After this tremendous speech they had both sat in electrified silence, not daring to look at each other
 ''If that fellow wants to ask you to marry him, Millie." said her father who was blunt and impatient, land fl he can't say 1t, why doesn't he sing it?"
 Thereupon Millie wept and said that her father had no sympathy and be sides 1t was perfectly ridiculous to as sume that Ralph cared a single thing about her!
 AHS ldully dlndSs COnSiOSA dtoly uo parted when Ralph arrived, so that nc alien presence might distract him, but nothing ever happened. After all this : thoughtfulness, it seemed odd that when Ralph finally made himself un derstood to Millie 1t was in public. Millie and he had been to the thea . ter. In the crowd coming out mar [ touched his arm.
 : Your wife," said the man quite casually, handing over the article dropped her handkerchief" "Ah-thank you," stammered Ralpl in a perfect blaze of joy and hor TOT. Sh-she would hate to lose 1t : Thank you!"
 They walked on, not looking at eacl other. Then suddenly Ralph squeez ed Millie's arm that rested on his.
 "Did you hear him ?" he asked "An(