Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-02-01


for instance. had an extremely pleas
ant voice, an honest smile, and when
her face lighted she was very differ
ent person from when her face was at
rest While she was sedate rather than
frivolous, at times she was merry.
From the moment saw Molly In the
flesh | resolved to win her if possible
and / wished 10 withhold any mention
of having o en into possession of her
picture and keeping it on my dresser,
falling gradually in love with merely
her image. till my proposal, when III
tended to make the most of il. Molly
accepted my attention. But most girls,
| believe. Ike to keep sutton In doubt,
which they can do without the slight
est trouble. All they have to do Is to
frown occasionally or excuse them
selves when he calls on the plea of in
disposition and the bottom of his uni
verse drops out Immediately. Molly
played these little games on me 50 of
ten that | was discouraged ! thought
that if could only reach point
where / could ring in my long aloH
ton of her photograph her heart would
warm toward me at once.
Meanwhile another little romance
that | cannot develop here was going
on between my sister Ruth and Molly's
brother. Molly had noticed it ana
spoke TO me about it, but ] was 50 in
tereSted in my own affair that ] had no
thought for any others. | didn't hap
pen 10 meet AIolly's brother but ] WAS
not slow in making up my mind that
he was the person to whom she bad
given the photograph 4 brother would
not be likely to write "A peach on
the back Of a sisters picture. but The
brother IN this case might have had Il
friend who admired the sister
one THING | noticed in Molly's treat
ment of me that construed favorahly.
Wherever she would give me the cold
shoulder she would follow up her act
by being especially gracious. After one
of these fits of graciOusness | resolved
TO bring matters to a crisis ! did not
begin with SO unromantic matter as
an exchange of overcOats J led up to
the subject by telling her that | had
been familiar with her lineaments be-
fore had ever seen her, she evidently
saw what was coming. not from my
words, but my manner When a man
has proposal on his mind aud trying
TO find words in which 70 make it there
are few girls who do not know the in
eyitable result. | might just as well
have said nothing after making the
start, and what did say was not what
| had intended TO say. At any rate, |
forgot to tell her that her likeness had
been on my dresser for long while
before had met her. Her reply to my
proposition vas startling
"Why haven't YOU returned Bob's
overcoat?"
drew aside to get Il hetter view of
her expression She was toying with
some ornamental work on her skirt,
her eyes cast down Nevertheless
detected q si@ht Quirk to Che corner of
r lsoaji
"iNh-:s-# DO YOU moau?" asked.
Come; don't pretcld what's not
truc. size rra ed "Non know you
i.1e tad "a niy;dre of mine that didn't
Epimg to you"
My establishment, my curiosity, went
down before the de- re Of my life.
told her that tate hal thrown into my
possession q Ecture which from the
day first saw it had grown upon me
had entmalled me, had been the be
ginning of my first and only love
Fate had thrown it in my way
You mean fate thlev Rob's over
coat in your way, the overcoat happen
ing to contain my photograph"
This matter OF fact reception Of my
outburst somewhat cooled me.
"lIow did you know about the ey-
change Of coats?' ! asked
Bob had his coat taken the day
sent him my likeness. lsueyt the pat
tern OF the cloth well and have been
looking for it ever since. The moment
saw you Mt The breaking up Of the
bridge party standing in the hall with
Bob's coat on, recognized ii at once"
And Bob?"
u saw by the way you were looking
at me that you had recognized me and
had done so by my photograph. | in
ferred that you would seek me and
kept my own counsel | haven't yet
told Bob or any one else that you have
been wearing his coat"
! looked at her steadily for a few