The Winslow mail., 1912-08-24
What the
Man Said


Waters approached within hailing dis
tance Of each other they were instant
ly plunged into panicky, embarrassed
| silence. It was such an assertive 81,
lence that 1t drew the attention OF
! everyone within sight. The knowledge
Of this added to the misery of the two
principals.
1t was remarkable that two persons
who were so 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
Tor them to stay away from each 9TH
er, and that 1t was an agony to be in
each others presence. They suffered
because they never had anything to
say to each other.
Sometimes Mile in sheer despera.
lion 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 converse
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-
ed in his mind some Joke with the in
tention of repeating it to Mile and
thus making himself appear perfectly
at ease and indeed bit of o wag. All
the while he was laying these plans
he had the hideous certainty In the
bottom of his soul that when he ar
rived at Miles 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.
1t is impossible for two persons,
however shy, to sit staring at each
other in silence for two or three hours
at time. SO it had grown to be the
habit of these two to play two-handed
-cribbage. The necessary remarks Of
'Ffteen-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,
Heeting1y at each other, thus making
their hearts thump unanimously 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 thoughts to others when 1t
was necessary. The pail of silence af.
I;ficted them only when they were
with each other.
Wnen Ralph was seized by jealousy
at the sight of Millie talking to au
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 MAX
ing love to her successfully gave him
another chill Altogether he was very
unhappy.
There were times when Millie
thought darkly of the situation and
decided that Ralph cared nothing for
her except as mere friend, yet when
she weighed against this decision the
fact that he called four or five times a
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 it
he had said: II want to tell you some
thing, Millie-I-er-think it's going
to be 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, "and if
he can't say it, why doesn't he sing
it?"
Thereupon Mile wept and said that
her father had no sympathy and be-
sides it was perfectly ridiculous to as
sumo that Ralph cared a single thing
about her!
The family always considerably de.
parted when Ralph arrived, so that no
alien presence might distract him, but
nothing ever happened. After all this
thoughtfulness, 1t 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 man
touched his arm.
Your wife," said the man quite
casually, handing over the article,
dropped her handkerchief"
"Ah--thank you," stammered Ralph
in perfect blaze of Joy and hor-
ror. Sh-she would hate to lose it.
Thank you!"
They walked on, not looking at each
! other. Then suddenly Ralph squeez-
ed Miles arm that rested on his.