The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1912-11-21
hail IA | L t !
Bv HUDSON c. EAsToN

Bv HUDSON c. EASTON
l had BEEN for some time devoted to
Eleanor. had received such encour.
agement as to lead me to believe that
If l proposed to her would be accept
ed. But my mind was not definitely
made up A man is not likely to come
to conclusion in the matter OF mar
rage unless some great advantage is
to be gained or he ia madly in love-
The first may not always decide him.
but the latter will. In my case there
| was no especial advantage to be gain
! ed. and had drifted so gently into
love that | was unaware that had
| got there. .E.
called one evening and found Flea
nor smiling at some cut flowers Who
| had any business to be sending her
flowers? The corners Of my mouth
went down. my nostrils dilated. a color
came into my cheek and a spark into
my eye. ! was about to say some.
thing disagreeable when remembered
| that there was no contract between
| Eleanor and me whatever. She might
receive flowers from Old Nick If she
liked. $780,
! So ] recovered myself sufficiently to
make it appear that was Indifferent
When she saw that would not ask
from whom the gift came she told me
that Hathaway had sent them. Hath
| away was n newcomer In the place
! was good looking. dressed well. End all
the girls sat up and took notice Of
him. ] damned him with faint praise
made my call very short and went to
my room uneasy. 1t occurred to me
that sometimes these affairs between
the sexes come about very suddenly.
When fellow sends q girl towers It
may be sign that he u getting ready
70 propose. ",
Sunday afternoon / had been accus
toned to spend with Eleanor. I deter
mined that the next Sunday afternoon
would endeavor to find out how far
the affair between her and Hathaway
had gone. Usually when | called the
| maid ushered Tue into the drawing
room. This Sunday was shown into
the library. There was q writing desk
there. and letter addressed and
stamped lay on it. | glanced ut the
superscription and saw that it was for
Hathaway and the writing was Flea
nor's.
Evidently the affair had gone much
faster and much further than might
have been expected. | wondered If the
letter were not an acceptance of pro-
posal. 1t is said that, a raw recruit
will become panic stricken at the first
sound Of gun. a lover is naturally
| coward. and was no exception to
the rule. l trembled. l paced back
and forth In great dread, now and
again looking at the letter. which lay
on the desk hooking me. could
! scarcely refrain from taking it up and
throwing it in the Gre that blazed mer.
rily on the hearth.
Presently Eleanor came in. She
seemed a bit annoyed at seeing her
letter on the desk ana said:
| 1T was 50 cold this morning that in
stead of writing in my room wrote
here, where it Is warm"
Leaving her letter where 1t lay. she
took seat before the fire and began
to chat about the weather. l sat down
on sofa tribe further than she from
the blaze, for my cheeks were warm
enough already. tried to say some
thing, but that COMPOUNDED letter to
Hathaway stared me In the face and
tongue tied me- II said anything it
was disconnected and irrelevant. Flea i,
nor did not share in my embarrass
ment She was evidently enjoying the
genial warmth. not appearing to care
whether talked, talked disconnected
y or did not talk at all.
l was badly ratified. wanted to get
In proposal before that letter was
posted. Had retained my equanimity
would have felt assured that II Flea
nor had received proposal from Hath.
away and had replied to It favorably
anything could say would not be like
y to alter her decision. If she had
replied in the negative there was moth
Ing to do In the premises. But was
In no condition Of mind to make pro-
posal. Proposals, except where they
are a mere matter Of form or at ven
ture. come from the heart. The lady
10 sympathetic, COOS, and the man feels
something yelling uD in his bosom