The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1912-12-19
q Want 10 Know How Men Propose.

following the death Of father whom
the girl could not remember. 1T wa
foolish Of me to ask such silly cues.
ton. might have known It would
lead to something like"
mo. dear. not silly at all. And III
not be . baby again. There" as .
smile rekindled her face. IT -eally
mean It. you will have . proposal so
fore your next birthday comes"
"Oh, mama, mama, do you .eally
think 20? And why3"
Cant you sect It's plain to every.
one. When he wasn't hanging at your
elbows last night, he was tripping
around after me. And why else should
he be 20 considerate to me, II I were
not the mother Of the girl he likes?"
who? Who. mama? Do you
mean"
Eyes. Henry. Of course. I am sure
he"
"Oh, I hope SOL hope So"
The mother regarded her child
thoughtfully, then asked: do you
really love him 30 nuch?"
"Now. mama. why do you put it that
way?" returned the girl, while a
shadow seemed to gather over her
brows. mo. come to think of 1t. I
don't believe love bim at all. -"
why, daughter, you amaze me-"
cried the mother in establishment.
"Then why were you so delighted? !
can't understand"
"Because-because," plainly abash.
ed. Il just wanted him-anyone-to
propose. 1anted to see how he
would act. nd what he would do. and
what he would say, and all that"
Rosie pulled ring, set with EN-.
eralds and pearls, from her finger and
toyed with it in her lap, during the
silence that ensued. The mother look.
ed on. then arose and walked to the
window where she stood gazing at the
whirling eddies of snow driven with
the late February storm. When she
turned back into the room, she SEEM
ed less perplexed, and said in a mat.
ter-of-fact way:
"Henry is a splendid chance. my
little girl. He has good heart and
q good business. I am not eager for
you to maryland there is lots Of
time yet-but any mother wants to zee
her daughter
But, mama, he's SO much older
than l."
Eyes. you are very young-too
young to marry-not too young to
become engaged. How ole is Henry"
Il don't know" replied the maiden.
candidly. Il never thought to ask
him. But he seems-oh, even older
than you"
The mother laughed. "And this
from little girl who should not try
to datter her mama"
During the month or 80 that follow.
ed Henry came regularly, sometimes
20 often as two and three times q
week, to the Farnam residence. Since
the morning after her birthday party
Rosie had seemed less 1t ease and, at
times. half frightened. when in his
company. Especially WAS this the
case when they were not Joined By
her mother: who usually, because Of
the cold weather and the necessity Of
eoonomizing IN fuel, rat with the two.
At such intervals when the widow was
absent, Henry. also, was restless and
wandering In attention,
But Il could not bo winter always.
Spring breezes came ct last over the
Osafn into Missouri. The sun shone,
robins fitted between the boughs Of
naples beginning to rejuvenate with
the rise and low Of sap through their
truniD. and out IN the pasture. Just
then turning family to green. young
colts frolicked ana raced beside their
mothers. Life and love were unfolding
from Q single bud.
Then. on . night when Henry
oama., the weather vas warm. Hs