The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1913-12-11
hot AT ALL DIFFICULT
BY A scHEvEBs.

the term in its usual sense, for thei
admiration Of young Dukes wa
boundless. What they had in mine
was his infinite capacity for keeping
still.
He never talked unless he hat
something to say, and when he hac
said it ceased talking. There was
sound philosophy in his method. but
the average man has not the strength
Of mind to follow it out-he keeps uI
a conversational twitter because he
has a horror of silence. 1t gets on
his nerves. Aller Dukes did not seem
to possess any / At any rate.
he did not futter an eyelash at whole
streaks of stiffness. The odd part
of it was that this habit did not seem
to shut him off behind any remote
barrier-he had the faculty of making
himself more intimately one Of the
party by just listening than did the
others by reams of gable.
He never by any chance gossiped
about himself.
Most people r so egotistical that
they think the public is feverishly in
terested in their trips to Europe, pro-
jected or past, their new clothes at
the tailor's or dressmaker's, their
servants shortcomings and the money
they are making.
Aller Dukes seemed wrapped in i'm
penetrable modesty. Any information
you got out of him relating to him.
self had to be pried and blasted loose
and he clearly regarded the operation
with disfavor.
Naturally he was fascinating to
girls, because he gave them SO much
to talk and wonder about. When he
took mi Of them to a party she had
all the sensations of starting on a
trip into remotest Africa, because
there always was the possibility OF
making Aller Dukes talk.
Nobody has done it yet, but while
there is life there is hope. The effect
Of Alters silence was to make other
people talk, and resolve as they would,
not TO chatter and unfold their best
secrets to him, they always did.
When he began taking Ethel Anvil
ing around more than all the other
girls excitement ran high.
Suppose said Ethels best friend.
Suppose he should want to propose
to you-he'd never be able to waste
words enough to lead up to IT.
what's he going to do? A girl simply
has to be sort of courted!"
'T'm not worrying" said Ethel, and
tossed her head. Hes Just a good
friend and doesn't care a bit about
mel"
But it was observed that she
blushed when she said It.
Perhaps Ethel herself wondered as
had her best friend. She and Aller
got along famously together because
she could talk six miles an hour and
she always took such a vivid interest
in life that she had plenty to say. Not
that Aller maintained a sphinxlike ST.
lence-when she considered the mat
ter it seemed that he always said
to the point. Still as her best
friend had pointed out, a girl simply
has to be courted.
And the young man had wasted no
time in pretty speeches.
Before she realized it, Ethel Awling
was consumed with curiosity as to
whether Aller Dukes really liked her
! good deal and how he possibly could
convey the idea to her if he did like
ler.
Deep down in her heart she was
that he did.
Several others had told Ethel that
hey cared for her, and as she re-
1iewed the manner in which they had
lone so none OF the methods EN-
appealed to her as at all at
ractive. To be sure, they had been
enough, clever enough, artis-
ic enough, and yet she had sent the
7oung men all away. How, she pain
ulIy wondered, could silent Aller
Dukes tell her of his admiration, sup
losing he should want to, so that it
would impress her? She disliked
cry much the idea of not being i'm
'ressed sufficiently to say yes. By
which one may judge that Ethel vas
considerably in love with the silent
hap.
To her self she insisted that she
i'd not care a bit.
Most unexpectedly n evening, Just
s they were going down the steps
their way to a party, not when
hey were returning, with moonlight
nd the rest Of the conventional set
Ing, Aller Dukes turned his head
,ward Ethel a moment and then
aid: VIII you marry me, Ethel?"
1t took him exactly from the third
, the fifth step to say it. And Ethel,
Pter an instant, heard herself saying
almly from the sixth step to tho
sventh: eyes, Aller." And then :
ley were walking on the level side
ak.
Some time later Ethel said re- =,
roachfully: THAT was an awfully :
my way you proposed to mel" .
Aller looked surprised. Il don't :
e why" he said. IT wanted to know :
,mething and what was there to do :
1t ask you what I wanted to :
:
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