The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-11-03
The Tragedy of
Being Twenty-eight
The Way One Proposal Was
Developed.
BY STUART 3, STONE.

Mr.. Thomas. his son. WIS rs oIu ~
twenty-eigt t.
The colonel had proposed Just eight
times to Miss Edwina Lincoln. his de-
llghtful little scampergrace Of
wealthy ward whereas Mr.. Thomas.
being all of twenty-cight and extreme
ly serious. would never have dreamed
Of the thing
The colonel began the business when
Miss Edwina began 10 stick up her
chestnut hair, ms do young ladies when
they attain delcctable sixteen. The
colonel though tifty-fye at the time,
had nothing to his credit in the way
OF discovery. invention or productions
but. then. the colonel did not stop for
a little thing like that.
Il know I'm o.d" explained Colo
mel John Andrew. and Miss Edwina in
terrupted:
You're not you're not old.' she
cried In heated denial. Tor they were
comrades Of years and had enjoyed
many great times and Jolly rompS 10
gether.
Then" said the colonel. optimistic
as Old King cole you will have lie,
Edwlna. when you are couple OF
years older:
Edwina laughed and half cried in
formed the colonel that he was II dear
old classmate OF MethuSelah and end
ri up by kissing him. while he patted
the newly heaped lady hair. After
that Edwina sought out Master Thorn
as. pottering about his maze of Il
mathematical theory.
How old are you. Tom she asked,
though she knew like 4 u {.
"Twenty-three." answered Tom so-
berly as he went on iigurlng. Tween
ty-thfee," he repeated. with a solemn
look at Edwina. perched upon n table
of messed formulate Getting older
every day. Edwlna. aud nothing to
show for The years" He Gloomet at
her ike Jupiter displeased. and she
went out and dimmed her biz brown
eyes with tears
The colonel continued 10 entertain
the fondest. rose tinted hopes. which
be carefully announced as often as
possible. Miss Edwina persisted In be.
coming more euuancingly lovely day
by day. Tom went ON working over
stupid figures. And when Edwina, ra-
diant and beaming with the glory Fl
another year cast behind with the de
spised gildings or childhood, came 10
announce her seventeenth birthday the
colonel proposed aguin. lie couldn't
help it-dear soul Edwina tweake'l
his nose, puffed him an ethereal little
kiss and scampered from the room.
laughing
by the eternal murmured Colonel
| John Andrew whe; she left him with
| his hands still iu the attitude OF dra-
| matte pleading. Now wouldn't she
l aud | make a pair OF high shoppers
| In the beauty show on the avenue OF
| evenings" Then he tiptoed over "a
\ an old trunk and looked FOR Il long
4 while ut the picture Of n kindly. faded
i lady in Il iocket
Edwina had gone to the library,
4 where she lolled upon II desk covered
with gay equations in algebra.
| "I'om." she asked softly, did you
| know was sevcntceni"
| Tom nodded. Yes. | know. I'd
wilma. I'm keeping track OF these
things
"rom"-she persisted. and he ceased
his calculations and turned his dark,
solemn eyes ON her
''Tom." She asked ~arc yon ever
do YOU expect ever to get murricd:'
Tom blushed and turned away 10 hi'
papers. Il am twenty-four Edwina
he declared IN slightly trembling tones
and / have achieved nothing. How
could | think or
1 e,stopped nj that. and Edwina slip
ped up to her pmkish houdoir and
| wcps softly FOR perhaps five minutes.
| When Edwina rircned into charm
ing eighteen and after the colonels
thl-,i fcrvent PROPOSAL the lirht in hei
brown eyes. the gold brown CLINT OF
4 Tier uNil anu tue Attt VI A'A N''i
young voice hecame topic here and
there. ana wooers could no longer b,
held back from the threshold.
The colonel eyed them haiefaily then
Slapped them on their Young backs
aud adlured the hest man To- win
" ster Tom. With the tragedy ~ tWrn
ty-five. six and seven bow ine hiS hand
some curly head. worked with bis
hoxious mathematics and worried ovel
tho respective merits Of Edwina''
arA.y Of signing Romeo chaps.
And Edwina coquetted. merciinll,
4. possible. with the whole idclatra'
band. refusing Colonel John Audreu
rs often ss twenty times month ans
extending delicious sympathy 10 Mas
te. Tom In his struggle with ord Time
The scythe man
OF course the time had come whcI
! Ecwina became all 81 twenty-onc an,
uuhampcrcd mistress Of really re-
spectacle fortune. The event was si-
Vailed by a masierful proposal on tn
PAR OF the colonel aud by little spit
snat Of m interview between Edwin.
| rn6 Tom On the Iiuii library. Masie
Tom was twenty eight twenty-e EIGHT
/ r,fr,,s ,au L. hal declared with