Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-06-04
IT WAS A SURPRISE
BY ALLIE


The daughter of the household, aged |
eleven, looked up from her book as
the man caller came into the library.
How do you do, Mr.. Dearmore,"
she said, getting up politely. you
might as well take a comfortable chair
because sister won't be down for ages
She is always slow about getting
dressed and l suppose now she'll be
slower than ever because she won't
care if she does keep you waiting"
"Well, why shouldn't she care, I'd
like to know" inquired the caller with
an assumption of surprise designed to
be comic.
The young person hitched a little
closer to him in her eagerness. 81 just
found out!" she told him, tonight. ]
guess they weren't going to tell me,
but sister was SO interested in brush.
ing out her switch that she didn't %
tice me and mother said: You might
have done better if you'd more ambi-
ton, but, thank heaven, you're engaged
at last!' And sister said yes, it was
time and she'd have to make the best
of it. Why, she's engaged! Don't you
understand"
you surprise me-" said the caller,
with interest.
The young person nodded her head.
Its awfully exciting to have an en-.
gagged person in the family. We neveE
had one before. l held my hand over
my mouth to keep from asking right
out who it was, but I knew if spoke
they'd make me go away-and then
all they said vas that where the
trooser was coming from if dad didn't
make a killing goodness only knew
What's a tr~ooser?"
"a sort of feminine delirium, I be.
lieve," the young man told her
Wouldn't you like to read out loud
to me from your book?"
mot when | can talk" the young
person assured him, promptly. "Pd
think it was Bob Samson, only he
hasn't been here for ages. He's riding
around a ranch u West now and he
always brought me chocolates anG
petted the dog and waited hours anG
hours for sister. Mother told her one
day for goodness sake when she gof
her hands on that huge old Samson
house to burn it down and put up an
other one with a French gray drawing
room, and other things, but / guess
Bob slipped a cog somehow"
"Er-what"
well, Aunt Clara said to mothe
that a cog in the wheels must hav'
slipped somehow and how did he eve
get away and wasn't it a pity! So
suppose Bob did it. l always liked hi
chocolates-he brought me just a
good ones as he brought sister. Some
times they try to pass off cheap cand,
on me, but I know! Then / feed it t
the dog.
I'm glad it wasn't that Sidden
man. He always called me little one
and patted my head and he had bror
chitis and always coughed before h
spoke, and sister said she didn't car
If he was rich, but she couldn't endur
a man who wore brown ties and at
grapefruit with a fork and anyhow b
gave her the shivers. That was th
time mother scolded SO and siste
went to Aunt Clara's for a month.
I'm surprised at her getting el
gagged, because she'll have to have
l house and meals then and she say
picking out things to eat is simpl
awful and she wouldn't wear her lii
| away keeping down the grocery bill
for any man and he might as we
make up his mind to it. Anyhow, 81
$ ter never loses her head, becaus
mother says so, and she'll make hi
toe the mark. Mother says thai wit
. her sweet smile sister could make
man believe white was black, but thu
y seems foolish. Wouldn't you kno
3 black If you IA it?"
81 used to think I was able to di
I tinguish colors," admitted the caller.
"But you're different" said Il
young person. at isn't as though W
were one Of sisters trailers-that
what dad calls 'em. It doesn't NAL
any difference to you. Only l thougl
e If I told you about it you'd understar
n why she didn't hurry to get dow
d here, now she's interested in one pa
ticular man"
c We'll" said the caller, "IIl tell W
a a. secret. I'm the particular mani"
d The young persons eyes bulge
"Honest?" she squealed. why, l WI
never SO sur-r-p-prised in my l-l-lif,
And you never petted the dog one
Ny, but you're quiet!"