Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-15

''Don'tI" he said. Il had It coming
to me. / did It deliberately. want
ed to know how you really felt about
it."
T.. A. Buck was regarding the head
OF his walking stick with a gaze as
intent as that which he previously
had bestowed upon the chandelier.
Mrs. McChesney had wandered into
the dining room. She peered out Of
windows. She poked into buffers pan
try. She inspected wall lights. And
still T. A. Buck stared at his stick
It's really robbery" came Emma
McChesney's voice from the next
room. only New York agent could
have the nerve to do It. I've friend
who lives in Chicago-Mary Cutting.
You've heard me speak of her. Has a
fiat on the North side there. just next
door to the lake. The rent is ridicu-
lous; and-would you believe it?--the
| nat is equipped with bookcases, and
gorgeous mantel shelves, and buffet,
and bathroom fixtures. and china clos
cts, and hall tree
Her voice trailed into nothingness
as she disappeared into the kitchen.
T. A. Buck did not look up. But,
"Oh, Chicagoi" he might have been
heard to murmur, as only New York.
er can breathe those two words.
Don't oh. Chicago! like that"
mimicked' Emma McChesney. i've
lain awake nights dreaming of home
| once saw there, with the lake in the
back yard, and couple Of miles OF
veranda, and darling vegetable gar
den, and the whole place simply honey
combed with bathrooms. and sleeping
porches, and sun parlors, and linen
closets, and-gracious, l wonder
what's keeping Jock!"
T. A. Buck wrenched his eyes from
his stick. All previous remarks de-
scriptive of his eyes under excitement
paled at the glow which lighted them
now. They glowed straight into EN-
ma McChesney's eyes and held them,
startled.
Emma" said T. A. Buck quite calm
ly, will you marry me? | want to
give you all those things, beginning
with the lake in the back yard and
ending with the linen closets and the
sun parlor."
And Emma McChesney, standing
there in the middle of the dining
room floor, stared long at T. A. Buck.
standing there in the center of the
living room floor. And IL any human
face, in the space of seventeen Sec
onds, could be capable Of expressing
+ rsatfnP nd nd al nd saz
may, and tenderness, and wonder, and
a great womanly sympathy, Emma Nc
Chesney's countenance might be said
to have expressed all those emotions
and more The last two were upper.
most as che slowly came toward him
at. A." she said, and her voice had
J in II a marvellous quality, I'm thirty
! nine years old. You know was mar
ried when ! was eighteen and got
, my divorce after eight years. Those
} eight years would have left any won
} an who had endured them with one o
, two determinations: to take up lif,
again and bring 1t out into the sun
shine until 1t was sound, and sweet
and clean, and whole once more, o
to hide the hurt and brood over 1t, AM
cover 1t with bitterness, and hate III
til 1t destroyed by its very foulness
/ had Jock, and chose the sun, than
God! / said then that marriage wa
thing tried and abandoned forever
for me. And now"
There was something almost fine /
the lines of T. A. Bucks too feminin
mouth and chin; but not fine enough
Now, Emma" he repeated, wi
you marry me?"
Emma McChesney's eyes were
wonderful thing to see. SO full {
pain were they, SO wide with unshe
tears.
AS long as--he-lived," she wei
on, "the thought of marriage was r
pulsive to me. Then, that day seve
months ago out In Iowa, when pickle
up that paper and saw it staring out |
me in print that seemed to waver an
dance"-she covered her eyes with ht
hand for a moment" 'McChesney-
Stuart McChesney. March Z, aged 70
ty-seven years. Funeral today fro
Rowland Brothers chapel. Aberdee
and Edinburgh papers please copy!'
T. A. Buck took the hand that CO
cred her eyes and brought 1t gent
down.
Emma" he said. win you mar
me?"
1T A., don't love you. Wal
Don't say it, I'm thirty-nine. but 7
brave and foolish enough to say tn
all these years Of work, and disa
~ pointment. and struggle. and bitter 9
perience haven't convinced me tn
q love does not exist. People have sa
:. about me, seeing me in business, tn
a. I'm not a marrying woman. There
of no such thing as that. Every wont
4. Is a marrying woman, and sometim
nj the light-heartedest. and the scofin
II est, and the most self-suficient of
- are, beneath it all, the marryingel
=. Perhaps I'm making mistake p
haps ten years from now III be rea
=. 10 call myself 8 fool for having
slip what the wise ones would G
chance. But don't think SO. 4. 4
~ You know me too we'll" argued
On A. Buck rather miserably. But
least you know the worst Of me
DC well as the best You'd be taking
- risks"
~ Emma McChesney walked to
-, window. There was . little silen
-