Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1915-03-04
An Ingenious
Courtship
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN


gers which beset young persons who
step into matrimonial traps, desired
that her daughter should be settled
matrimonially while her mother lived
Edward Sawyer was the person on
whom Mrs. Martindale had fixed her
! intentions for her daughter. One day
she said to him:
Edward, l have noticed that you
seem pleased with Gwen. / wish to
see her settled before l leave her. II
| you wish to marry her will help you
to win her. If not, l shall try to make
a match for her elsewhere
You have not been deceived in my
partially for Gwen, Mrs. Martndale,
but l don't see that Gwen has any
| special Partially for me-
Gwen is romantic and needs to be
| won by romance. That is why l fear
4 for her. Some worthless fellow is liza.
BILE to appeal to her in that way and
marry her. value that which is prac-
tical in you and wish that you might
sink it temporarily, be bit senti-
mental, catch Gwen and marry her.
After marriage l am sure your good
sense and wisdom will hold her"
Mr. Sawyer sat evidently turning
something over in his mind then as
sured Mrs. Martindale that, although
he would be glad to win her daughter,
he feared that he was too matter of
fact to please her
II One day Gwen received note which
put her in a futter. The writer de
clared that he had known her for some
time; that he had loved her from the
moment he first saw her; that he had
forborne to give her the slightest ink
ling Of his affection because he had
not observed any predisposition on her
part for him. He was believer in
love from the beginning. He knew
the woman he wanted the moment he
met her and felt sure that II she want
ed him she would know him. While
he would not make himself known, he
could not refrain from telling her that
he loved her.
In Il few weeks came second letter.
In it her correspondent said that he
was impelled to write to her, though
he had no information Of himself to
communicate. He had met her once
since he had written the first letter,
but had observed nothing in her greet
ing to give him any reason to think
that she had chosen him as he had
chosen her. Nevertheless he had
faint hope that there might be some
subtle medium of traHsference which
would enable his love to kindle its like
in her.
Whether or not this medium existed,
Ovens heart went out to this I'M
known lover, or, rather, to being
whom she created. She was troubled
that he did not enable her to make
even written reply by giving her an
address. But one day she received
letter in which he said that he was
i'll and was pining for word from her.
II he did not get it he feared for the
result. An address was given. but
she was assured that she would not
be able. even If she desired. to trace
him.
Gwen did not find the difficulty to
be expected In writing reply. be-
cause she wrote to enc created by her
own fancy. She did not intend to
write loving letter to an unknown
man. She Thought she merely ex-
pressed sympathy. But sympathy =
so nearly akin to love that the ex-
preston Of the one will often do for
the other.
The stranger having given an adj
dress where letter might reach him,
quite brisk correspondent sprang
up between him and Gwen. She sug-
gested that he make himself known.
that il they could not be lovers they
might at least be friends, and she
longed to do something to show her
appreciation of his preference for her.
To this he replied that he was sure
that when she knew which Of her &C.
quaintances he was. that he was q
plain, ordinary man, she could not re-
frain from showing her disappoint-
ment. Nor would she believe that one
she had known could have so long
concealed the love buried away down
in his breast
To this she replied that such dis
covery could not but interest her and
After much urging and the expression
of many misgivings he consented to
make himself known. He agreed to
call upon her on certain evening.
When that evening arrived she spent
much time before her glass arranging
her costume, and when she heard the
ring Of the doorbell her heart leaped
into her throat. She went downstairs.
trembling with anticipation.
why, Ned Sawyer!"
Sawyer shrank back as though fear
ing she was about to cast blight
upon him.
"Can it be-" Gwen added, slight
color rising in her cheeks, that you
have so long lived near me, have seen
me SO often and yet have been able to
onnoaaI what v0:, have oYnrpSspd in