The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-20
"A Proposal
Under
Difficulties
The Girl Did Not Hello
Him Any
By F. A. Mitchell

"iien, Delng an independent |
american girl, went abroad alone to
uaVei and to study art. Most Amer;. |
cans who go TO Europe for that pur.
pose seek Italy, but there is n good daal
10 De learned in Paris, and Miss War.
.eh preferred Paris because she had
friends there. She was an ornhan
WIN an income sufficient to live com.
iortapiy, and her Partisan friends in.
troduced her to others. This led to an
acquaintance with number of French
residents of Paris. Besides these she
niet artists everywhere and she was
liot girl to decline an acquaintance
LOT want of the conventional forms of
Introduction.
AT that time American girls led their
sex among all nations for having bro.
ken away from the cramped position
OF women. Frenchmen were perhaps
growing tired of their women beinr
nedged about by all manner of precau.
tons and consequently resembling so
many dolls. At any rate, there was
something so novel to them in Miss
Warren that they were captivated by
her.
Among those who fell in love with
her was Castor de Touche bachelor
OF thirty, whose parents lived on the
| tamlly estates in the south Of France.
The father and mother were old per.
sons and had never been out of the
| province in which they were born.
| lhelr son was of an age to be indie.
| pendent and lived In Paris. In Amer
lea men not engaged In some regular
| occupation have always been like fish
out of water. In Europe there are men
of fortune who have found plenty to do
to keep them from stagnation. CASTOR
de Touche was an art critic, htterateur
and at times legislator. besides taking
care of his estate. which he was always
increasing. But he was Frenchman
Of the old school, and conventional
forms were as natural to him as the air
he breathed.
M. de T0Iche became acquainted
with Miss Warren, having been
ca!lcd upon to criticise one &C her pic.
lures. He rated the picture very low
bit rc-ed the painter very nigh. Per
haps had he known at the time he
made tie criticism that she was the
arllsr who painted It he might nave
been tempted TO speak more favorably
Of 1t. She learned his views of Its
merits, or, rather, dement's, and wher
later she became acquainted with hin
felt certain antagonism to him OF
this account This she knew wa!
wrong, hut confessed she could no
help 1t. 1t did not at all interfere
with her appreciation of the critic
worthiness.
When CASTOR de Touche made VI
his mind that Lucille Warren was nee
essary to his happiness, indeed tina
without her the bottom would drop on
Of his universe. he resolved to propos
for her hand. And here he met tn
problem Of his life.
The only method he knew Of maxim
such q proposal was the French mett
cd, which he had been brought up
! consider the only one existent.
would be proper for his father to PR
pose to Miss Warrens father for he
hand. If the proposition was accep
ed the two fathers would agree upo
the settlements, the parties to the col
tract would be betrothed and then ma
ried. Neither would have anything
saw about whether they were please
or displeased with the other. Ii the
happened to fall in love with eac
other. which was not likely. well an
good: If not. 1t made no difference
far as their marriage was concerned.
But Gaston's father was too old an
infirm to come to Paris, and had
heen equal to the task Lucille had
father to receive his proposltlo
Therefore this plan was imposslDi
Castor saw that he must make u
proposition himself, but there must
some member of her family of who
he should ask her hand. He inquire
ahont her relatives and found to b
dlsmay that she had no relative near
than n third cousin whom she III
never seem
( .Non Dieur' he exclaimed. "Wh
\ shall | dor
j There was nothing for him to
\ hnt "face the music" and make
[ application direct Could he nave uol
/ co In his native tongue one source
| bis dismay would have been elimna
ed hut Miss Warren had no aptitu'
for languages and had not suhclent
mastered the French that he could
.rro she should understand what
= woS talking about. The proposal mu
1 made nv French idioms express
In English terms -, ~,
.Nfademoiselle," he began, na
l croat concern that your father 20
not live. v
1 ~ mourn my father, monsieur W
/ rho reply. though be died when J"
/ a little girl =,
| NV father lives in the country d.
| 60 troubled with re rheumatism
| 100 badr' replied the lady syml
Il thetically. o,o, No.
l syerv bad, for have especial ne
for him to come to Paris.
i 81 too. often have need lor I'm