The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-07-28
A Proposal
Under
Difficulties
The Girl Did Not Help
Him Any
By F. A. Mitchell

American girl, went abroad alone to
travel and to study art. Most Ameri-
cans who so to Europe for that pur.
pose seek Italy. but there is good deal
to be learned In Paris, and Miss War
rem preferred Paris because she had
friends there. She was an orphan.
with an income sufficient to live com.
fortably. and her Partisan friends In
PRODUCED her to others. This led to an
acquaintance with a number Of French
residents Of Paris. Besides these, she
met artists everywhere, and she was
not girl to decline an acquaintance
for 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 being
hedged about by all manner Of precau.
lions 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. a bachelor
OF thirty, whose parents lived on the
family 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.
Their 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, litterateur
and at times legislator. besides taking
care of his estate, which he was always
increasing. But lie was Frenchman
OF the old school, and conventional
forms were as natural to him as the air
he breathed.
M. de Touche became acquainted
with Miss Warren. having been
called upon to criticise one of her pic
lures. He rated the picture very low.
but rated the painter very high. Per
haps had he known ut the time be
made the criticism that she was the
artist who painted it he might have
been tempted to speak more favorably
of it. She learned his views of its
merits, or, rather. dement's. and when
p later she became acquainted with him
felt a certain antagonism TO him OH
this account. This she knew was
wrong, but confessed she could not
help it. 1t did not at all interfere
with her appreciation of the critics
worthiness.
When CASTOR de Touche made up
his mind that Lucille Warren was nee.
eisary TO his happiness. indeed that
without her the bottom would drop out
of his universe. he resolved to propose
for her hand. And here he met the
problem of his life.
The only method he knew of making
such a proposal was the French meth
cd, which he had been brought up TO
consider the only one existent. 1t
would be proper for his father to pro-
pose to Miss Warren's father for her
hand. If the proposition was accept
ed the two fathers would agree upon
the settlements, the parties to the con-
tract would be betrothed and then mar.
ried. Neither would have anything to
say about whether they were pleased
OF displeased with the other. If they
happened to fall In love with each
other, which was not likely, well and
good; If not, it made no difference so
far as their marriage was concerned.
But Gaston's father was too old and
infirm to come to Paris, and had he
been equal to the task Lucille had no
father to receive his proposition.
Therefore this plan was impossible.
CASTOR saw that he must make the
proposition himself. but there must be
some member of her family OF whom
he should ask her hand. He inquired
about her relatives and found TO his
dismay that she had no relative nearer
than a third cousin whom she had
never seen.
mon Dieuy' he exclaimed. What
shall | do?'
There was nothing for him to do
but "face the music and make his
application direct. Could he have done
so in his native tongue one source OF
his dismay would have been eliminate
ed, but Miss Warren had no aptitude
for languages and had not sufficiently
mastered the French that he could be
sure she should understand what he
was talking about. The proposal must
be made by French idioms expressed
ia English terms.
"MadeInoiselle." be began, Il have
great concern that your father does
not live"
"I mourn my father. monsieur, was
the reply, though he died when ! was
a little girl"
"My father lives in the country and
Is troubled with re rheumatism"
"Too bad replied the lady sympa
thetically.
"very bad. for l have especial need
for him 10 come to Paris"
81, too. often have need for father
However, | have been obliged 10 get
xxst hot.t ono"