The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-28
How She
Proposed
By F. A. Mitchell

Wlmmen are a queer lot" said the
oid fisherman. They remind me most
OF crab. If you expect a woman to
move forard she goes back; if you ex-
pect her to go back she goes for'ard.
And if you don't know which way
she's goin' she moves sideways.
anyway, the only gal l was ever
STUCK on went that sort Of a gait as
long as knew her as a gal. She was
the daughter of man who owned one
OF the best farms ten miles back Of the
coast and with lot O. money in bank.
Phoebe was the only child Of her par
ents, and it was ginerally suspicioned
that when the old man died she'd git
it all.
i was husky young feller in those
days and was in my element when in
| my boat. She was single sticker
with jib. and reckon knew how to
sail her.
i was fishin' in those days, but in
midsummer we was shut off from
takln' Holsters. and the mackerel are
/ hard to get Now and then | got a
chance to take out sailin' parties.
/ When Phoebe came down she always
mad money her dad had given her for
spendin'. and she used to invite sailin'
| parties to go out with her. My boat
! seemed to be her favorite, though my
reputation for sailin in fog or at
night might have had somethin to do
with it. At any rate, Phoebe always
took my boat when she could get it.
"She was mighty fond O. the water,
Phoebe was, and when she had nothin'
else to do would come down to the
dock and just loaf around One morn
in she came down when l was startin'
out to place my nets.
III you'd like to so with me to the
fishin' grounds said, you're wei
come. I'm comm back after placin'
the nets, and I'll bring you right here
"She looked doubtful, but mighty
sudden she jumps down on to the deck
l loosed the painter and pushed off
There was a good breeze. and we sailed
along in the sunlight.
maybe l wasn't a happy younker
Talk about work, it want work at all
although 1t was maxim livin'. Phoebe
was gay and pert as little red squir.
rel. took her out to the fishin
grounds to the lee of Black island and
brought her back in time for noon din
ner, and she seemed to have enjoyed
herself better'n when we had sailin
parties aboard.
AFTER that Phoebe used to 60 out
with me good deal. The bay was al
ways full O. boats, and she often hailed
friends O. hers. Sometimes they tried
to persuade her to leave me and g.
with them, but she wouldn't. She tolt
me she liked 1t better to have the
whole run Of the boat than sittin' boil
upright in a crowd ranged around Tho
gunwale.
"When we went out In the mOrnin
the bay was usually quiet, but If WI
came back in the afternoon there wa'
apt to be a stiff wind that kicked {
sea which made small boat uncom
Portable. One morning Phoebe came
down to the dock with lunch box ant
asked if | was goin' to the fishin
grounds. knew by the box that sh'
calculated to make day of 1t, so
said / was goin' and wouldn't come
back till afternoon. That suited her
She got aboard, and we sailed away
THAT afternoon the wind came on t
blow fiercer than had ever known |
except In regular storm. In order t
make a straight course for home w
had to take the wind and sea on thu
for'ard quarter, which wasn't comfort
able, seein' that the boat soon wa
half full o. water and we was botl
wet as drowneded rats. But this WASH
the wust Of it. 1t blowed harder ant
harder. and after awhile l almost won
dered IL so small q boat would live II
such gale.
"Phoebe sat down, backed by tn
cabin, watchin' me. There's somepl
for a woman to look at In husky ma
fightin' wind and waves, and l coul
see admiration In Phoebe's face. Sh
didn't seem bit afraid, so long as
was at the tiller
"when I luffed up to the pier an
saw Phoebe jump up on to 1t felt
big relief She stood up there, smilir
at me, and she says:
"'That's a sail as is a sail. Not on
Of your little pleasure excursions 10
wimmin and children
"'Just So says l. hopin' I'd neve
git caught ag'in in such blow with
gal aboard, especially that gal.
"By this time was desprit IN lov
with Phoebe, and 1 was miserable, 10
It warnt to be expected that woul
ever speak the word to rich farmer
daughter, I bein' nothin' but a fishel
man, maxim little or nothin'.
September was comm on. Phoeb
tole me to come up to the house, wher
she was, and she would settle some a.
counts there was between us. l wen
and she had it oil figured out that sh
owed me S1.37.
"She went upstairs to git the none!