Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-26

While | knew that the term had become
a sort Of bromide, the subject itself held
a peculiar fascination for me-a pros
pective check from the Sunday editor. The
latter had called me to his desk that day
"They tell me- he said, that popping
the question j. out Of date-that men
don't fall on their knees any more and
sign the pledge in return for the hand Of
the LADY,"
"Nof" | said incredulously. n
III guess it must he So" he unused sadly
"lf it Is, ! want a story on il. It's an old
institution and greatly revered, and if its
dead, write the obituary"
did not believe the passing of the pop
ping had happened. Absurd! Incredible.
! went out into the street, and the frs
man / met was Dunno. ! cornered him be,
tween a bank building and a house Of re-
fuge.
slow did YOU propose" he replied; ''bul
III buy If YOU want me to-
mo, no." | cut in. II didn't mean that
What | want To know l.. how you asked
your wiie-your former sweetheart, ] mean
Ito become your wife,
an buy, anyway he said.
And over the bar he told me the roman.
tic tale Of his courtship.
Dunno was n singer. lie had the fa-ci-
nation of a Nat Goodwin and the simpli.
city of a child, and he cared nothing par.
ticular for the opposite sex.
lie also taught singing, and when he wa.
about twenty-five he had "A pupil Of TWEEN
ty-seven.
II is needless TO give the pupils sex
The reader knows in advance just what l.
about to happen
IL went up to her hon-e one night 10 give
her a lesson explained Dunno. following
the preliminaries, "and to hear her warbls
over the high Cs.
"There was a popular song out them
he continued. land she asked me to sing il
before | went. Ii was a nice little thing
and | didn't know that mama. papa. aunty
cousin, and Uncle Henry had tripped in and
were watching.
II turned on the sentimental with all Oh,
free abandon with which a Harlem tenant
uses the landlords water. and when th,
last .m-i-i-ine' had floated up into the attic
and | turned around. she fell into my arms
and told me that she had never had a more
beautiful, or romantic proposal.
"And the aforesaid mama. papa. aunty
cousin. and Uncle Henry gathered arouns
and offered their congratulations, and
was too weak to resist. Going-going-
gonerr he scbbcd.
'.What was the name of the trill YOU SAM
| asked curiously!"
"Will You Be Mineis" he replied path
etically. as a saline tear dropped into the
amber depths Of has glass.
| shook my head in sympathy, and lief
him dropping over the bar.
sThere must be soemthing to it," | con
coded. And then ! met Williams.
/ greeted him. lie returned il cordially
He il an insurance agent.
"How did you propo~e." ! asked.
$50 you're going 10 do IT," he erinncd
Il nave here a new policy. ] wrote sever
Young married men % far this week. Yol
sign on this dotted line. The beauty of thi
particular"
I'm not getting married." | interrupt
ed, .and besides, | never believed much il
insurance. | just wanted to know how yoi
proposed
Ills manner changed.
Il didn't he said abruptly.
IAN | mistaken" | asked. Il though
You were married"
Il am" he agreed. -"Bat what has tina
TO do with proposing"
.lt'> essential | contendcd.
ats tommyrot," he retortcd. sh fel
low knows when he's been hooked. Tn,
first time | knew | was going to be- mar
ried was when she told me that the chrom,
front parlor, over the piano. It's hun.
there, too" he autobiography, | thought
for IA young fellow.
We parted.
And then | met C~hiarni-Chiarni, TIL,
painter of wide renown. | smiled at him b,
way Of introduction to the question thaI
was coming.
.Chiarni," ! asked, 'how did you pro.
pose!"
His smiling eyes turned dull AT the ques.
ton, and | thought he was going to strike
me.
Pardon me If | have offended you,'
hastily apologized. Il meant mo- HARM
IL know, | know" he r~uminated. 1T was
the memories it brought mack.
1T seems years ago" he went on, "whcr
was only a scrub of a painter, and wa>
always working-always dreaming. A rici
young woman came to me one day an,
wanted me to paint her portrait. | need