The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-02-06
m - - - - M ~ m m I'M ~ - -
: PEGGYS PROPOSAL :
~ -
@ nm
N BY e HOLLAND. m
BY {. HOLLAND.
~ - - - m M - n N N N I

"Oh, Peggy, have you heard Cap
tain Neely's offer2" was screeched By
a bevy of veranda beauties as Mar.
garet Randall joined them.
"Offer Of whatTs
"Oh, gracious, girls, tell herr
Why, the captain has offered 2
began one Of the damsels.
You mistake, my dear young lady,
interrupted the captain. 81 offer moth
ing. But I have signified my willing
ness to consider any or all offers made
me. You see. Miss Peggy" said he,
turning toward the late arrival, who.
although far from being beautiful,
ruled them by right of brightness, her
wit and her inexhaustib1e resources as
an entertainer. Il am disguised with
the way you young ladies are neglect
ing your leap year advantages, and I
viii wager that not one OF you has
made an offer of marriage this year.
Have you now2"
Nothing but the awful dread OF be-
Ing refused has deferred us, captain, =
answered Miss Randall. "Think of our
feelings, when after laying our hearts
and fortunes at your feet you refuse TO
listen.''
That's just the contingency I have
been providing for. The very point we
were discussing when you joined rs
and said that to every girl / refused
this year would give q Jersey cow.
I've a fine drove of them, you know,
and it's no more than right that there
should be some little consolation prize
offered"
That's not 50 bad; but great heav-
ems, captain r. exclaimed one of the
younger men. aHave you the least idea
Of what you are liable to get into?s'
The group on the veranda broke up
and Peggy, together with half dozen
of the young people, went outside to
arrange for the theatricals. leaving ito
the rest the discussion of the eccentric
bachelors latest.
The end of the season came and
found the captain still open to engage
ments and he confided to one of the
young ladies that he was thinking Sc
riously of settling down lest he might
make the mistake of walking clear
through the wood and then at last pick
ing up crooked stick.
ssYou accept whatever offers tonight,
captain" said she mischievously. It
was the night of the last dance Of the
season.
Captain Nelly, who was not dane
ing man, promenaded the veranda with
a combination OF blonde hair and pink
muslin on his arm.
We'll, Peggy, why don't you>begin:
surely you have heard this thing done
times enough to know how?'
She had dropped his arm and the
Joke as soon as they were out Of sight
of the group on the veranda, but he In
sisted on keeping up the conversation
as it had started out.
Miss Randall was generally regarded
as young woman without q vulner-
able point stone hearted In fact In
reality she was girl Of unusually high
ideals and probably because she had
so much to give she expected much In
return. Not perfection but her ideal
of manhood was noble one and Cap
tain Nelly at times seemed to her to
fulfill it more than any man she had
vet known.
It always seemed to her that she
never appeared to such poor advantage
as when with him, for, then all the
ability as a conversationalist, with
which she was credited, seemed to de-
sert her and she felt that to him she
must appear most uninteresting per-
SON.
Now she dared not let him see that
she was afraid to 60 on with the farce,
so In the gayest manner she began
again Just as they came upon seat
among the trees into which the cap
tain deliberately threw himself, leav-
ing her standing: MY adorable James
isn't that the way they usually be-
gimp
positively refuse to listen to any pro-
posaI unless the sutton gets down on
his knees
You base man, you evidently mean
to luxuriate IN the situation, but can't
60 down on my knees here. I'll soil
my dress"
Captain Nicely gravely spread his
pocket handkerchief on the ground In
front of him and imperatively mo-
toned her to kneel, and that she did,
and in the most approved voice OF sup
pressed emotion began:
my adorable James; while deeply
conscious of my great unworthiness-"
Don't mention IT.
- must utter the words that have
so long trembIed upon my lips--I--I--.''
.sWell, utter Them
May dare believe that the feel
Ing entertain for you il in a measure
reciprocated. and that at no distant
time may have the unutterable hap
piness of calling my own one whose