Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1918-02-27

"Of course" he went on, II am not
a, fool. l know there isn't girl like
her IN ten thousand but--she'S the
one want, and-Carol, do you reckon
there is any chance for me? You
ought to know. Lark doesn't have
secrets from you,- does she? DO you
think she'll have me?" ~
Certainly this was the surprise of
Carols life. If it was romance she
wanted, here it was in plenty. She
stopped short in the daisy-bright lane
and stared at him.
Jim Forrest" she demanded, us 1t
Lark you want to marry, or me?"
Lark, of course! y
Carol opened her lips and closed
! them. She did it again. Finally she
spoke. "Well, of all the idiots! If
;; you want to marry Lark, what in the
world are you out here proposing to
! me fOr?"
I'm not proposing to you," he OBJ
jected. Pm just telling you about it."
But what for? What's the object?
Why don't you 60 and rave to her?''
He smiled little. "Well, l guess
thought telling you first was one way
Of breaking it to- her gently"
I'm perfectly disguised with YOU"
Carol went on, perfectly. Here I've
been expecting you to propose to me
all week, and"
Propose to you! My stars!"
Don't interrupt me-" Carol snapped.
LAST night l lay awake for hours
look at the rings beneath my eyes"
II don't see 'em," he interrupted
again, smiling more broadly.
"Just thinking out good howery
rejection for you, and then you trot
me out here and propose to Lark!
Well, if that isn't nerve!"
Jim laughed loudly at this. He was
used to Carol, and enjoyed her little
outbursts. Il can't think what on
earth made you imagine I'd want to
propose to you," he said, shaking his
head as though appalled, at the idea.
Carols eyes twinkled at that, but
she did not permit him to see it.
why shouldn't l think so? Didn't
you get new gray suit? And haven't
the best complexion in Mount Mark?
Don't all the men want to propose to
| complexion like mine?"
BE laughed again, then he sobered.
DO you think Lark will
II think Lark will turn you down."
| said Carol promptly, land hope she
does. You aren't good enough for her.
No one in the world is good enough
for Lark except myself. II she should
accept you'll don't think she will, but
| If she has a mental alteration and
! does-In give you my blessing, and
| come and live with you six months in
the year, and Lark shall come and live
with me the other six months, and
| you can run the farm and send US an
allowance. But I don't think she'll
have you; I'll be disappointed in her
If she does.''
! Carol was silent moment then.
She was remembering many things
Lark's grave face that day in the par
sonage when they had discussed the
love Of Jim, her unwOnted gentleness
and her quiet manners during this
visit, and one night when Carol, sud-
denly awakening, had found her weep
ing bitterly into her pillow. Lark had
said it was headache, and was better
now, and Carol had gone to sleep
again, but she remembered now that
Lark never had headaches! And she
remembered how very often lately
Lark had put her arms around her
shoulders and looked searchingly into
her face, and Lark was always visit
full, too, of late! She sighed. Yes,
she caught on at last, had been
pushed on to it," she thought angrily.
She had been wicked, blind, hateful
little simpleton or she would have seen
it long ago. But she said nothing of
this to Jim.
you'd better run along then and
switch your proposal over to her, or
I'm likely to accept you on my own
account, just for joke. And be sure
and tell her I'm good and sore that 1
didn't get chance to use my dowery
rejection. But I'm almost sure she'll
turn you down. ,,
Then Carol stood in the path and
watched Jim as he leaped lightly over
fences and ran through the sweet
meadow. She saw Lark spring to her
| feet and step out from the shade of an
| apple tree, and then Jim took her in
his arms.
After that, Carol rushed into the
house and up the stairs. She flung
herself on her knees beside the bed
and buried her face in the white
spread.
Lark" she whispered, 'Lark!" She
J clenched her hands, and her shoulders
shook. "My little twin," she cried
again, my nice old Lark" Then she
got up and walked back and forth