The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7973, 9 November 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

MIIUAM'S I'KOI'OSAL "I don't care if its uuuiaidciily, I am going lo do il ■ 1 know t Vic nun lovis me, and «Uii is leap vest for il ii isn't to Rive the girls an opportunity lo help out those of the other sex who don't know liow t» help themselves .So lure gin s ! llv cau't do utore than refuse, and h..won't do that ; but, whatevei 'he verdict) ,1 know lit* is too honourably ever to breathe a Word of the at- , , , When Miriam Leslie had concluded th- delivery of this sp«ecli, which had, only Mirii.ni Leslie fqr an attentive audience, she sat down ift her ilesk at oner aud began to write a letter which she had planned the night t>eforc, after Frank Webster had left the house. She ha* parli .l tr. ui him with a smile on her lips, but the smile had only lasted long enough lor the door to close behind him, and as Miriam had entered her room she looked far from happy. She had enjoyed Frank s call ; but it bad c-ded as unsatisfactorily as hail all the others, in that words which she believed bad been a'au.st upon his lips wan) times had again remained unspoken. If the man ;ti. loved wouldn't take a hint, he must he given something broudu than a hint , and when Miriam w< nt lo sleep, it was with the deUrmiuation to write a Utter on the mot row that even a stuftid man mignt i.n dcr-tand. Slrangely enough, a-, she a limned to herself, the morning n.unl hei mind unchanged, with determinati' n fixed lo take advantage oi hei leapyear prert.&atbcs. The writer M the letter had gone os»r in her mind its ptospicii'.e ev ntcnts a number of times, and. as a result, her (d.-turial leviMon ln« I "boiled it down" ®itil it «as briel and lo the point. It ran a> lollows : "l)e-ar Frank—You haiebeen coming to s;c me ior several year-, and thj happy evenings we have tn.ioyed have made me think bow pleasant iv Would ,Im* it we comd go on spiiidin.. thcin together the rest i f oer li.es Has tile id«a ever cevu.n d i 0 you —Miriam." The girl heard her brother pass hei 1 door, preparatory to sterling for • business, and she no lotigfi waittd for the ink to dry, hut grabbed a piece of blottiug-pav.ei. and the let- I ter was soon in his Iwmls. lie was ' told that it was important, aud ihat. it must be posted by him when on his wuy to his oflico. Her brother's departure was tiniely, i.s Miriam had begun to weaken ' " "in her detvrmiiialion, and as si,- _ gave him the letter she said to ncrscll : "Now 1 haven't a chance to change my mind." She did, however, have many changes of mind through the day, which s:emed toller one e,t unusual 1 iut iSocn after her I,roth'r Irtishnearly tempted to telephone to hrin to try to get the letter back from the post oHilv, but she didn't know if that Would be p< fcsihle. and l,esMes, the request would cause hint to ask a g"od many questions which it wou'/d lie awkwaid ior Tier lo answer, and so the request was not made. By the afternoon post Milium re-' ccived a letter addressed in the wellknown handwriting oi ttie yo man to whom she had proposed. "Is it possible that he lias aiisWi led so quickly '/" she ask>d herseli as sinheld the envelope in her l.ai •! ie.n - ing to open it. Sin- had bad la tie esp.ru-., ce as a writer, and knew that ifuick returns usually meant no sales, and h i liis; thought was that Frank had declined the honour of bring her husband. That was a mortifying th in itself and ilie continuation of the train of thought suiqses'.e.l ' v liw comparison of her offer with the manuscript was n,.i a Wie. Mi; had offered h.is-lf, even as sbt* had Ihtii Wi.n; to s'lDinit a Mory or poem to an editor The only con- " soiation she cot 1:1 jet out oi th' comparison w<ki found in the thought thai she wasn't exactly piy.iu herself.on tile market, as i(M iie editor, J rank Webster by name, thcliii,!!, she wouldn't offer herseli IJ auoth. r. When Miriam thought lo look at the postmark she W _ )S ouv«ne<il that the letter bail spi H posted hi lore Frank Could have r,-e. ; ~d h. r :,-r With treiiilding t mjcisthe. ' •• t, , hail had so inncli eonuig,. a fewhours befcre. o;ieind lb' ,ir.i-h.re and rean as folloe.s : "My dear Miriam,—l see you so often that it seems e>i\\,ir,j;y to wrif what I might >ii, at , im, although many mm.. \e; :( .„' 4 , priscuee I liaif ti :i ;i to .-ay <»-i:ah words, courage has alwavs i'.iiled n.,-. Kesolutions made wh. ;i ,|ione h.tvu not hem 'Ke|ii> »b. n 1 ."..tiinl i.ns Ii by > our side. 'I think you know what he-, tiei-n in uiy heart for a It-n; tin:e, and 1

have occasionally Mt tli.it yo't cut- j nl lor nu- ; but ii you havp you luivc : never made the U-a.si attempt to j ltel|> me o'tt. I stioiiM lave iingiven you if-you had made it easier* ioi | UK - . a&d should have lilesseil you fur having done so. and yet, after a'l, deal. 1 love you ail the more for youT Woniaiilv receive, .mil have always contrasted it to the actions.of some oi your sex. who sc.m (nalready to say—'This is so sti lileu !' I hoi'c, dear, ih.il yott do care enough foi ine. or ftol that you can care ensome day to make me the happiest man Mi earth. 1 know tlicy all say that ; hut forgive my lack of originality, and remember that tin re is s mc'iliing original ahum my statement, as 1 really mean on the d.iy you say >o" will l,e my wife 1 shall lie happier tiian anyUv.ly in tins i,r aliy oth.r ncigli'.ourho'd. •Don'' answer this letter in a hurry, unless you can at oi:c ■ reply io my i|urslion : 'Will yon U- my wife' 1 by sating that ..nsiuT 1 -l.all ii.ne no raise to complain oi ymn haste. Hut 1 feel lii„t 1 must have the riglr, answ<r to my question, aiul if you cannot 'live it at once. I want you to take all the time that you inav i:ct'd in order thai you may arrive at the favourable verdict so necessary to m> happiness. 'lt is hardly necessary fo say th.it I shall not rail again l»eiore receiiing y„ur reply ; hut when you say the word 'Come !' it will not take any grnat length ofj time to aeci'pl' the Welcijine invitation. I hope ih.'i you will be able lo say tliHI word. —Yours with love,—Frank." Miriam's mingled feelings of misery • and joy when she read the let tit may be imagint-d. ''Why did 1 write that miserable letter ; \Yhy didn't I giw him one mote day after all these years Oh, why wasn't 1 too ill lo get up this morning were some of the questions that the poor girl asked herself, when the feelings ■ of misery were in control, as uiei were during nearly all the lest of the afternoon, the happiness which she h d felt lor a short time giving way under ihe mllumv of the thought that she might have been happv without 1 lie loss of her self-respeel.

"Bui pet haps tlific is v.-t .1 cl.an; to save it," thought Miriam, as oii<\uioie came to her mind \h\\ f.ii-tu) •f mankind and womankiiid, ihe mucli abused and m'sumlerstopd telenhtmo. She would try t,.i g,.j Kivnk at hiofficr. and if h\ am* chatuv l:e ha;i tiot received the litter, or h.ul notcc'l it if he hail received it, she v.i,uid male him piOufsc t> retuti. '( wj;)j»iut reading. Hu; sho rcalisul 'hat the liopc v.as a faint lure was almost no chance that i;e IcT;11 fml riot lieeii ! »''• iia I !ee, ;v) .l :t—w. 11, shi wotild lj\(. i.. 11,r11 ! t -a\e .1 h-tiri of heis iiiioj.tn J tor nioie tiiau i; inuiutc '

Ati'l so this C'onira'lutuiy Woman Went lo the telephone with a weal-, voire and a Mint hear;, hoptnagainst hope thai Krank had htvii away iic-m ihe oilice. and thaJ ih letter had anno! in his ahsrnce. The reply to fur in-juirv for y,\ %iV>stfi' gave her momentary com fort, as she was lohl ihat *h v was out ; liut wii.n she asktit uini; -: ftiestions slie learned that he l:al beOi at the office a few niinut:s (»<■ fore the ttme of her telephone (-<!' As site hung up i|k- re-eiver. Miriam sa:d to herself, with a s.:d .Mmie, iliat she wished Mi-- c«,u!d Ik r sell as easily.

Hi.- iil'Vl half lifjiir was i.r 'fill' mist miserable Ui.it fie ';irl i...il ev .r spun. .Siic a.iain road h. r 1 < >\ idler ; li'j; instead i f a:;\ ci,mii,n ii.r li.r tiiiihlis. the ri.ni <>i>ly adili d to her misery. "He thought nil 1 .so nnnlest and Womanly, and eoiitn'slul my e due! Willi that "f o,!i rs \\h , w,r not »I moili-st " Hut what line:- i! •liilik now tliat he has lead my letter 1 Modest ;j:irls <li,:i't propose t. iii.ii. even if the men lia\tii'; mm (lioug)i to propose themselves." Miriam was still in a most 1111 happy irame ni m|ml when !ht l>n>ilii'i retiini.il at nij>hii in,in lies:- : iii'ss. lie had a shamifaeeil look a.-, at- a|i|iri.aelui| her. "1 m si.try, si<, i all \nil said • <out< the i ih'at let ler. hat—well. I've i .id an awful nisi day of it. i-n i I to post it. Here if is " Her amis wire ar.im.d h.s n el: n. hi instant. "Vim dear, ialiiiß, fi ift>-iml, ah enl-min leil hrulhii : h.- eriid, .is Ir- look.ii at It i in am i>< 'e.- ni , "Now that yi>u have foi'gnttin In jpost jlie letter, lust :,.r.jrt another lth n.4, ioi»et thai I .iskn! um io post it !" And her itn'ih r. who dearly he.ei; .Miriam, and kri:'W si,>i.i li,-i e.irne-T uiss ill,ii it was imp.,i tarn to hit lliat ti.- should say j.ot ..(huiil the lettvr. kepi, her s«Ti't iailhful- > He Itiarvelliil .!s Ihe days Weill hy at tin 1 euiiiniiii d sfweefnes to mis. until she ;nIH hijn iif her etiandihiii he explain, .1 ih. innl in :<i hniiM'it i. t \ savin* that there was nothing Ijl.i- reqiiiteii love lo dull!".' a w..:na..'s d s;...sit,i. And t,, rh.s day Miriam's brother •leileves :i»ji her happun is pi hum; •illil iejj,: loliil s„ >.,■.! lion ,• :J|„ ,j, 1; s '. th" 1,-ttei Miriaiii has Ix i tl mail ird for t,n and in all Ili.it nine h-s k. pi • inly one from her hushand. thai iv lie- .i,i:k Mi-ret .if the letler that her iirnther h,ri:,,i t.ijiosi. Mr 'I ■ f'Hai.t luis .|. ri<M i., _.t- ''' •'-' I' ill Olliitehlll.-li. 111,. IVII-u.'-'l 1 '"ii:js.ii\ In-inu- al.ciui 111 -tisliai.il ■Uis< -\!iu r..!!.inl, »ln, has l„ ,■„ ]ii-i;. mi: |n:ne|.,il jinila lat.-l.v. will I >' "•• n-'ii r,. ii,).,!,, Ah- C jC.ui r i- »i<|> t ili.- ..Is - M;imi, i - j I '■llliMtn 11: |.<11;.1, h> itlll! is khIIU il I|S ! r-11l S- ' \I,.MS II ' k.„ ■ ' - k. nil.l J,,,),., I /.<>" km''.. it t .1 M, w , ,'„ I(U I ,-|.| ,:1.. >.,,i'J| Alr-1.-i. . AI..SS, 5 S 'et'l:, lIS 111..1 I i„ v M,.l_ { '»•<•••>:-. I •■•,•,'. i»..l H»w.|l iltv I« lh til.. Uilli.,:„s,„, C.ioipiinv. ,|,.| I Ills- s n.,||ae.| .11.il N..l|ie |[. <1,.; ~n . | J M. VkIS 11'1.m!.-\ ;, n .t - (l i u Iwi'h 11... I'l.n I'an.v— l:\iliai,,.-,-