Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 146: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PRANKS “ Something that you—hts ftriend— said to him! Wiul you tell me what it was??’ ‘“‘ That’s the poser, Miss Rita. You see, it is rather hard for me to tell 1t to you, but I suppose I must.” “Yes,” she said earnestly, “I think you must ;”’ and her big eyes were fixed intently upon him. ‘Do you remember that evening when I called with Felix? About Chap- man, you know?” ‘* Perfectly.” Well, I fell in love with you that night.” She drew back quickly and her face paled perceptibly. She could not un- derstand this man. He uttered the words so calmly, his expression was so benign, and he seemed so unconscious that he had said anything unusual that she could not take offense. “I do not understand,” she said with such reserve and dignity that he smiled broadly. “Yes,” he continued placidly, as though he were discussing the most commonplace of things, “ head over heels—clean gone—thought about you all the time—dreamed about you nights —wrote you fifty five.or more letters, and burned ’em all—came East a week ahead of time on your account, and it’s a mighty good thing I did. But I’ve got over it.” é6 Oh { b BP | “It isn’t a very polite thing to say, is it?” “It is a very pleasant thing for me to hear,” she said, demurely. “Whew! That was a Roland for my Oliver, sure enough! Yes, I’ve got over it—that 1s, a part of it. I think I am just as fond of you as ever, but in a way that maybe you'll like—big broth- er, and all that, you know; eh?” She nodded and smiled. She was be- ginning to understand him better. “ But, you see,” he continued, after he had smiled back at her, “I made a bad break.” What is that—a break? ” she asked. OF DESTINY. 137 ‘““ Never mind; you'll guess in a min- ute. When I got back, Felix met me at the train. I went to his rooms. We got to talking about you. He said that you were away on a visit. And then I up and told him that I was in love with you, and asked him, as your guar- dian, mind, if he had any objections to me.” ‘“ What was that for?” “I was going to ask you to marry me.” ‘“ Did he have any objections? ”’ “ He said he hadn’t. Said I was the best fellow in the world. But all the same, that 1s why he is going away; at least that is part of it.” “Why should he go away because» of that?” she asked. “Why, to give me a clear field. He told me that you had refused him, but all the same, he didn’t think you would have‘me. And now, I’m going to pro- pose, and I want you to accept me.” ‘Accept you, Mr. Millington?” “Yes, that’s the idea. We'll be en- gaged just five minutes—oh, you needn’t be frightened—I’ll leave out all of the extras. Then, at the end of five minutes, you can tell me that you have thought better of it, and you can break the engagement; see?” “No, I do not see at all. I do not understand what it 1s all about. You will have to explain.” “ Do you want Felix to go away and perhaps never return? ” ‘No, oh, no! ” “ Well, the only way in which you can keep him here is by doing as IJ say. Will you do it? ” “ But it will be for only five minutes. You assure me of that?” “ Certainly. Now—are you ready? One, two, three, go! Will you be my wife? Quick, answer, say yes.” “ Ye—yes.” } “Say it louder than that; say it plainer.” é¢ Yes.” “Hurrah! I tell you, I’m a schem- er, and no mistake.” COMICHOOOKS. com