Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1906 — Announcing an Engagement [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Announcing an Engagement

By BEATRICE STURGES

Daisy Leonard and Jack Rawlinsou had been engaged for two years and nobody knew It. It was Daisy’s own idea to keep the affair a secret. There seemed to her a deep romance in having what the novels termed a “hidden love,” and besides a girl could have so much more fun when she was not ticketed as irelouging to some one particular man, and so checked off the list of possible girls to be invited to picnics and escorted to dances by all the other nice young men. She was sure of Jack, who adored her, and way down beneath the frivolous surface of her heart she loved him very much, but at the same time a girl who has always had her own way and been the center of a crowd of admirers does not want to give it all up. At least Daisy didn’t. She was a spoiled child and was quite accustomed to having her own way. All her life she had done what she wished rather than

what her mother hail told her. Finally Mrs. Leonard wearied of struggling along without a husband and with a headstrong daughter for so many years. In June .she had married again and gone abroad for the summer, and Daisy had been sent to the mountains with her auht nml a family of cousins. Jack, who worked in the city, came up now and then for a day or two, when Daisy treated him just about us she did some half dozen young men who were all her devoted admirers.

One day she and Jack had strolled off to a big rock which overhung the lake and was well surrounded with trees, and here Jack had protested. “I say, Daisy, you ought to give me a show.” “Goodness, Jack, how unreasonable you are! Didn’t I give you a trip to

the glen tills afternoon on purpose to stay with you? They didn’t like it a bit, either.” “They? What are they to you and me, Daisy? Aren’t we everything to each other? I’m sure you’re the whole world to me, sweetheart,” he added, taking her hand. She let him hold it while she pulled idly with tjie other at a fern growing out of a cleft in the rock. It was very nice to have such a splendid big fellow as Jack so devoted to you and all your own, but It was fascinating to go rowing one day with Tom, and riding next day with Jim, golfing with Will and playing tennis with Dick. It made life exciting, and she Intimated as much to Jack. •

“These fellows here are too fresh, anyway, and I don’t like the way you go around with so many of them,” he objected. “Would you rather have me go with one all the time?” asked Daisy, mischievously tickling his cheek with a piece of feathery grass. “Yes, and I should be the one. Dear, It’s time we settled this thing—either you are engaged to nie or you are not. If you are, then matters are goiug to change, and I intend to look out for you and to have It understood by your aunt and everybody at this place. If not”—

He broke off and sat looking across the lake with a firm line around his lips that the girl had never seen before. She drew her hund away. Indeed, he had dropped It when ho had first begun to speak. She stiffened, although her lips trembled, and if he had looked at her probably everything would have been different, but he sat and gazed moodily at a white sail across the blue lake.

“If the engageemnt Is Irksome to you,” she began stiffly— He turned to her now Impatiently. ‘'For heaven's sake, Daisy, don’t talk nonsense. I want what is due me, that's all. I came up this time chiefly to tell you that I have been transferred to the western branch of our business and have to be there In six weeks. Will you come with me, sweetheart? You know how I love you, and I want you now for my very own. You will, won’t you?”

She might have said yes, bat as lack would have it voices and steps broke on the stillness of the wood, and in an instant two girls and two "*» -*• - - T - - w , ««»

young men were climbing on to the rock beside them. After a few moments of the usual nonsense Jack rose. “Will you conae?” he asked, showing too plainly that he was bored. “Not just yet,” she answered. She could not bear to have the others see Jack “order her around,” and, besides, she observed a launch approaching, and she knew' that in it was Dick Carter looking for her, and she wanted the pleasant ride home. So Jack w'ent alone in anything but a cheerful frame of mind. That night at the hotel hop it seemed to Jack that she was unusually gay. He danced with several other girls before going to her, and then she stood with the young launch owner Just as the fifth wnltz wns about to start. He put out his hand with a commanding gesture.

“Will you give this to me, Daisy?” he asked. The other man looked rather ruffled and then said jestingly: “Too late. Miss Leonard belongs to me”— Jack broke in: “I beg your pardon. Miss Leonard is my”— But before he could say it Daisy put her hand on the other’s shoulder. “Mr. Bawlinson Is mistaken. I have promised this to Mr. Carter.” She danced late that night, but saw no more of Jack. He spent two hours in the bowling alley and then took the two mile walk around Star lake. The next morning he paid bis bill and arranged to leave on the 3 o’clock train. To fill in the time he took a canoe and wns soon pulling out by himself toward the center of the lake. It was a day of brilliant sunshine and crisp breezes. It seemed strange that one could be unhappy with so much beauty in the world. Presently across the water he saw Dick Carter’s launch with Daisy and several others alioard, and his wrathburned anew'. They were coming In his direction, and he slowly rowed off toward the camp, w-hich was opposite the hotel. A young boy was out in a frail canoe, and Jack wondered If hq was able to manage it in the stiff wind that sw'ept around the point. The next minute the little boat spun round, turned over and the boy went down. Jack pulled several long hard strokes before lie reached the spot and Jumped in after the little fellow', who had gone down twice. He managed to grab him the next time, however, but meantime the canoes had both drifted away, and the only thing to do was to swim witli the boy to the camp. It was a fair distance, and the water was almost icy cold; after the manner of mountain lakes.

The launch meantime was speeding In their direction, and Jack knew that he could hold the boy up until they came, but he was beginning to feel numb himself. His breath came with labored gasps and ho was whispering to the boy to float when he saw that six more strokes would get them to shallow water where the nurses’ camp had a dock. He took five and then lost consciousness.

It was fully ten minutes before he came to himself again. He was Inside a log house, rolled In blankets, and a white capped woman was holding some brandy to his lips. “Is the boy all right?” he whispered.

She nodded. Then there was a noise on the dock and presently on the steps of the little house. The nurse went out. There was a sound of men’s voices and also of women's, but Jack heard Just one rising above all the rest in excited tones. "But I’m different.” she said, “and I must see him. I—l’m engaged to be married to him.” It was the sweetest thing he hod ever heard. In a moment she was bending over him. “Sweetheart," she murmured. He tried to speak. “Hush, you mustn’t say a word. Walt till you’re rested.” she cautioned. Then with true feminine inconsistency she bent over and asked him a question. For answer he threw his arms around her neck and kissed her.

TUB LAUNCH MEANTIME WAS SPEEDING IN THEIR DIRECTION.