Show t l tC A Romantic Courtship IT T was the oddest thing said Lil Lil- ian Edith was sitting in the window when he in He just stalked over overto overto overto to her and said fiercely You know I Ilove Ilove love you will you be my wife And she was so surprised and frightened that she answered Goodness yes without thinking and bumped her head against the window I I think it was horribly unromantic I I dont don't see how else lse the poor de devil devil devil- il- il excuse my French French could could have done it replied Bert Proposing is hard work Have tried it sixteen times myself and know t just how it is What do yo you call romantic Oh getting flowers and books you know and poetry through the post without without without with with- with with- out knowing where it comes from and meeting him in unexpected places and having him say pretty things to you and well and and well adoring you generally Id rather be adored particularly remarked Bert But then Im I'm not a girl and nd the romance part is a little beyond beyond beyond be be- yond me However Ill I'll remember and when Miss Seventeenth happens along 4 I I hope to tobe be more successful By the r I half think way he added seriously i that you are the lady Why Bert Surprised arent aren't you Sorry there isn't a window near near for you to bump your head on but you can use the back Lack backof of your chair instead irstead Oh I know this isn't the romantic way of telling telling- you telling you l but ever since that day at the park Ive I've thought of you by daytime and dreamed q of you by night and waked and would you were near love while tears were blinding blinding blind blind- ing my sight and all that nonsense And Im I'm three-fourths three sure that I I-don't I don't dont take your hand away dear r But I need it protested Lilian I must strong emphasis finish this letter so please go a vay a-vay vay Bert I suppose that is the romantic part part part- sending a fellow off just as he is getting r used to the run of the thing I wont won't wont won't go Lillie do you Dont call me Lil-lie Lil interrupted the girl impatiently I am not a flower If you cant can't call me by my right name say Lil More romance said Bert quietly But do you remember the day we quarreled over the orange Selfish littIe little little lit lit- tle tIe thing that you are you refused to I. I divide it and I said that you should nt 1 have it all Then we we agreed to play f snatch for it so we rolled it into a t corner and then ran for it And as we 1 stooped to pick it up your cheek brushed against mine mine how how pretty you look when you blush I can feel the touch yet Ah JAh Lil Im I'm quite sure that you are the t. t inevitable she Im I'm not half good goodenough goodenough goodenough enough for you I know but if loving n you will get you Im I'm going to have you he said resolutely Then he added slyly And Im I'm going to court you ro romantically romantically romantically ro- ro too That evening Lilian heard a tat rat-tat- tat accompaniment on the window beneath beneath beneath be be- neath her own and Bert in a most unmelodious unmelodious un- un r 1 melodious voice warbled I Come into the The make dismal frogs moan And the bugaboos howl until w wIm Im I'm to stay alone Then as she stepped into the b balcony balcony bal bal- l- l cony he he were the glove upon upon upon up up- on that hand and begged for a rose or ribbon to wear on his heart adding pleadingly pleadingly pleadingly plead plead- that any old thing would do doII II So she dropped a hair ornament ornament on the tip of his nose and punished him further by refusing to go out The next day a messenger boy brought her a small parcel and a note In In Inthe the the- latter an unknown admirer admire eagerly hoped that she wo would ld accept the watch charm and aud treasure it as it was an heir heir- l loom om It but faintly expressed the givers giver's givers giver's givers giver's ers er's admiration for her On opening the box Lilian discovered an enormous grasshopper tied to the end of a narrow blue ribbon ribbon Thi Thinking king it dead she touched it With one bound it was across the room and she dropped the the- box with a startled Oh Jump jump jump went monsieur grasshopper and arid his knot of blue ribbon while Lilian sat down and laughed until she was weak Then came boxes of tissue paper flowers flowers flowers flow flow- ers pounds of stick candy and peppermint peppermint peppermint pepper pepper- mint drops stacks of popular songs such as After the Ball and II Baby Lilian was a passable musician and resented resented resented re re- that gift heartily Once while she was coming from a friends friend's after dark a man sprang from behind a tree with a boo that frightened frightened frightened fright fright- ened her into a quick run She had gone half a block before she recognized Berts Bert's voice in the peal of laughter that r followed II Oh Ob Bert she said reproachfully You startled me dreadfully Sorry little woman he replied but bobbing up unexpectedly is one of the conditions Serves you right t for being out so late alone And he drew her arm through his with an air of protection protection protection pro pro- that made her want to shake him JI II- II Bert she asked severely how much longer are you going on in m n this ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous lous fashion It rests with you he answered read read- ily The moment you say to me Barkis is willin Ill I'll quit courting cheerfully and settle down And he gave her a look that sent the blood into her cheeks Its a good sign when you blush he her r continued Ive told yo you you before how becoming it is Confound that gate we always reach it it toe toc soon Youre You're not going in yet are you Certainly K May I come in and sit on the porch awhile You may sit on the porch all night Y if you choose but Im I'm going into the house r r Then cruel maiden I will take you to to the he door and say say adieu May I very h meekly salute your sunset cheek Bert said the flushed Lilian laughing laughing laugh laugh- i ing in spite of of- herself you are positively too absurd If you are not more careful careful careful care care- ful you will ruin your cause forever Come for a drive Lilian Lihan said Bert Berta a few days later Ive found an elegant elegant ele ele- gant ant building spot and want you to see v it By the way I looked through the Language of Flowers last night and discovered that deep passionate love is isk t k expressed by the cabbage cabbage rose I couldn't find the rose anywhere but Ive I've brought you a cabbage and he laid it on the table Then he gallantly her down the path walking backwards and bowing humbly at every step while Lilian with the air of a queen ignored him utterly During the drive however he was unusually unusually unusually un un- usually silent Several times times' she caught his eyes fixed on her full of suppressed A fire Once his hand closed over hers 5 but he spoke no word though he felt hers tremble As they neared home he looked at her and smiled 1 a ak k How H ow grave we are h he e said sal d 1 What Wh a at t f t IW a dense shadow these trees make I think I will help you out here He 1 alighted and held out his hand to to her still his eyes fixed steadily on J her face Now he continued as she rose you must slip and fall you know and I must catch you in my arms You will not Well then I will catch you in my arms anyway Oh Lilian Lilian stop romancing romancing ro ro- mancing cing and tell me whether it i is ye yes or orno 4 no I f And if it is iC yes Say it quickly dearest f Suppose it is no is-no no Then dont don't say anything J Just st stay here like this forever ti But Bert I cant can't stay here forever m mI I want my supper and I dont don't like your old ld moustache in my eye So I suppose a it had better be yes said Lilian softly 1 Jean |