letter being all blotted. Being proposed to is all very nice and
all that sort of thing, but it isn't at all a happy thing when you
have to see a poor fellow, whom you know loves you honestly, going
away and looking all broken hearted, and to know that, no matter
what he may say at the moment, you are passing out of his life. My
dear, I must stop here at present, I feel so miserable, though I am
so happy.
Evening.
Arthur has just gone, and I feel in better spirits than when I
left off, so I can go on telling you about the day.
Well, my dear, number Two came after lunch. He is such a nice
fellow, and American from Texas, and he looks so young and so fresh
that it seems almost impossible that he has been to so many places
and has such adventures. I sympathize with poor Desdemona when she
had such a stream poured in her ear, even by a black man. I suppose
that we women are such cowards that we think a man will save us
from fears, and we marry him. I know now what I would do if I were
a man and wanted to make a girl love me. No, I don't, for there was
Mr. Morris telling us his stories, and Arthur never told any, and
yet …
My dear, I am somewhat previous. Mr. Quincy P. Morris found me
alone. It seems that a man always does find a girl alone. No, he
doesn't, for Arthur tried twice to make a chance, and I helping him
all I could, I am not ashamed to say it now. I must tell you
beforehand that Mr. Morris doesn't always speak slang, that is to
say, he never does so to strangers or before them, for he is really
well educated and has exquisite manners, but he found out that it
amused me to hear him talk American slang, and whenever I was
present, and there was no one to be shocked, he said such funny
things. I am afraid, my dear, he has to invent it all, for it fits
exactly into whatever else he has to say. But this is a way slang
has. I do not know myself if I shall ever speak slang. I do not
know if Arthur likes it, as I have never heard him use any as
yet.
Well, Mr. Morris sat down beside me and looked as happy andyet.
Well, Mr. Morris sat down beside me and looked as happy and
jolly as he could, but I could see all the same that he was very
nervous. He took my hand in his, and said ever so
sweetly …
"Miss Lucy, I know I ain't good enough to regulate the fixin's
of your little shoes, but I guess if you wait till you find a man
that is you will go join them seven young women with the lamps when
you quit. Won't you just hitch up along-side of me and let us go
down the long road together, driving in double harness?"
Well, he did look so hood humoured and so jolly that it didn't
seem half so hard to refuse him as it did poor Dr. Seward. So I
said, as lightly as I could, that I did not know anything of
hitching, and that I wasn't broken to harness at all yet. Then he
said that he had spoken in a light manner, and he hoped that if he
had made a mistake in doing so on so grave, so momentous, and
occasion for him, I would forgive him. He really did look serious
when he was saying it, and I couldn't help feeling a sort of
exultation that he was number Two in one day. And then, my dear,
before I could say a word he began pouring out a perfect torrent of
lovemaking, laying his very heart and soul at my feet. He looked so
earnest over it that I shall never again think that a man must be
playful always, and never earnest, because he is merry at times. I
suppose he saw something in my face which checked him, for he
suddenly stopped, and said with a sort of manly fervour that I
could have loved him for if I had been free …
"Lucy, you are an honest hearted girl, I know. I should not be
here speaking to you as I am now if I did not believe you clean
grit, right through to the very depths of your soul. Tell me, like
one good fellow to another, is there any one else that you care
for? And if there is I'll never trouble you a hair's breadth again,
but will be, if you will let me, a very faithful friend."
My dear Mina, why are men so noble when we women are so little
worthy of them? Here was I almost making fun of this great hearted,worthy of them? Here was I almost making fun of this great hearted,
true gentleman. I burst into tears, I am afraid, my dear, you will
think this a very sloppy letter in more ways than one, and I really
felt very badly.
Why can't they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want
her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not
say it. I am glad to say that, though I was crying, I was able to
look into Mr. Morris' brave eyes, and I told him out
straight …
"Yes, there is some one I love, though he has not told me yet
that he even loves me." I was right to speak to him so frankly, for
quite a light came into his face, and he put out both his hands and
took mine, I think I put them into his, and said in a hearty
way …
"That's my brave girl. It's better worth being late for a chance
of winning you than being in time for any other girl in the world.
Don't cry, my dear. If it's for me, I'm a hard nut to crack, and I
take it standing up. If that other fellow doesn't know his
happiness, well, he'd better look for it soon, or he'll have to
deal with me. Little girl, your honesty and pluck have made me a
friend, and that's rarer than a lover, it's more selfish anyhow. My
dear, I'm going to have a pretty lonely walk between this and
Kingdom Come. Won't you give me one kiss? It'll be something to
keep off the darkness now and then. You can, you know, if you like,
for that other good fellow, or you could not love him, hasn't
spoken yet."
That quite won me, Mina, for it was brave and sweet of him, and
noble too, to a rival, wasn't it? And he so sad, so I leant over
and kissed him.
He stood up with my two hands in his, and as he looked down into
my face, I am afraid I was blushing very much, he said, "Little
girl, I hold your hand, and you've kissed me, and if these things
don't make us friends nothing ever will. Thank you for your sweet
honesty to me, and goodbye." He wrung my hand, and taking up his
hat, went straight out of the room without looking back, without a