the bench and sat on my hands
and asked him if he did not think Marjorie Graham a perfectly beautiful
person; and he said he hadn't noticed her sufficiently to know what she
looked like, as he never saw but one face now. And then he leaned a
little closer and asked me if I knew how wonderful I was and what my
eyes could do to a man's heart if I would only let come in them what
could come, and which he hoped would some day come only for him; and I
asked him what it was, not knowing, as it had never been mentioned
before, and he said it was a thing a man would die for. And then he
took the rose up and put it to his lips and asked me if I would marry
him; asked me if I could never care for him as he cared for me, for he
knew now that he had never really loved before, and if I would promise
to marry him he would be in heaven, his happiness would be so great.

It was perfectly thrilling, much better than anything I have ever seen
on the stage. He tried to get one of the hands I was still sitting on,
but I thought I had better not let him have it, as we were not engaged,
and Jess had said no affectionaries until you are engaged. And then,
too, I remembered he had probably said the same things several times
before, he seemed so familiar with them, and I had a feeling that Billy
was standing by, perfectly disgusted, but ready to fish me out if I
fell in. I came pretty near falling, and then I told Whythe I wouldn't
be through college until I was twenty and I didn't believe in waiting
for anything on earth for four years, and though it was awfully nice in
him to ask me to marry him, my father would have fits if he thought I
was listening to him do it, and that we had better go in.

I wish I had had a kodak and could have snapped the look that came over
his face when I suggested going in. He was perfectly astonished. Also
he was indignant and grieved and the look he bent upon me was truly
burning. As for his voice--Sothern couldn't have surpassed it. After
a while he said he thought I had more sympathy, more understanding of a
love such as his, and if I realized its depth I would not keep him
waiting four years, as four years at college was all nonsense for a
woman; and then he got my hand, anyhow, and I jumped up, for somebody
was coming, and, besides, if we hadn't gone in we'd have been in an
argument right off, with love left out, on the subject of education and
women. I did not want him to think I was not appreciati