Page 25

Mothers Cry

them and he said good night Mary dear but I held on to his hands and I told Frank how I found the slip and I opened my bag and I gave him the five dollars. And then I guess because it was dark I told him how much I thought of his wonderful action and how beautiful I thought it was and that he was my ideal and I guess I sort of whispered it low because everybody in the house was asleep and it was dark and still and quiet. Then Frank said he would do anything in the world for me anything at all and then before I knew it he had his arms around me and he was kissing my cheeks and saying oh Mary will you be my wife Mary will you marry me Mary and quick as anything I thought how nice it would be to be engaged for Christmas and to have a party a Christmas party and an engagement party all together. I whispered yes to him and he lifted up my face and he kissed me on the eyes and on my cheeks again and he was so gentle and tender with me and he said oh Mary you're all the world to me all the whole world. And I said and you're all the world to me Frank too and he said oh I love you so Mary and won't you please say you love me so I said I love you Frank and he kissed me again and I thought it was lovely to be kissed. So he said now we're engaged and I told him about my idea for a Christmas engagement party and he said that would be fine and I'll get you an engagement ring for the party he said. I wondered if he meant a real engagement ring with a diamond in it but I didn't dare ask him. So he kissed me again and then he asked me would I please kiss him so I did and we said good night and he went home and it was just beginning to snow and I stood downstairs by the door of the vestibule for a minute and I watched the snow coming down so soft and slow in the light of the gas lamp across the way and I felt just the same way sort of soft and slow and fuzzy and happy.