On the 20th of April, Sunny's friend, "Mr. dear Monty" as she called him
(J. Lamont Potter, Jr., was his real name), obtained an indefinite leave
of absence from the hospital, and called upon Sunny in the absence of
Jerry Hammond. He came directly to the object of his call almost as soon
as Sunny admitted him. While indeed she was assisting him to remove that
nice, loosely hanging taupe coloured spring coat, that looked so well on
Monty, he swung around, as his arms came out of his coat sleeves, and
made Sunny an offer of his heart and soul. These the girl very
regretfully refused. Follows the gist of Sunny's remarks in rejection of
the offer:
"Monty, I do not wan' gettin' marry wiz you jos yet, bi-cause you are
got two more year to worg on those hospital; then you are got go unto
those John Hoppakins for post--something kind worg also. Then you are go
ad those college and hospital in Hy----" She tried to say Heidelberg,
but the word was too much for her, and he broke in impetuously:
"Listen, Sunny, those _were_ my plans, but everything's changed now,
since I met you. I've decided to cut it all out and settle down and
marry. I've got my degree, and can hang out my shingle. We'll have to
economize a bit at first, because the governor, no doubt, will cut me
out for doing this; but I'm not in swaddling clothes, and I'll do as I
like. So what do you say, Sunny?"
"I say, thas nod ride do those. Your honourable father, he are spend
plenty moany for you, and thas unfilial do lig' thad. I thang you,
Monty, but I are sawry I kinnod do lig' you ask."
"But look here, Sunny, there are whole heaps of fellows--dubs who never
go beyond taking their degree, who go to practising right away, and I
can do as they do, as far as that goes, and with you I should worry
whether I go up in medicine or not."
"But, Monty, I _wan_ see you go up--Ho! up, way high to those top. Thas
mos' bes' thing do for gentleman. I do nod lig' man who stay down low on
ground. Thas nod nize. I do nod wan' make marry wiz gentleman lig'
those."
"We-el, I suppose I could go on with the work and study. If I did, would
you wait for me? Would you, Sunny?"
"I do not know, Monty. How I kin see all those year come?"
"Well, but you can promise me, can't you?"
"No, Monty, bi-cause mebbe I goin' die, and then thas break promise.
Thas not perlite do lig' those."
"Pshaw! There's no likelihood at all of your dying. You're awfully
healthy. Anyone can see it by your colouring. By jove, Sunny, you have
the prettiest complexion of any girl I've ever seen. Your cheeks are
just like flowers. Die! You're bugs to think of it even. So you are
perfectly safe in promising."
"We-el, then I promise that mebbe after those five, six year when you
are all troo, _if_ I are not marry wiz someone else, then I go
_consider_ marry wiz you, Monty."
This gracious speech was sweetened by an engaging smile, and Monty,
believing that "half a loaf is better than no loaf" showed his pleasure,
though his curiosity prompted him to make anxious inquiry as to possible
rivals.
"Bobs asked you yet?"
"No--not yet."
"You wouldn't take him if he did, would you, Sunny?"
"No. Not yet."
"Or any time. Say that."
Sunny laughed.
"Any time, Monty."
"And Jinx? What about Jinx?"
"He are always my good friend."
"You wouldn't marry him, would you?"
"No. I are lig' him as frien'."
Monty pursued no further. He knew of the existence of Jerry's Miss
Falconer. Dashed, but not hopeless Monty withdrew.
That was on the 20th of April. Bob's proposal followed on the 22nd. He
inveigled Sunny into accompanying him to his polished and glorified
flat, which was presided over by an ample bosomed and smiling "mammy"
whom Bobs had especially imported from the sunny South.
His guest, having exclaimed and enthused over the really cosy and bright
little flat, Bobs, with his fine, clever face aglow, asked her to share
it with him. The request frightened Sunny. She had exhausted
considerable of her stock of excuses against matrimony to Monty, and she
did not want to see that look of hope fade from Mr. dear Bobs' face.
"Oh, Bobs, I are _thad_ sorry, but me? I do not wan make marry jos yet.
Please you waid for some udder day when mebbe perhaps I go change those
mind."
"It's all right, Sunny."
Bobs took his medicine like a man, his clean cut face slightly paling,
as he followed with a question the lightness of which did not deceive
the distressed Sunny:
"You're not engaged to anyone else, are you, Sunny?"
"Emgaged? What are those, Bobs?"
"You haven't promised any other lucky dog that you'll marry him, have
you?"
"No-o." Sunny shook her bright head. "No one are ask me yet, 'cept
Monty, and I are say same ting to him."
"Good!" Bobs beamed through his disappointment on her.
"While there's life there's hope, you know."
He felt that Jinx's chances were slim, and he, too, knew of Miss
Falconer and Jerry.
Sunny, by no means elated by her two proposals, confided in Hatton, and
received sage advice:
"Miss Sunny, Hi'm not hin a position exactly to advise you, and hits
'ardly my place, miss, but so long as you hasks my hadvice, I gives it
you grattus. Now Mr. Potter, 'ees a trifle young for matrimunny, miss--a
trifle young, and Mr. Mapson, I 'ear that 'ees not got hany too much
money, and hits a beggarly profession 'ees followin', miss. I 'ave 'eard
this from Mr. Jerry's hown folks, 'oo more than once 'as cast
haspirations against Mr. Jerry's friends, but hi takes it that wot
they're sayin' comes near to the truth habout the newspaper as a
perfession, miss. Now there's Mr. Crawford, Miss----"
Hatton's voice took on both a respectful and a confidential tone as he
came to Jinx.
"Now, Hi flatters myself that Hi'm some judge of yuman nature, miss, and
I make bold to say, hif I may, miss, that Mr. Crawford his about halso
to pop the 'appy question to you, miss. Now, hif hi was hin your place,
miss, 'ees the gentleman hi'd be after 'ooking. His people hare of the
harristocrissy of Hamerica--so far, miss, as Hamerica can 'ave
harristocrissy--and Mr. Crawford his the hair to a varst fortune, miss.
There's no telling to wot 'eights you might climb if you buckles up with
Mr. Crawford, Miss."
"Ho! Hatton, I lig' all those my frien' jos same. Me? I would lig' marry
all those, but I kinnod do."
"'Ardly, miss, 'ardly. Hamerica is 'ardly a pollagamous country, though
'hit his the 'ome of the Mormon people."
"Mormon?"
"A church, miss; a sex of people wots given to pollagummy, which is, I
takes it, too 'ard and big a word for you, miss, bein' a forriner, to
hunderstand, so hi'll explain a bit clearer, miss. The Mormon people
hacquire several wives, some helders 'avin' the reputation of bein' in
the class with hour hown King 'Enry the Heighth, and worse, miss,--with
Solomon 'imself, I 'ave 'eard it said."
"Ho-h-a-!" said Sunny thoughtfully. "Thad is very nize--those Mormon.
Thas lig' Japanese emperor. Some time he got lots wife."
Hatton wiped the sweat from his brow. He had gotten upon a subject
somewhat beyond his depths, and the young person before him rather
scandalised his ideas of what a young lady's views on such matters
should be. He had hoped to shock Sunny somewhat. Instead she sighed with
an undeniably envious accent as he told her of the reprehensible
Mormons. After a moment she asked very softly:
"Hatton, mebbe Jerry ask me those same question."
Hatton turned his back, and fussed with the dishes in the sink. He too
knew about Miss Falconer.
"'Ardly, miss, 'ardly."
"Why not, Hatton?"
"If you'll pardon me, I 'ave a great deal of work before me. Hi'm in a
'urry. 'Ave you fed the Count and Countess Taguchi, may I ask, miss."
"Hatton, _if_ a man _not_ ask girl to make marry wiz him, what she can
do?"
"Well now, miss, you got me there. Has far as Hi'm hable to see
personally, miss, there haren't nothing left for 'er to do except wait
for the leap year."
"Leap year? What are those, Hatton?"
"A hodd year, miss--comes just in so often, miss, due to come next year,
halso. When the leap year comes, miss, then the ladies do the
popping--they harsks the 'appy question, miss."
"O-h-h-! Thas very nize. I wish it are leap year now," said Sunny
wistfully.
"Hit'll come, miss. Hit's on hit's way. A few months and then the
ladies' day will dawn," and Hatton, moving about with cheer, clucked at
the thought.