Gramps Proposes! Or Was It the Other Way Around?

Mazie worked for a local attorney Lee. Nebeker during my first school year and I came home nearly every week end to see her and then would rush back to Laramie on Sunday night. Near the end of the freshman year, I asked my Mom during one of my week end visits what she thought about my getting married and she told me that she had known that this was coming for a long time and thought it was a very good idea and that Mazie would make a good wife. I guess it must have shown on my face because I didn't think anyone knew that I had been contemplating marriage. (Gramps wrote in a sidenote here that says, "Insert her Pa's dislike." but I couldn't find any more on the subject.) I don't remember just how I asked Mazie. In fact, I am not sure if I asked her, if she asked me, or just how it came about but we decided to get married June 3 which was her mother's desire since her parents had been married on that same day. Mazie's mother told me that the Eskridge men didn't give their fiancees engagement rings and I thought maybe that was a pretty good idea which I would follow. When Mom heard of this she took me by the ear and told me If I thought enough of the girl to marry her, she certainly deserved an engagement ring. I went to Rock Springs and picked out a small keepsake diamond which fit Mazie's hand beautifully. I hadn't realized before what tiny hands she had and how delicately they were shaped. So tiny, they were almost childlike, but yet had the slender taper of a woman's hand.