Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-06-06


side.
Really" she said, listlessly, shut
the world is so small, you know
One is constantly running up against
acquaintances."
He bit his lip angrily, and turned
to demand of shy young man "if
he would take a rattle ticket" in q
tone so fierce that the unfortunate
youth dared not refuse.
"Thank you very much," he said,
meelily, as Dorothy handed him his
change with kind smile. George
Fraser looked at her curiously, and
she turned her laughing eyes to his
dissatisfied young face.
"Really, Mr.. Fraser" she said, re-
provingly, "you will frighten people
away if you speak to them like that;
l was petrified myself"
81 am awfully sorry" he said, hum
bly,. "But"-in lower tones-"it real
ly was your fault"
81 don't see that" But her color
rose little, and she asked for an
explanation.
Another turn round the hot, crowd
ed hall, and he announced that there
were only two tickets left.
"Are there?" She counted her
money. "Yes, here's % shillings.
Suppose we each took ticket, that
would finish it up. What are the
numbers left?"
Twenty and thirteen. Which will
you have?"
She pointed to the number 20.
"All right, that leaves me IL.
Lucky number that, you know. But"
-stamering and hesitating-"vhat
name am l to put on number 2O?"
She raised her eyes to his, half in
dignant, wholly surprised. 81 should
have thought it just possible that
you might have remembered my
name?" 1t was impossible not to no.
tice the quiver in her voice.
His eyes looked steadily into hers.
"Remember!" he said, trifle un-
steadily. 81 wish to Heaven 1 didn't
emember-things. But your-your
married name, l meant"
my married name?" She gave a
little tremulous laugh. "But 1 am
not married." she said.
He drew long breath. "But I
heard it in Africa; some one wrote
it to fellow in our regiment. And
my letter, before l left England.
You never answered that, Dorothy"
She did not seem to notice that he
had called her by her christian
name. 'My cousin, Dorothy Seton.
was married three months ago." she
said, with heightened color, staring
intently at the tea cosy. "And l
never got any letter at all-George."
Her eyes involuntarily sought his
now.
THANK Heaven!" exclaimed the
boy, rapturously. "Oh, can explain
everything now, Dorothy, darling.
Let's go and sit on that seat by the
palms for just five minutes!" And
they did so. But Mr.. Fraser's ex-
plantations, satisfactory as they ap-
peared to be, were not condensed in
to so short space of time as that.
"What has happened to them?" ex-
claimed Lady Allenbury an hour
later. "That tea cosy seems to take
n lot of getting off. All, here they
come"
The pair in question sauntered up,
looking delightfully."- bored and inno-
cent. Only Dorothy's friend guessed
that anything had happened in that
one short hour.
Here's the 25 shillings, Lady Allen
bury" exclaimed George, in tri-
umph, "AGiss Seton"-a slight empha-
sis on the name-"will give you the
money" And Miss Seton did so with
considerably heightened color.
Thank you both so much," said
her ladyship, fervently. "Now let's
draw number and finish it off and
get rid of it. Dorothy, dear, put the
tickets into your little bag. Per-
haps had better draw one"
The flashing rings went into the
holland bag and returned again hold
ing a tiny blue ticket. Number 13.
"Mine!" gasped George, in tones of
horror. "What on earth can I do
with the thing?"
Lady Allenbury smiled beautiful
innocent smile. "Keep it until you
are married, my dear boy" she sug-
gested. Dorothy, give him his
prize"
He held her fingers one moment as
he took it. "My lucky number" he
whispered. The girl in pink watch
ing with jealous eyes, wondered why
Miss Seton blushed so.
And Lady Allenbury is convinced
that the whole affair is owing to her
own perspicacity. 81 saw it from the
first" she announced, complacently,
when Mr.. Fraser turned up to tea
the next afternoon, and boldly stated
that he and Dorothy were engaged.
"And you really owe something to
the tea cosy. 1t really isn't"-point-
ing to the offending article which re-
posed on the sofa-"isn't so bad"
George Fraser's reply was emphat-
ic as he gazed from the resplendent
union jack and the scarlet soldiers