Evening journal., 1904-08-29

I'm. t"u. ..-.,. iots OF the girls had
foT and five. With Billy and Frank,
the two at college made four, and not
one counts so far, you see"
Just when and where did they be
gin to count, may ask?"
She ignores my question as she
comes 10 the fifth on her list.
Il had almost forgotten the cousin
who visited Grace the winter after l
came home from school. He was so
funny. He must have proposed to
every girl he met that winter. and
came in with the rest. Let me see,
who was next? Oh, the doctor, and he
really did count, for he was a big
man. and-I liked him.
She waited so long to continue her
story that l grew impatient.
do go on" entreated. "You see,
we have had only one that counted
so far"
"Well, we went to the mountains for
the summer; the loneliest place-no one
around. excepting two men and one
of them was a semi-inyalid. 1t was
the moonlight nights and-and-there
were no other girls there"
Elizabeth looks so innocent and free
from guile when she is pleading her
own cause that find It rather hard
TO scold her now. But l hold up eight
accusing fingers.
"The next? Now who was next7
That winter I stayed at home and
/ learned all sorts OF sensible things.
/ Was it that winter Alan used to conner
| And, why Dick, it was that winter
that you proposedw
Just then one Of the logs broke and
a piece flew out on the rug. l stopped
to pick it up. and raising my head
suddenly was surprised to see Eliza
beth's cheeks a bright pink.
"No one would ever think to see
us now that we-that'-
''That l was ever mqdly and hope
lessly in love with you." I finish.
"You acted very foolishy about
Alan. l never understood why you
should have insisted that l was in
love with him, because l wasn't with
you"
No reply SO we both went on look
ing into the fire as though we expect
ed to find some answer there. Pres
entity she turned with one of her quick
little gestures and laid her hand on my
arm.
what a good old friend you have
been, Dicky, in spite Of all l have
done to hurt you. l often wonde
If you are as glad as l that we ar
such good friends"
As / look into the dear face l haS
loved, and would go on loving unit
the end OF time, and thought what 4
would mean TO me not to have th'
privilege of being her "comrade," ever
though / longed TO be something more
than that, II was not hard to tell hel
that found it my greatest joy to b'
considered her best friend"
$50 that is why / wanted to talk tC
you of Mr.. Harrington" she continued
He is the twelfth and-yes, the last Of
them ALL"
But why the last? Why not wal
until No Is appearsT
"The unlucky thirteenth? Neverl Sc
riously. Dick. am getting far too ole
to wait much longer. Mr.. Herringtof
is very nice and I'll never marry fo
love, l feel sure, so why not make NJ
my mind to accept him? Dick yol
aren't listening to a word I'm saying"
drew my chair close beside hers.
Il have been thinking out a plan Il
help you, if you care to hear it," Sh,
nodded her head eagerly.
Its this: To save yourself-er-fron
the last of the twelve or the possible
unlucky thirteenth why not go back an,
accept one Of the others-for instance
Her hand lay so temptingly near tina
1 reached over and took 1t between botl
OF mine
For instance, Elizabeth - mel No
don't think I'm not in earnest, dear
You don't love me, know, but you lik
me better than-Mr.-than No. 10, don
you, dear? And I-well. the fact is
Bess, l never got over that little case o
love had for you long aso. Oh, dea
. little girl. did you think / could? l Low
you; can't help it. and-look at me
Elizabeth. dearest - couldn't you car
enough TO let me save you from the las
of the twelvef'
= BY the light from the log / ha,
thought burned out, but which leape
! into a fame and threw its brightnes
right over the face / wanted TO see,
caught light in Elizabeth's eyes tina
1 never hoped to find there. What sh
, said was-well, | am afraid Mr.. Hei
rington's hopes win be gone foreve
when he knows about it.
Mrs. Merrill Tilghman and daughte
I Helen are visiting relatives in Hebron