Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-09-01
Last of the
Cwelve
BY
Copyright, I9ol, IN Lucy r. Hampton

| besitated where stood in the doorway.
| The room was dark excepting for the
| freight. which threw ray across
| Elizabetb's face as she came smilingly
forward to greet me.
IF you We're any one else, | wouldn't
| be bit glad to see you, Dick she
| began, because I'm most terribly I'M
pleasant tonight. You don't mind not
having the lights, do youf I'm so much
| more comfortable to be miserable In
the dark don't you think soF'
"Oh. come. What's the trouble? This
cheerful fire is too coy to have any
thing like unhappiness near. Tell your
oldest counselor what's gone wrong
today, won't you?'
mo, because you will only laugh,
and | don't feel like being laughed at
tonight" smile came i'll spite of her
| effort TO hide it, and then sigh.
Its strange you should have forgot
ten ii. Dick. when you always do re-
member it. oh, | mean my birthday,
if YOU can't guess. You know Dick, to-
morrow is the Sth.'
"By Jove, little girl, so it is. But
would have remembered, of course.
Have ! ever forgottent"
| She smiled again and leaned toward
| me.
You know l don't mean about the
roses. You'd never forget them, be-
leve, if | lived to have thousand
birthdays. It's always very sweet or
you too"
| must explain that ever since Eliza
beth was a graceful little fairy OF
twelve and | an ardent admirer OF,
well. several years her senior | had
sent her a bunch of American Beau
ties her favorite flower, one for every
wear she was old on each birthday.
Lets see how many is it this time
twenty three, twenty-four. why,
Bess, it will be an even two dozen
| this time won't it,
"Hush-hush-do tell-will you!
That's what | meant awhile ago about
your not remembering | hope when
| keep getting older and older some
time you may forget just how many
wears old | am. I'm ashamed even
now to have any one know I'm so
ancient | can trust you not TO tell,
| | know
She was so serious | did not dare
to smile. so | sat wondering just how
| long this mood of hers would last
Usually she finds it hard to be serious
longer than five minutes at time. AS
she sat there, her bright head in the
shadow. her eyes half closed TO con-
| ceal something she did not care to
| have me see, know-whether mis-
chief or something really serious |
| couldn't tell couldn't help thinking,
well, of many things | have no right
! to think since one winter several years
ago when Elizabeth decided we were
| to be only friends, but the very best
| friends that ever We're. And 50 we
are.
You don't know how terrible it is,
Dick, to be girl and to have twenty
fourth birthday SO near. Don't laugh.
Aunt Alice says she believes | am go
ing TO be an old maid"
| In spite of her warning | had 10
| laugh now, trying to think of her as
an old maid Elizabeth the beautiful,
as she was called; Elizabeth the be
loved of all who ever knew her; Eliza
beth the envied of all the girls, and
Elizabeth as an old maid.
My mirth received q check when she
remarked next in the most cheerful
way:
"Mr. Harrington was here last night"
Another silence, not so pleasant as
the last | do not like Mr.. Harrington,
and Ellzabeth's Aunt Alice does. Be
sides, Mr.. Harrington is considered very
desirable. He is rich, he is well liked
by mothers and aunts ut least. though
| am frank to say | do not know why
exactly--and he is very fond of Eliza
beth. For this | admire his taste, but
il does not tend TO make me noticeably
fond Of him.
Poor old duffer! Did he-er-propose
again for the third and last time, eh,
BeSS"
He isn't so OLD. and you don't need
to call him names, Richard Wells, He
doesn't need so much sympathy either,
perhapsr' She flashed a look ut me
and drew herself up In such a naughty
manner that l Immediately subsidized.
What did she meant Surely she--she
couldn't have
II was my turn TO be serious now.
Please, Elizabeth | began-'please
look at me and tell me you refused that
man for the last time. You know you
cannot love him "
why, you see-well, lin ashamed
10 tell you what l have been thinking
don't care enough for him to marry
him, I'm afraid. But he happened 10 be
the l8st-well, I'll call him the last Of
twelve"
The last of twelve - whatF' | de-
handed You don't mean TO tell me.
Elizabeth Denton. that you have had
twelve separate and distinct lovers In
your short life Of twenty-four years.
"Most of them did not count. they
were so long ago; but they were just
as serious as the others while they
lasted You can't guess who was my
first lover, Dick. Billy Trenton, lie
proposed TO me one night at party.
| was only fourteen, think ! remem-
Der we had some sort Of games, and In |