Cañon City record., 1904-09-15
what did she meana Surely she-shs

look at ME and tell me you refused that
man for the last time. You know you
cannot love him."
why. you see-weil. lin ashamed
to tell you what / have been thinking.
him. I'm afraid. But he happened to be
the Iast-well. I'll call him the last OF
twelve"
1.-THE last of twelve whatT' 1 de-
manded. 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 yearsy'
Most OF them did not count. they
were 20 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 Trentoni He
proposed 10 me one night at a party.
was only fourteen, think. I remem-
Der we had some sort Of games, and in
one Of them he chose me as the one he
owed best. and afterward came the
declaration in the conservatory. Only
4 short time after this Cousin Frank
proposed. You never knew he was one
of my old lovers. did you? He was
very desperate for month or 30 and
vowed be would die IL l refused him
Then he met Grace, and l was forgot
ten"
well, who came nexty' was get
ting interested
The college boys. believe. You
know a girl was not considered at all
popular in college there In the west
unless she had at least one proposal
year.
You We're there a year. as l remen-
ber.'' interrupted. ..and you averaged
how many"
..Only two, and lots of the girls had
four and five With Billy and Frank.
the two a; 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 to the fifth on her list
II had almost forgotten the cousin
who visited Grace the winter after /
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.
~
really did count. for he was big
man. and-i liked him"
She waited SO long to continue her
story that grew impatient
.Do 20 on l entreated. You see.
we have had only one that counted
% Ear"
.weIi. we went to the mountains for
the summer: the loneiiest place-no one
around. excepting two men and one
of them was a semi-invaiId- II was
the moonlight nights and-and-there
were no other girls there"
Elizabeth looks so Innocent ard free
from guile when she is pleading her
own cause that / find IL rather hard
to seold her now. But hold up eight
accusing fingers.
The next? Now who was nextf
That winter l stayed at home and
learned all sorts OF sensible things
Was II that winter Alan used to come?
And. why, Dick. II was that winter
that you proposed"
Just then one Of the logs broke and
q piece dew out on the rug. l stopped
to pick II up. and raising my head
suddenly was surprised to see Eliza
bsth's cheeks q bright pink
-No one would ever think to So
~ now that we-thar'-
That was ever madly and hope
Iessiy In love with you" I finish.
-You acted very foolishly about
Alan. never understood why you
should have insisted that was in
love with him, because I wasn't with
you"
No reply. So ws both went on look
ing into the DIRE as though we expect
I'd to lind 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 / have
done to hurt you l often wonder
II you are as glad as l that we are
such good friends."
As look into the dear face I had
loved. and would go on loving until
the end Of time, and thought what 1t
would mean to me not to have the
privilege Of being her .'comrade," even
though longed to be something more
than that Il was not hard to tell her
that | found 1t my greatest Joy to b
considered her best friend"
$50 that is why ! wanted 10 talk TO
you OF Mr.. Harrington" she continued
He is the twelfth and-yes, the last Of
them ALL"
"But why the last? Why not wait
until No. l3 appearsr
The unlucky thirteenth, Neverl Sc
rfously. Dick. l am getting far too old
to wait much longer. Mr.. Harrington
- very nice. and I'll never marry for
love. feel sure, 90 why not make up
my mind to accept himl Dick. you
aren't listening to q word I'm saying"
L dreM my chair cloaa heeide herA