The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-11-03
Action v crsus Fate
IOriginal.l

against which the Sunlit waves were
breaking, that if man proposed to a
woman on that rock she will be unable
to resist him.
How will he get her there? Take
her out in a boat?"
They can walk there when the tides
low
81 see.''
Its called Lovers rock"
"Who told you about it,"
'Oh, everybody about here knows
Lovers rock. I questioned an old fish
ernlan about it the other day. He was
getting his nets ashore. He told me
that in his youth he had proposed to a
girl there who cared nothing about
him. He watched long for an opportu-
nifty, but it came at last When he ask
ed her on the rock she looked at him
kind of dazed and fell into his arms
''It beats all how superstitious some
people are"
isn't it rather a feeling on the part
Of the girl that-well, that
Exactly. Women are full of feeling,
and woman feels''- He hesitated.
II know what you mean. How we'll
you understand women"
He wondered. He didn't know him
self what he meant?
"Now, if man were to propose to
me-" she continued, ION Lovers rock
brought the meeting about and I had
met my fate"
There was silence, during which
the man unused: ''This girl is giving
NE great advantage. All l have to
do is to get her to go with me to Lovers
desperate flirt or she loves me- In
either case I have been bewitched by
her and there is fenly one egress from
the trap which / have fallen into-and
that is Lovers rock.
''It is high tide,'' he said aloud. "In
six hours it will be at the ebb.''
That will be midnight
"And it won't be ebb again before to-
morrow noon," he muttered ruefully.
1.-The hour we all rest after bathing"
He mentally cursed the tides, which
came and went at such announcement
hours. He was looking out over the
water, computing how long he would
have to wait before learning whether
he was to be happy or miserable. They
stood for awhile looking at a gilded
sail on the horizon. When the sun
sank lower and the gliding faded they
went back to the hotel
The next morning he took her out in
boat and, after rowing about idly,
pulled for Lovers rock. Once there he
asked her to go ashore, but she sat in
the stern and smilingly declined.
(Which MEANS" he said, "that Provi-
dence does not intend"-
ooh, Providence only influences peo-
pie on Lovers rock who have walked
there
That afternoon he spent studying the
almanac and learned that in about a
week he might hope to get on to Low
ers' rock at time when it would be
proper to take a lady there or when
the sun was not looking down from di-
rectly overhead.
He was tempted to ask his question
in the evening on the piazza, but he be-
lieved that if he did he would meet
with refusal. So he counted the DAYS
and the hours, even the minutes, till
the tide would ebb at from 4 to 6 in
the afternoon.
Fortunately for him the moon did
not stand still, but drew the tide later
every day. She had been used to
emerging after her siesta at o'clock,
but when the tide served so as to en-
able them to get to Lovers rock at
that hour she did not emerge till the
evening meal. This threw him into Il
fever which only rendered him more
beside himself. Just before dusk she
came out on the piazza becomingly
dressed, and he asked her to walk
down on the beach, She hesitatingly
consented, and he led the way to the
tongue of sand over which they might
go to Lovers rock Now that it was
possible to go there she demurred
''She has grown coy" he said to him
self. II must be bold. \ woman likes
to be carried, not led" He seized her
hand and drew her, struggling family,
where he wanted her to go. Tiptoeing
over the wet spots, they gained the
rock, climbed it and stood on the sum
NIT.
The air was still, the stars were COM
ing out overhead, the waves rolled in,
gently breaking on the beach. She did
not seem to be thinking of the ocean
or the sky. Her eyes wandered about
in pleasing distress He felt encour-
aged. Surely she was under the indu-
ence Of that singular feminine feeling
that was to be expected with lover
on Lovers rock. He poured forth his
tale of love.
She did not fall on his shoulder She
covered her face with her hands and
said:
II am so sorry. Four days ago was
on this rock with man.