The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-01-25
Action Versus Fate
[OriGinal.l

IOriginal.l
They say" she said pointing to a
rock a hundred yards from shore
against which the sunlit waves were
breaking, that if man proposed to
woman on that rock she Will be unable
10 resist him"
How will he get her there? Take
bec out in boat?''
They can walk there when the tides
low"
Il see
Its called 10, ers' rock"
who told you about it?"
"Oh, everybody about here knows
ernlan about it the other day. He was
getting his nets ashore. He told me
that in his youth he had proposed to
girl there who cared nothing about
hin. 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"
1T beats all how srperstitiouS 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.
Il know what you mean. How well
Cou understand women
ALE wondered. He didn't know him
Self what he meant?
Now, if Il man We're to propose tc
me-" she continued, ION Lovers rock
would consider that Providence had
brought the meeting about and l had
met MY fate"
There was a silence. during which
the man unused: This girl is giving
me great advantage. All l have to
90 is to get her to go with me to Lovers
rock and she is mine. She is either a
desperate tirt or she loves me. Ia
either case | have been bewitched by
her ana there is only one eSrcss fron
tie trap which have fallen into-and
that is Lovers rock
ut 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 rueful!y
THE hour we al rest after bathing"
He mentally cursed the tides. which
came and went at such inconvenicnt
hours. lie 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 gilied
sail on the horizon. When the sun
SINK lower and the gliding faded they
went back to the hotel
The next morning he took her out in
a 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
'Oh, Providence only influences peO-
pie on Lovers rock who have walked
there"
That afternoon he|Spent studying the
almanac and learned that in about
week he might hope TO get on to Low
ers' rock at a time when it would be
proper to take 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 Il refusal So he counted the DAYS
and the hours, even the minutes. till
the tide would ebb at from 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 ut t 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
fcrcr 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 hpsitatinglv
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 90 there she demurred
she has grown coy" he said to him
self Il 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