The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-11
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ny I.eweIl otas Reese.

fcopyrsght, 1908. hy E C. Psrcelas., sTve str6lied and boased and soited and danced with you for two whole yearsr' Isaid. somewhat irreveFsntly.,
 Miss winston politely agreed.
 'T hope yoa do not consider the time iii- spent?" she said. with the rising iufafec- ttonA
 twnsssd the apparent question.
 sIt Isn't seemingly te have A fellow dang linz about ysu for tive ysAra" said. ''an' Less you-~-"
 ''oh. fl yea arc contemplating new iins me" Then she stopped for she realized the cruelty of what she was about 10 cay.
 fsDo you know how many tsrneB Aavs proposed to yeuf"' I demanded.
 "Tou have been rathse prolific in that rs- gard haven't yea7" she sAia ehesEfuIly. 'Rsally you've get the hAbitf shculdn't wonder R ynu do it tH your saeepl Try ts now and let's seel Dol tso to sleep new. There's . Eooa follow. and Tsi stay awake | end listen and keep tab-----" 'Tsve proposed to you just twenty-three timen." I said eotoly. 1 sonly twensy-tinee 2" She drew her brows together in mock seriousness ''ft I seems to me had made # twenty -tive-----'' I she lpfetendea to consult hsr mssnoFY-~ I Yes tweetv-five. But no doubt you are riEhf. A woman has no nInd for figures
 DO you know what "ag" means in the telesraphia codss" I ssksd. '''No please teii me"
 "rt means ia Affect, coee night. Nosh- ing more.' The belesrapheF sends this sses- sage ever tAe llne when his w"rk is dons and he is s6ing te quIe." l asohi She regarded me out oS the corner of her eye and seemed to be studying me. ''FSow interesting.s I 'T know . little story resardinw ''2e." | ka. I hear it7s
 I 'sBy aii Heansi'' l "A bvy was acting aM station agent away out on the plains. One nlght . band Of robbers came and shot hiEn. robbed the station and went away leaving him as they supposed dead.
 "After A while he regasned consciousness. \ raised himseiff with his dying strsnsth. placed a weak hand on the key and sent | the cali of his boy-frien6 who was 0peTat- l Ing twenty miles up the line. 'B-F--B-F ---B-F---' sounded ths call over and ov- CT. The friend heard. recognized the hand that was sending the call and realized by wrong. He sprang to his key. B-Fs' he responded What Ia it sii-. ly7"
 There was few Ineeherent. feeble eilclR eor the dying hanH<at the other end of the line was strugKiing to make one more ln-
 
 then after a few moments "2sr and the line was silent
 ''They found hin, with his hard on ths key"
 Miss winston gave sympathetic siEh. Poor boyF' she said.
 You can feel sorry for hlm--but not for mer' said. You can break a heart that loves yon--and that's q whole lot wofSs than shooting scme chap you never saw 1 beforep
 T think ru go in now. the aIs is get. ting damp" Its '2s' then.'' I said.
 You're not going Co die. are your' she asked within assumed solieituae 1 I was silent.
 'Tf you are--I wish you'd tell me---'' 'Vhen q man makes fool of himself for two whole years he doesn't care to go back and have the world staiking about tt ! every time he appearsr'
 You're talking nonsense! I'm going now--I promised to Co riding with . party tonight--"
 with young Bruce---''
 "Mr Carter Is a gentleman and you shouldn't mind"
 q wonder what Is the sensation of dying by Illuminating gas?" said. irrelevantly l again.
 Miss Winston looked startled. Stop | thatT she said.
 Jumping off serryboat is q nice easy way of getting out of it, continued, 1 "snd 1t is also very popular. Besides, if onSTis prudent enough to fiil one's pockets with scrap Iron, 1t saves people a iet of l trouble and is much appreciated by the eO-F Dner."
 Miss Winston looked at me wildly. | For heavens sake don't talk such non dery!''
 'Is it any worse than dying of broken heart?"
 "Men's hearts heal quIekIy--so I've been toid!" she added hastily. and then che I had not accused her or having had experiences.
 ''Good night. Jack"
 Good niEhtw l said soismnly. and. shook You've had your last proposal from mol It's '2s all rightr'
 For a moment she paused IrresoIuteiy, aG though not exactly sure whether I meant it or not. Thus we stood. hand in hand. ths red lights of passing steamer uAaclBE In the dark water away over toward Goat island. the thousand light of San Francisco lying on the far off hills like bank oi stars on a thunder cloud.
 She turned hurrisdly. but not in time to conceal a soft ligbt that had crept Into her eyes blessed the kindly stars which had furnished light enough for the discovery. Then I stepped upon loose stone. turned an unkraceful flip flap and went head flrsi into the bay. Miss Winston turned just ir time to note my downward flight shs had not noticed my mishAp and she At- tributed it to acute melaheholia. Now shs understood what my suicidal talk had meant.
 My flight downward was 50 swift that missed the shriek she vouchsafed. but th' life savers at Ocean Beach three mile, away. told me afterward that it was not far behind the fog horn at I4!ms Point When I came to the surface she had stop ped yelling and was. acting.
 Tearing around the poipt of the bluff sh' ran down the beach to a httis boat tore tn, rope from it's moorinEs. sprang m and dul the water Into foam with the oars. And with every stroke she was sohbinR and praying and calling out incoherent terms of endearment to me. and begging mo moi to drown till she got there. And there wal I. treadinE water with joy in my soul and telling myself it a fit recompense foI two years of anxiety.
 She neared me at last. glaneing in agony over her shoulder. I sank hurriedly and came cautiously up In dark shadow. foT wanted to hear some more of it. Besides figured that she needed a certain amount 1 of punishment And when at lAst she the last time. She was compelled to draa me into the boat and when wo reached shore I had to be kissed and wspt oves and have my hands ehAfed before dsigned to recover from my death-lika swoon.
 And you loved me all the time?" asked after awhile.
 'of oourss. you silly But oh. Jack why ald you do such dreadful thinE1" l T didnt" I confessed T stubbed nly