The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-02-01
LUCKY
THIRTEENTH
By INA WRIGHT HANSON
Cop,rsoht, 1905, BY Mcclure, Phltps d Co.

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The sky was blue, the ocean bluer,
and Dorothy's eyes the fairest blue OF
all. The sand was white, the breeze
caressing, and Dorothy seemed unusu-
ally susceptible. judged it to be an
| auspicious time to declare my feelings,
30 began:
Dorothy, dear, have wealth through
no fault Of my own, social status ditto
and a moderately good disposition. /
love you. VIII Eou mar
To my surprise, Mistress Dorothy
sprang to her knees, crying, Don't,
don't!' and clapped her small hand
over my mouth.
VERY we'll, then, WON'T" said to
the circumstances.
lob, but want you tor was the
next astounding. development, while
she dropped down on the sand again.
bowed her head and wept
I thought I was used to Dorothy's
moods, but I realized then that my
knowledge concerning them was small
As I didn't know what else to do, /
lust sat still. Finally she raised her
head from the sanctuary Of her hands
and looked at me reproachfully.
"Oh, George, I've been waiting 4
whole year to hear you say it. and now
why couldn't you have said It diner-
entlyT
l sat up a little straighter. "How
should you wish me to approach the
subtectw inquired coldly.
"Of course you don't understand.
poor boy!" she sighed poking back be-
hind her pink ear a little damp brown
curl. II have chum at home, and
we were always thinking Of something
that no one else would. One day she
said, Let's make vows So we each
took a piece Of paper and wrote on 1t
VOW which we were bound to keep
If we were-were-hung for it. Nel's
vow was'-
"Never mind Nell's VOW" I said.
"What was yours"
81 vowed I wouldn't marry a man
who didn't propose to me in way no
other man ever did"
Ever proposed to your asked jeal-
ously.
mo, no.! Ever proposed to anybody.
I vowed, so have to keep It On,
George, I've just lived to have you say
it in some strange way!'
'sThere's no law against a fellows
proposing twice, 1s there?' asked.
She looked up eagerly. "Oh, you
haven't said it yet. you know. stop
ped you. Do you suppose you could
think Of some original wayT"
"Well, III try mighty hard. But what
a fool thing for you to do anyway
81 know it." she acknowledged, with
unusual meekness.
As our afternoons at Santa Monica
were devoted to the surf, we met again
in front Of the bath house and hand In
hand walked toward the seething
breakers. She looked more charming
than ever in her black suit, banded
with scarlet, and a scarlet handker-
chief knotted about her small head.
Heavens, Dorothy, how love'you!"
I exclaimed as we emerged from our
plunge through the first swell
"And I love you, too, DEAR" she mur"
INJURED, coloring little. you will find
some way, won't you?"
Eyes, If I have to pick you up some
day and run of with you"
THAT wouldn't do. Some Of the say.
ages behave that way. It isn't the do
ing anyway; it's the asking"
Dorothy Allen, see thAt swell COM
ing? When it gets here I'll hold you
under it till there isn't breath left In
your body II you don't say you'll marry
met"
1T isn't original" she persisted. "The
man Nell's engaged to said almost
that"
Darn the man, and Nell, toor I said
viciously under my breath. I didn't
try any more that day, but she allowed
me one kiss as we sat On the raft, and
that was something.
It would be a wearisome task to re-
late all the ways in which tried to
propose to Dorothy that summer. lay
awake nights trying to think Of some
wild and woolly way to ask her to mar
~ nae, only to face bitter defeat by be-
ing told that some other John had said
the same to his Joan. DorSEy's knowl-
edge on the subject seemed prodigious.
It would have looked suspicious to me
had she not really felt as bad az I
did over my inability to be original.
The summer was almost gone. A
certain Thursday was to mark Doro-
thy's departure for her New York home.
On the Tuesday before we, with gay
party, were to visit Mount Lowe.
Dorothy's pretty lips read the de-
scription from the guidebook AZ We
left Los Angeles and were borne swift
y through suburban places toward tho
fog wreathed mountains. The rest Of
the crowd was CONSIDERABLY obhvious
Of US two, 80 made bold to interrupt
Dorothy, this has got to end. I am
losing my appetite, and I can't sleep
nights. have tried twelve times. Il