The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-09
The HATITESBURG1 NE1

HATIIESBURk5 M
ive for, he told himself that 1t didn't |
much matter how many he took. He |
settled back in big rocking chair
that persistent and aggressive kick
ing" had induced the management
provide for his room-everyone kneI
the difficulty with which these luz
les are procured at a summer hotel
lit cigar, and began to brood and
then to dream. The brooding was
over the dark future; the dreaming
was occasioned by photograph that
he had not had time to put away since
he last fell in love. Probably the
Scotch had something to do with the
| transition from dismal thoughts to
dreamy speculation. At any rate, he
gradually began to give more atten-
ton to the photograph on the table
and less to the dreary mental picture
for which the affair at the garden-seat
had been responsible.
How did love that grill" he said
reflectively, meaning the one repre-
scented in the photograph. She's
| Dcdutllul gill IOO-ab oO aAoSAA
guished, and tactful, and generally
delightful. But she's like all the rest;
it's always so sudden Why, oh, why,
am l so uniformly unfortunate? Why
am l ever unsuccessful? Other men
love once and win; / love dozen
times and lose, and yet the odds are
all in my favor. It's 10 to 1, yet here
l am, disconsolate, hopeless. l must
have been born under an unlucky
star; fl e is against me; I'll never
know success" He disposed of what
was left of his last highball and lit
fresh cigar. under the soothing influ-
ence of which the girl in the photo
graph seemed to smile at him. Il
could have been happy with her," he
sighed; then, after a pause: Il could
be happy with her yet How it would
Jar Charlotte Culver if should marry
her! Lovely grill" dreamily. Il never
saw one more charming than she was
the night she said" He straight
ened up in his chair suddenly. by
George! she didn't say it," he cried.
mo, sir, she told me to wait; and
when l told her about the man at the
gates of Paradise and the wayfarer
dying of thirst she said the man at
the gates couldn't expect to have
them opened the very instant he
knocked-it was unreasonable; and
that was all | could get out of her.
She was a very queer girl, indeed she
was. 1T doesn't follow she said,
that a caller Is not welcome because
there is not an immediate response to
the first knock on the door, Now
what did she mean by that? Why,
knock again, of course, and it's just
about time too. Funny how it slipped
my mind! And what superb wife
she would make! l never really loved
anyone else anyway; l was just sort
of seeking consolation. l guess"
He called a bell-boy and sent for a
\ telegraph blank.
\ "Once more knock" he wrote, and
\ signed his name. Then he ordered
Il another highball and gave himself VI
\ entirely to dreams. Perhaps Fortune
was to smile on him after all; it Ger
tainly seemed as If he ought to win i
there were any virtue in persistence
81 would be such a domestic man If
Il only had the chance" he told himself
" Il really ought to have wife, and
- deserve to have one. No man eve
y, has been more earnest and enthusi
- astic in his search for mate. Ant
Il what is It the wise men say?-In per
10 sistence lies success Industry is thu
key to success Keep everlastingly a
IL IT, and Success is constant endeav
or According to all rules l deserv
success, and, besides, such love a
u mine should be rewarded. All, how
d. do love that grill"
The answer to his telegram cam
), the next morning, and it was a mode
u of brevity. "Once more l knock" h
had wired her "Come in," sh
wired back. He turned away fror
q the desk in the hotel Office proud an
happy. "At last" he cried exultantl!
and then the clerk brought him dow
u, to earth by pushing letter over t
- him. He opened it mechanically, hi
~ mind still being on the telegram.
~ Dear one," it began, and then adj
,g ed in parenthesis, after what yo
in | SAID yesterday KNOW 1 may Gall w
a dear one"
Great Heavens" he cried.
A. Whats the matter, old man.
ne asked an acquaintance who happene
III along just them anything wrong?"
ooh, no." he answered lightly; "su
;" cessful in love, you know, and 1T so
to of startled me-"
is He sought a secluded spot and fl
be ished the note, thus learning TIL
Miss Culver had "communed with h
m heart most of the preceding night al
er had discovered that Well, perhal
I it would be better If he called to G
er the information"
of They found him with telegram
one hand and letter in the othe
of muttering to himself: "Oh, how 10
tn that girl,''
he (Which girl?" they asked.
eft How do know" he returne
zee Then. after little, he asked 'If y