Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-11-29
A CARD
PROPOSAL.
By GROVE J. GRIFFIN
Copyright by American Press Asso.
-.

LOOKING the ocean. waves were rolling
In, breaking and sliding the foam glis.
tening in the sunlight upon the beach
A table stood between them, and on n
pack Of cards.
"Shall tell your fortune?' he asked.
"1f you like"
He took up the cards and shuffled
them. She asked him by what method
he would tell her fortune, and he said
he learned 1t from an Indian princess.
The truth Is he knew no fortune tell
ing method He intended to propose
to her through the cards and to make
up the process as he proceeded. He
began to throw them OF on to the Ia
BILE face up. The first turned was the
two Of hearts.
you have two lovers" he said She
knew that she had three, not counting
several uncertainties. He knew that
he had one rival whom he feared. He
went on throwing or the cards till he
came 10 the knave Of diamonds.
That's the principal lover" he said.
.'He has the inside track. No one else
has much Of show. He Is tail, good
looking and has an excellent opinion of
himself Just the man for a heart
smasher. And these diamonds falling
so near together Indicate that he is the
favorite with Hello, The queen of
hearts. That's you. The knaye Of dia.
monds and the queen OF hearts are
connected by a lot of small cards Of
the same suit. showing very plainly
that there is an affair between them
"How old is the kuave of diamondsT'
she asked
.Thirty-five or thirty-six."
Cant younger lover be got out of
the cardsr'
well. here's the knave OF clubs.
He's one OF the kind who uses big
stick for accomplishing anything he
undertakes. Nothing suave or polite
about him"
II should think he would have
better chance than the other. Ike
a heller SHELTER kind of man; most
girls do"
"Well, this knave OF clubs is not ex-
actly bad; but. on the other hand, he
isn't very good. He's neither one nor
the other. He adores you, though. and
IL It turns out that the knave of dla-
monds gets you the knave- of clubs
will have the breath knocked out OF
him."
THAT would be too bad. wouldn't it?
Who's that queen Of spades you just
turnedT'
'That7 That's rival you have for
the favor Of the knave Of diamonds"
Haven't rival for the knave Of
clubsY'
She asked this In subdued voice.
"Not a rival. He loves you alone.
But these low diamonds coming In be-
tween the knave Of diamonds and the
queen OF spades indicates that she has
considerable hold upon him"
"She may have him for all care"
Here comes the king Of hearts. He
stands for your papa. Low diamonds
following him SO closely indicate that
the knave OF that suite is your fathers
favorite. When the queen Of hearts
comes out We shall see whom she
favors. She's your mother. you know"
Il thought l was the queen OF
hearts"
$50 you are! forgot that Well,
wen call your mother the ace OF
hearts. That's good idea: the ace is
the highest Of Its suit. and whomso-
ever your mother favors-you consent
ing--takes the trick"
Il think that whoever favor will
take the trick"
Fright you are. These clubs-the
two. three and four-indicate that the
knave of clubs has loved you four
years. Ever since that summer at
She was supporting her head with
her hands. her elbows resting ON the
table. At this point she shaded her
face with her fingers. SO that he saw
very little of 1t. He couldn't very well
tell her. even through the cards. that
he had loved her longer Than that, Tor
he hadn't known her longer. She was
waiting for him to name the place
where she had met the knave Of clubs.
but he didn't
HE was walking on the beach with
a couple Of other knaves. She vas
coming toward him with three other
queens. walking two and two"
II acted very silly on that occasion.
what did you DOR
Il giggled."
And we were trying to get up
6irta ton"
But we are getting away from the
fortune telling. How could the knave
Of clubs have loved the queen Of hearts
ever since that day? There were three
other queens with her"
"They were not his queens. None