Evening journal., 1911-08-08
A CARD
PROPOSAL
BY GROVE J. GRIFFIN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1871.

They were sitting on the porch over
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 It
pack Of cards.
"shall tell your fortuner he asked.
III you like"
He took up the cards and shufned
them. She asked him by what method
he would tell her fortune, and he said
he learned Il 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 or on to the ta-
bic 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 rivalrwhom he feared He
went on throwing or the cards till be
came to the knave Of diamonds.
THAT'S the principal lover" he said.
"He has the inside track. No one else
has much Of a show He is tall, good
looking and has an excellent opinion OF
himself. Just the man for heart
smasher. And these diamonds falling
so near together indicate that he is the
favorlte with Hellol The queen OF
heartsl That's you. The knave 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 knave Of diamonds7 p
she asked.
"Thirty-five or thirty-six."
Cant a younger lover be got out OF
the cardsY'
'Wer here's the knave OF clubs.
He's one of the kind who uses a big
stick for accomplishing anything he
undertakes. Nothing suave OF polite
about him"
81 should think he would have a
better chance than the other. / like
a helter skelter kind Of man; most
girls do"
"wer, this lxnave Of clubs is not ex
actly bad: but. on the other hand. he
isn't very good. He's neither one mol
the other. He adores you, though. and
If It turns out that the knave Of dia
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
turnedY"
"That7 That's a rival you have fol
the favor OF the knave Of diamonds"
Haven't I a rival for the knave Of
clubs2"
!. She asked this In a subdued voice
8 mot 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 haI
considerable hold upon him.
''she may have him for all care"
"Here comes the king OF hearts. II,
stands for your papa. Low diamond
following him so closely indicate thai
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 1 was the queen ol
hearts"
i. 80 you are! / forgot that Wen
O wen call your mother the ace OF
d hearts That's a good idea; the ace Il
the highest OF its suit, and whomso
r. ever your mother favors-you consent
- ing-takes the trick"
- Il think that whoever 1 favor vii
y take the trick"
ID Right you are. These clubs-th
n two, three and four-indicate that tn
he knave of clubs has loved you fou
d. years. Ever since that summer at
s. She was supporting her head wit
her hands. her elbows resting on th
81 table. AT this point she shaded he
face with her nngero, so that be sa'
very little Of It. he couldn't very we
tell her, even through the cards, this
st he had loved her longer than that, 70
l. be hadn't known her longer. She wa
d waiting for him to name the plac