The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-05-30
The Flimsy
Part Of 1t
By AMELIA GILES

o Two Of the party were spoons
:, The word spoons is of indefnit
f meaning Possibly some future arch
e aeologist digging down into the ruin
of an American city may translate It
/ "A word invented TO express an un
a conventional condition among two yer,
a young persons of opposite sex who ar,
too young to think of anything serious
> ly, especially matrimony, but who ar,
f attracted by each other"
Any way. Dolly Tinkham and Billy
Woods were spoons and known to be
such by the rest of the party. Conse
quently they were target for all
sorts Of jokes, pranks and innuendOes
from their friends. These darts were
not venomOus, neither were they witty
They We're principally noted for
their senselessness. They were taken
in mater of fact way by the young
lovers, but not seriously. No amount
Of raillery could prevent Billy from
putting his arm around Dolly, pretend
ing that he was unconscious Of being
observed, or holding her hand under
lap robe when they were riding.
One day one Of the young men came
to Dolly with bottle cOrked and seal
ed with her address pasted on it, tell
ing her that he had picked it up when
out boating. She broke the bottle and
drew forth paper on which was writ
| ten:
| have long loved you, but It IS irnpossi-
Bile for me to WOO you. Learning that you
are staying at B.. have sailed out in a
boat past the beach and have taken this
| means to advise you OF my love. Any
other way might lead to my detection.
| This way Is perfectly safe The reasons
| why 1t Is forbidden for me to WOO you are
secret.
did you find it on the beach, hon
est?" asked Dolly, looking up limo
Gently.
Honest"
She dropped her eyes to the floor
Evidently she was affected by this IN
known lover who was worshiping her
from a distance. 1t did not occur to
her that II he was forbidden to WOO
her he had better not have commenced
to do so.
Going to tell Billy about it?' asked
the pretended finder of the bottle.
81 don't know"
The rascal did not wait for her to
make up her mind about the matter.
He told Billy himself The same aft
ernoon when Billy met Dolly on the
beach he looked out at the ocean. Dol
ly wilted. That evening Dolly was sit
ting on the beach doleful. 1t is singu-
lar that when girl gets one lover she
is surprisingly happy. Two invaria-
bly, make her miserable. Billy passed
on, but Dolly didn't call him. She
was sure he was miffed about this new
unknown lover. He would vex her with
questions and she didn't wish to be
questioned.
Besides she wasn't quite sure she |
loved Billy after all. Billy was ordi-
nary flesh and blood. the other fellow,
created by her Imagination, was a pa
thetic looking, melancholy chap with |
curly locks hanging over an alabaster |
forehead and wearing a Byronic col |
lar.
But Billy, seeing that the flag of in
vitation was not thrown out, concluded
to probe the matter without an invi-
tation.
Whats this story about this fellow
that's tossin' bottles overheard with
love letters in 'em?'
He isn't fellow at ALL"
"What IS hei'
"a noble, good man."
What you going to do about himr"
Nothing"
What you going to DO about me-"
Il haven't done anything, and !
haven't any idea of doing anything"
But you're going to wait for the
rooster in the bottle to Gomez?
Il didn't say that"
whats he say in his letter."
"Oh, he says he loves me, but can't
WOO me-"
"Well, then, what's the use Of his
saying it,"
Il don't know. 1 suppose it's a re-
lief to him"
as he going to keep on being reliev-
I'd this wayY'
81 don't know"
"Well, Doll, since he's stepped in
md taken possession Of the field I'm
tut of it. Good evening" {
He sailed away with his nose in the
lir.
The next day Tom Wilmartb, who ,
had made up the first bottle, came to
Dolly with a second. 1t contained n
tote telling her that her unknown
over would be on the beach the next [
lay. He would wear q red ribbon IN +
lis buttonhole-red in token of bis y
Needing heart
"See here. Johnny" spoke up one of ,
he older giS!s, who was standing
ear. ''this has gone far enough :
'oll, he's been fooling you. He has
written these notes and put them in
he bottles. Don't you see that the A
aper bearing your name on the out. v
lde hasn't been wet?" v
Dolly looked half dazed from the h
irl to the bottle. then at the scamp y
Tho had joked her. Then she got up
nd went away.
The next morning the spoons made
n If Uacp't