The daily Alaskan., 1912-12-27
HER HALLOWEEN
By yEA MTcrEL

years old. an age when girls are fond of fancylng what the men whom they shall marry VIII be Ike On Hal loween shortly before dark she emerg cd from Der fathers farmhouse with a view to going to the river near by to put ln operation a Ittle plan of her own to hnd out something about her future husband. She had some wood en dishes. some tapers and a box of matches.
 Ethel knew all the young men 10 her neighborhood. and it seemed probable that If she married she would be chosen by one of them. for DO one else ever came to that region She dld not expect to look Into a mirror and see reflected there over her shoulder the face of a stranger She only hoped to know which of three young men Of her acquaintance would ask her to marry him. She had DO reason Co sup pose that any of them would ask her, but in case any one did she wished 10 know which It was to be
 A new moon stood ln the west which she took pains to see-lt being the 6rst time-over Der right shoulder In her time these little supersHtous counted for more than they do in this realistic age, and she felt quite sure that f she saw the moon over her left shOul- der she wouldn't have any luck during the month. Having seen It alright. she passed on over a field. then through a wood and stood on the margin of tbe river.
 Now. it happened that Philip Brooks, a student in a college situated across the state line sud distant an hours tourney on a train. had been caught a few weeks before hazing freshmen and was rustlcatlng at a little town on the river a few miles above where Farmer Auchlncloss lived. The sophc- more had been studying on this very afternoon and shortly before Ethel bad emerged from her home had pulled down tbe stream In his wherry for exercise and recreation To the gloaming.
 The drst thing Paul knew he saw a lighted taper passing him. Sur. prised, he ceased rowing and eyed it wondering what it meant He turned his face upstream and saw another lighted taper a dozen yards ahead and another still farther up the river. Then it suddenly occurred to hlm that 1t must be Halloween and some girl was trying Co dnd out which ot three young men she would marry.
 Giving a few back strokes, De dropped down beside the taper that had ioated farthest and blew lt Gut. then. not desiring a rival for the un- known maids favor, picked up the second and the third taper and blew them out at breath. Then he pulled cautiously on upstream with mufied rowlOcks.
 Ethel. standing on the brink saw the first taper so out and remarked to herself '1t isn't Fred" When she saw the two remaining tapers 60 out at once she exclaimed: It Isn't any of them I'm to be an old maid" When about to return to Der home she glanced up to the sky and saw the new moon just passing out or sight in the west She appealed to b In the following words that have been familiar to lads and lsssles for many years:
 .ery.v neon, true rnoob. tsr unto me Who my true lover shall De;
 The color of his eyes, the color or nv
 hair.
 The day he marries me
 Not dreaming that any one was near to hear her, she spoke the words n q tone loud euough to be readily heard in the surrounding stiffness what was her surprise to hear a voice com ing from out in the river:
 New nonn. true moon. ten unto me Who my true love shall be-;
 The color of her sysE the color Of her
 The color of the drsss that she shah
 wear
 The night she marriss me"
 Ethel stood mute tin she heard the sound of oars, and ID another mo meut the dark form of a man sitting in a narrow boat appeared The boat grated on the pebbles at her feet, and the man stepped on shore and said im- pressively:
 My future bride, greet you"
 If was not SO dark, the two being close together, but what they could 6,stinruish each other There Is no greater aid to the imagination than sIosnlng. and each pictured the other Inordinately beautiful It may be said truthfully that Ethel was fair, and Pm. if he was not good. was at ieast good looking. He was not lacking ID sudneity, and. stealing an arm around Fthers waist. he earnestly imprinted a kiss upon her lips
 No one could ever find out how Ethel huchineloss met the young collegisn, who from Halloween was a Ire ouent visitor at her home. His visits extended over a period of three years,