The Huttig news., 1914-04-18
Until after twelve o'clock" ?"

And you will not escape-you will tell me then?"
 ''I will be here at little after twelve" she murmursd, and then an other partner claimed her and she was gone without one glance from her soft brown eyes to comfort him or give him hope
 That was the last dance before the games and the entire company found seats and prepared to put to test all the legendary charms of Halloween Partners were chosen and once more Arthur Beckman found himself beside the girl he loved.
 Elsie's cheeks were deeply flushed and her eyes sparkled with some in- ward excitement. She was merry and gay until the charms were tested Then a quietness settled down upon her like filmy veil of sorrow, but occasionally she brushed it aside to smile or return a merry quip.
 The charms were provokingly in suspicious for the furthering of Ar thur Beckmans desires. All the crim. son apple parings that Elsie tossed over her shoulder fell into obstinate ly curving W's instead of the As that would indicate that Arthur was to be her future mate The melted lead when dropped in cold water took shape as a mortar and pestle, much to the secret satisfaction of Wilbert Lansing, who was a wholesale drug gist and who interpreted the signs to mean that his long and heretofore hopeless wooing of Elsie Hilyer was to have a successful ending Arthur Beckman was an architect and a nor tar and pestle had no significance for him
 Then. when they placed chestnuts on the hearth in pairs. each one se- cretly naming his nuts. the one that bore certain magic name that FL sic dared not whisper aloud, inso- lently hopped away and joined a fat little chestnut that belonged to her neiehbor Jack Monroe-and as Jack was desperately in love with plump nd fair little Susie Agnew there was small doubt that his chestnut was named for Susie If Fate decreed that Elsie,s hero and Susie were to De mated-Elsies smile quite faded way for all the signs were against Ter!
 Of course they tried the mirror .harm. some of the girls taking hand mirrors and walking around the house backward were rewarded by seeing divers faces reflected in the glass It was a moonlight night and the shrubbery east lacy black shad- ows across the path that encircled laughter and merriment
 Elsie did not join them. This last test she dared not try and so while the others played hide-and-seek in the crisp cool air after the midnight hour had passed, Elsie sought the al cove in the conservative where she had promised to meet Arthur Beck man and give him his answer.
 He arrived almost as soon as she did. He sat down beside her and took one cold little hand in his own.
 Now, Else?" he asked softly
 'oh. Arthur" she trembled. Fl can't"
 "Well-never mind-dont cry about it." he said practically. for her voice was near to tears. His own heart was wrung with the bitterness of the moment Don't let it worry you one instant, dear You needn't tell me why-I suppose it's another ghost dance? The orchestra is tuning up" He tried to speak lightly but all the spirit had gone out of his voice.
 Elsie shook her head. You don't understand she whispered, turning her head half toward him so that the soft fragrant masses of her hair brushed his cheek "The signs were all against it!"
 He hardly breathed, so fearful was he of losing this blissfu moment, but her remark was puzzling.
 The signs? Oh, you mean those charms and all that clap-trap busi- ness of apple parings and melted lead and so forth?" he demanded.
 "Yes-you see l wanted to wait and find out what Fate really had in store for me l thought if the signs were propitious for my-my being happy with you I believed that together with" She hesitated and turned away her head
 Together with your love for me, :" he prompted softly and he was wild ly happy when she did not deny it.
 Would insure our happiness" she completed.
 Fol de roll" calculated the Knave of Hearts. taking Old Mother Hub bard in his arms so alddenly that the boneless dog bounced to the floor and rolled away. Fol de rol, darling, I'll risk all the bad luck in the world in marrying you if you'll have me- Com pared with the fact that l love you and you say you love newly, the charm business deosn't cut any figure at all,"
 At that instant came Wilbert Lan- sing of mortar and pestle fame; the Fates had decreed that he was to be