The Washington herald., 1915-12-01
DAILY SHORT STORY

I cthy cityward lest the approaching
| storm break before the damaged car
could he repaired sufficiently TO make
the trip.
With wicked thankfuIness that his
\ little gray roadster could accommodate e
but one passenger. Jack handed Dor
othy in and drove of feeling luckier
than Aladdin when his lamp was a,
its best He noted little of the de-
tails OF DorOthy's account OF the accI-
dent. but made her rciterate her as
| surance of her own complete escape
from injury. Rejecting that though
Fate had snatched one opportunity
from him she had flung another at his
| feet Jack decided il was up to him
to make the most OF his opportunity.
Dorothy" he began. just as they
entered the park, on whose smooth
and much curved roadways he was
willing for once to observe the speed
regulations. But he never got any
further with his speech. for a big lin
CUISINE coming toward them halted
and Dorothy's father called her name
as he stepped from the door.
"Ardmore's chauffeur telephoned
that there had been an accident, but
the connection was so poor that I
couldn't get the straight of what had
become of you. so / started out to see
II l could find you along the way. It's
lucky We met here in the light" con-
cluded John Leigh.
Although Jack though Il most I'M
lucky to have met at all. he did not
say so. but accepted their cordial in
Vitation to tea, consoling himself with
a vague recollection Of the alleged
charm Of all third attempts against
failure, and he determined that he
would make a third attempt to pro-
pose before he left Dorothy.
Dorothy was charmingly flushed and
eXuberant and her parents were open
ly demsnstrative of their Joy at her
escape from injury and of their gratI-
tude to Jack for bringing her home
In the little family group Jack be-
gan to feel quite at home. After sup
Leigh. while they discussed business
Inwardly. though. he was
longing for an opportunity to be alone
with Dorothy. when a frightened serv-
ant girl burst into the living room
screaming that the house was on fire.
Dashing up the back stairway where
the frightened maid pointed. Jack
smelled burning cotton, and in the
maids room on the third floor he
found the Swiss window curtains had
dropped I'm burning fragments upon
the mating floor covering. Grabbing
a small rug from the hallway floor, |
he cxtinguished the flames start
Ing from the mating just as Dorothy. !
her parents and the excited maid en-
tered the room. Between sobs and |
pleadings for forgiveness the maid ex-
planned how the gas jet lighted to heat !
her curling iron had been left burn |
Ing. and in her eagerness to see |
whether the threatening storm prom |
ised to interfere with her evenings |
pleasure she had pushed the window |
iraperies so far to one side that the /
infiammable Swiss had touched the |
lame. While Mr.. and Mrs. Leigh talk
ID to the girl. Dorothy searched Jacks |
hands for burns. two of which She \
found. and she marched him down /
stairs to administer first aid
"Oh. Jack! It's too bad" she muir
INJURED in a fearful voice. as she gave
he bandage a final pat Does 1t hurt
20 very much?"
Hurt? Why. it's heavenly. Dor
,thy" Jack exclaimed. Dorothy won
tered what he meant, but when he
heard her fathers voice on the stair
way. he lost no time in making his
meaning quite clear.
The third time charms. Jack"
Dorothy. and I'm glad you 4
lidn't succeed in telling me the other
lines you tried. for ] didn't know
IntIl five minutes ago that loved
Tou."
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