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Show -a I i THIRD ATTEMPT j . i J By ELEANOR N. LORING I ::. a by iicClure Newspaper Syndicate.) f-'pONIGHT he's going to," Natalie remarked cryptically to her image In the mirror, as she leaned forward to powder her small, straignt nose. "Vos, slree ; it's now or never for Dick I)e:in" ; this as she lightly brushed her rouge puff over each young cheek am stood off to survey herself. "You never nev-er looked better, and It's now or never. You've been playing around for six months ; far too long at your time of life to waste on any but the right man." It was Natalie's theory that one never nev-er could spot the right man until he proposed. In the last five of her twenty-two years she had listened to seven men hand out that age-old line ; and, always, before they were half through, she had planned to answer "no." Tonight would make the eighth, and if A horn shrilled loudly, and Natalie tore herself away from the mirror. "Take a coat, Nat," Mrs. Powers called. "No," her daughter returned firmly. She had reasons for not desiring a coat. "Well, if you sit out In that car tonight to-night I'm going to come out and tell you to come in the house, so's Dick can go home If he wants to." The reply, "I wish you'd quit reading read-ing the funnies," was lost in the slam of the screen door, and Natalie ran down the walk. "What were you saying?" queried Dick. "Oh, nothing. Just giving some parting part-ing advice to the ancient." Natalie became sweetly serious. "Let's go out Cedar Lake way, it's so lovely tonight." to-night." Dick objected : "The roads are rot-ton. rot-ton. Nature's just as grand some other place." Natalie persevered and they went out Cedar Lake way. "Moon, stars, lake," thought Natalie. "He'll have to come to the point." As the car turned off from the main road she began to wonder just what she would say when the time came. Sleanwhile, Dick was making himself somewhat objectionable by exclaiming, each time the car bumped, "Ain't nature na-ture grand, though!" Suddenly there came a loud report. "Hang that tire!" For nearly half an hour Natalie sat quietly in the car while Dick worked on the tire. Finally he climbed in beside her. Slowly they backed out of the lane, away from the moonlight and the shining water. Cone, one good chance ! Dick never drove with one hand. If only he would! Natalie leaned closer, sinking down in the seat until her fluffy head rested on the rough tweed of his coat. She shivered. She wasn't exactly cold, but "Here, put my coat over your shoulders." He slipped out his right arm. "At last," thought Natalie. For when you are sharing a coat with a mm there is a good chance that he might ask you to share life with him, as well. But swiftly he drew the left fl'm. "Oh, no," came Natalie's shocked ol.jection. "You'll freeze, Dick. Put I" some of It around you." "No," casually, "couldn't drive so well. What I'm interested in now Is g"tting you home, where it's warm." He speeded up. "Coming in?" she asked, in an indifferent in-different tone, as the car stopped In front of the house. She breathed a sih of relief uiKin seeing no light In the living room. For though she had fulled twice there was always another chance, and who knew what might happen hap-pen at the third attempt? "Oh, I guess so," said he, as he followed fol-lowed up the walk. "Oh, there's a fire!" cried Nat, peering peer-ing into the empty room. "Mother must have known we'd be cold. Let's sit In the dark and be comfy." Dick muttered as he floundered about in the dim room. "poor boy, Is he 'most breaking his neck? Here, let me take his band." "Seerns to rne that you have the furniture changed about every time I come into this place," he complained, as he led liim to the davenport. Natalie rose to the occasion. She filt that opportunity had again I riocK-cd. "I just love to play about A house. I Just a'lore picking up and jirringlng thing's. Oh, as time goes on, you'll notice lots of things about me that will surprise you." "I have noticed some things," he mid tentatively. N-italle leaned closer. She put her i"l on his arm. "Do tell." "'.Veil, I've noticed Just what my rut: in Bob told me." "Vour couin Bob?" ".'es, be went with you two springs jirr" ." "i oh Gibbons," she snid faintly, and rc . away her band. lb', too, bad , , bard to bait. There hail been a !;',. to Cedar l,al:e, a storm had come ,,,, . ,,d she bad been cold ; but hail (i',.. been breli-M that night V She eril In't. quite ren.c'nber. ';:e scraped the i,k In clean off his k'.Hh on your furniture the night he 1'roj'O-ed," Dick lini. L'd mildly. |