2.

Forbid Him Not (Guys and Dolls)

"I shouldn't, you know," said Sarah. "However I may feel about you, and however grateful I am to you for preserving my reputation, that doesn't make it any more prudent of me to unite my life to that of a dissolute, dice-playing infidel."

Sky raised a finger. "Now there you do me an injustice, Miss Brown," he said. "That I have many vices I do not deny, but I am no scoffer. Had I been, I could not have done what you saw tonight."

"I don't see that," said Sarah. "Even an infidel may be permitted a stroke of luck now and then."

"Yes, but not in that way," said Sky. "When a scoffer shoots dice to bring sinners to a revival, the Almighty may permit him to win, but not to throw the exact sequence of numbers that I did in the sewer."

Sarah cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Sky took a deep breath. "Well, this requires some explaining," he said. "For you do not know, I take it, how craps is played."

It couldn't be quite said that Sarah drew herself up proudly, but her posture did become ever so faintly straighter. "I do not," she said.

"No, I would not expect it of you," said Sky. "Well, there are two numbers that are naturals and win; three that are craps, and lose. Any other number thrown becomes one's mark, which must be thrown again before a seven is thrown if the roll is to be won.

"The nine is one of these numbers, and this was my first throw; on my second throw a three appeared, and then I made my mark on the third throw. This, any of the sinners at your meeting tonight can verify."

"All right," said Sarah. "What of it?"

Sky smiled slightly, and handed her a tattered Gideon Bible. "Mark nine, three, nine."

Sarah frowned, and opened the Bible to Mark 9. Locating verse 39, she read it through once, and again, and then a third time; then she raised her gaze to the now broadly smiling Sky. "Your impudence is astonishing, Mr. Masterson."

Sky nodded. "So I have many times been told," he said. "But the question is, Sarah –" and he leaned forward until his lips were nearly touching hers "– do you forbid me?"

And Sarah didn't.

Correction: For this one, I have no excuse. Where I got the idea that a {4-6, 8-10} first throw in craps is called a "mark" (rather than, as is actually the case, a "point") is beyond my understanding. But I did, and I wrote a story around it, and I still think it's rather charming and would hate to see it lost entirely - so here it is.