The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-03-17
FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.

tnat the farmers, their wives, the pillars
of the church, even the parson himself,
were all interested IN the result. The
epidemic had originated In the mos,
peculiar manner. and had confined
itself to a single phase of disease. l,
had been neither baseball nor football,
nor horse racing, nor boat racing, nor
politics which had been responsible, for
in none of these things were the citi-
zens Of Baden remotely interested. and
to none of these things had the rage
for betting extended. The whole
trouble had originated in the specula-
ton as to the probable marriage of the
town.
When the five Mckee brothers,
John, James, Jerome, Jay and Jacob,
all took it into their heads to 60 calling
on Isabelle Fulton, people regarded it
as a remarkable freak of ananimity in
one family, and pointed out the five
brothers as models of fraternal affection
and Difference. But when the five
continued to call, and, at last, probably
with amorous intent, things became
positively serious. From five affection
ate, unselisb, unindivldual brothe-s
they were transformed in the popular
mind into five quiet, but none the less
dangerous and aggressive, enemies.
The life of Baden had heretofore been
free from rivalry and contention, but
now these two factors had entered, and
gambling is always where contention
is. 1t had begun by Farmer Jones
remarking before crowd at Strock' S
grocery that he would bet on John.
and the words had not been out of his
mouth when Farmer Smith, whose
pasture adjoins Jones's, stated that he
would bet on Jacob. Within five min
utes every man in the store had out a
little book or a piece of paper and was
jo,tipg down in most approved form
bets of all sizes, from peck of
sweet potatoes to five dollar bill, on
who would win the hand of Isabelle.
When stable rock gets a good
solid impetus down the hill, such as
was given 10 this rock by this group of
estinable citizens, it is apt to spread
itself. 1t is probable that within two
days Isabelle Fulton was the only per
son who had not bets upon the result.
Certain it is that Mr.. Fulton offered his
wife trip to town, and her choice of
the readymade dresses in any store, if
she aid pick the winner, while she in
return offered to give Mr.. Fulton apple
dumplings tor dinner every day in the
year if his man were the right one.
And each of the five candidates backed
himself heavily and seemed to have no
lack of confidence as to the result.
Winning qualities in all OF them were
so equally balanced that 1t was really
hard to make any choice. John was a
widower of thirty five, and not SO good
looking as the rest, but he had more
money than all of them put together.
The others were all better hammered
and better educated than John, and
age did not play such an important
part in their make ups, particularly with
Jacob, who was only nineteen.
What made it all the harder to bet,
with any reasonable expectation of win.
ming, was, that as far as one could
Judge, Isabelle treated all her sultors
exactly alike. When they came to
call on her they all came in a bunch,
as they seemed to think that it would
be dishonorable TO try to steal march
on one another, and they were deter.
mined that the warfare should be open.
There were two methods which Isa
belle employed entertaining them. II
she had plenty of time she would call
them in severally, beginning with John
and ending with Jacob, and to each
one she would talk for exactly fifteen
minutes, while the others summed them.
selves on the whltewashed fence. I
she did not have much time to spare
she would call them all In together and
talk right around the circle, treating al
exactly alike. People knew, because
those interested in the case hired little
boys to watch through the window, anG
thus a sort Of running bulletin of the
progress of things was kept up.
One day, when she was receiving
her callers separately, one OF the little
boys who had been stationed at ths
window rushed down to Strock's stor,
painting.
She's JUS kissed John, he cried, a
he could get his breath.
There was dead silence. Then
man rose who had all his money OF
the other four and tried to hedge. H
offered twenty five to one on John, bu
there were no takers. A second liltl
boy rushed In.
She's JUS kissed James, he cried.
Then man who had been trying t
hedge sat down. John and Jane
were now pitted against each other a
bulllsh rates, while the stock of a
the others had fallen away below pal
A third little boy darted in.
Sne's JUS kissed Jerome, was hi