Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-11-30
MISS NEW SOLOMON.
HOW SHE REACHED A DECISION ON
THE QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP.

The QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP.
Testing Two Claimants For q Beautifui
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The nudge. the renowned Miss New
Solomon. sat dignified in her seat of
honor. Her decisions were famed the
world over for clearness and iustice.
Great nations submitted their disputes
to her for arbitrament and were pleased
to learn from her the truth of their po-
sitions. That sT5o should sit dignified
was therefore not to be wondered at. Int
there was perplexity in her countenance
now. There was a case before her the
like Of which never had been known
since her great namesake sat in iudg-
ment over two women who contended
for baby. In all her lawbooks, in all
her experience. there was no suggestion
of precedents for such a case as this.
AS the matter stood to a casual OBJ
server it was this: Mr.. George Wheel
king, beautiful mustached young man,
dressed in gray knickerbockers, dark red
sweater, brown and yellow golting stock
! ings and improved wheeling shoes,
claimed that he was the sole and only
owner of fine silver and gold plated
bicycle that was in the court for her
honor to look at.
But there was another claimant, a
Young man lust as beautifully mus
| tached as Mr.. Wheelking and quite as
handsome otherwise, who appeared in
brown corduroy knickerbockers, gray
sweater, yellow and red golfing stock
| ings and quite as improved shoes. This
claimant was Mr.. William Bikking.
Neither had witnesses. and so the
| learned Judge questioned them and
cross questioned them, but each seemed
4 equally truthful, and the judge paused
/ nonplused for the first time since she had
| sat in that high seat. Finally she arose
| from her chair and ordered the court
| room seats stacked around the sides.
The audience was sent to the galleries,
where it waited with breathless in
terest as the brawny court attendants
carried out the judges orders. The re-
porters were not disturbed, being inside
| the rail, and only the swish Of the pen
] ellis broke the silence as the Judge turn
| ed to Mr.. Wheelking and said:
''Take that wheel, sir, and ride the
best you know how" And the judge
sat down and busted herself taking the
hairpins out of her hair and then put
| ting them back again.
Mr.. Wheelking blushed very prettily
| as he gave his very baggy knickerbock-
ers twitch and prepared to mount. AS
gracefully as a bird he rose and settled
in the saddle and began to ride. There
was not woman there whose heart did
not jump. The men, Of course, tried to
see fault, but even they could not help
noticing that Mr.. Wheelling seemed to
/ fit the wheel exactly. A look fitting
across the judges face as of a smile was
translated by one of the reporters as an
indication that the decision was going
| in favor Of the rider, and she sent out
a full report of decision then and there
for the newsgathering organization of
| the city.
MIR. Wheelking rode in and around
the massive pillars, backward, forward,
turning all the beautiful figures, and in
| all the WAYS that pretty riders know
how. The filter on Judge New Solo
mans mouth became a smile. AS Mr.
Wheelking dismounted Mr.. Bikking
came daintily forward, and as airily
as a falling leaf landed III the saddle
and began to ride. The applause that
followed Mr.. Wheelking's performance
| died away in wonderment.
When the reporter saw Mr. Bikking
riding as gracefully as Mr.. Wheelking,
she gazed into the judges face and saw
there. instead of decisive smile,
look of surprise, followed by the same
old look of perplexity, whereupon she
reached wildly for the nearest telegraph
operator, and the recipients of the as
sociation's reports took out several col
umns of interesting matter and an
nounced that the case was still under
consideration.
When Mr.. Bil1king dismounted, the
critics could point out 10 difference be-
tween the riding of the two graceful
young men, and the judge looked as if
she would like to have good cry, but
| she bit her lips and restrained herself.
ure entirely different from the usual