The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-02-28
; WHY ELI
DID NOT BET
{ The Story of Cruel Deception.
Observation-Disclosures.

'e's been in for more than a fortnight"
"Druv i'm OUT replied the stranger
scornfuly. 'Wot calls e got to take of.
Tense just because l suggested little
wager! If e didn't want to take 1t on,
all ed got to do was to say So"
"NagprS is a sore pint with Ell just
now explained the landlord. ed as
liet kill II man wot mentions EN- as look
at i'm, wouldn't he, gentlemen?'
Thus appealed to the company, with
| apprehensive glanccs toward the door
through which the irate Eli had disap-
peared, rodded acquiescence.
"All can say is if 'e's fair specimen
Of the Inhabitants of William they are a
Sociablc lot" remarked the stranger sar-
castically.
cit don't do to judge q community by
an individule." replied the landlord I'm
| prcssiyrly and with some warmth. BE
sides. | said before, wagers is a sore
pint with Eli"
Lost some money!? Queried the stran-
ger.
Twenty pounds" replied the landlord.
''Twcnty pounds" came in a confirming
murmur from the rest of the company.
The stranger whistled.
"'Ow came e to risk such a lot?
'Well, if you're not in a Jury
''Be careful" interrupted one of the
company warningly. "'E might come
back any minute"
"Fill up all round at my expense" said
the stranger, "and let's ear it."
The landlord complied and, leaning over
the bar, commenced his narrative.
Eli, as you know, drives the bus be-
tween this village and the town of Hop
ston, and one night e came down with Q
| good lookin' young woman of about TWEEN
ty-six sittin' on one side Of i'm on the
box and Pete Miller's lad the other side.
Eli and the lady got into conversation,
and Tim Miller KEEP is ears open. or
course Tim admit oughter ave listened,
| but then, the way some parents bring up
their offspring is scandalous.
coach drivin' these days amt the job
It was, is it? asks the lady.
"'Suits me well enough SEES Eli.
Couldn't make fortune at II.
| though she remarks.
"'No, s'pose not
"'Drivers never put any money by, so
l ear
"Don't they though ses Eli getting
excited. for e was very proud Of is savin'
abilities.
"'No. do theyT
"I wouldn't mind bettin' I can show
yer a bankin' account the right side Of
f20.'
ELI was always ready for a wager In
them days when e felt pretty certain OF
winnin'.
Sir says the lady 'autily, 7 don't
bet
"I'm sure 1 beg yer pardon ses Eli
humbly.
al 'aven't taken offense,' she replies,
smilin'. And, nccordin' to Tim Miller
she made 'erself wonderful nice to Eli
after that.
''She told i'm she'd come down to Wilt
ham for a few weeks for 'er health and
that she'd got to find lodsin's somewhere.
Eli said e knew just the place as would
suit 'er. and when the bus got in e took
'er to is aunt's. old Wilder Mullins'.
well. after that, 1t was surpriSin' 'ew
anxious ELI became about rs aunt's
'ealth. Until Miss Walters cameWal-
tiers was the young woman's nEme-'s
didn't go near Wilder Mullins three
times In year. but after she came IL you
asked Eli TO sit down and ave q chat,
ed say. 4 should like TO. but. yer see. my
poor aunt's gettin' very old and decripit
like. and it's my dooty to look after 'er.
Dooty first, my boy; dooty first
"Well, the natural result was that one
day, about a fortnight after Miss Wal
ters' arrival, 'er and Eli got engaged. e
came In ere after e left 'er that night
and was that excited e couldn't 'elp tell
in us all about 1t.
"'NVhen's the weddin'f I asks.
"'Three weeks from today SEES e.
"'That's early ventures.
"'Not too early e replies.
"'Mcans to make sure of yer. ELL fool
ishly remarks Ben Upper.
AT that ELI got in rnge, an pickin'
Ben up as though ed been a feather. he
began to dust the glasses and things off
the tables with i'm.
1--WE calmed i'm at last. but after what
'ad appened it seemed risky on the part
of MIR. Robert Cookson. a toffish young
man, who. like Miss Walters, 'nd come
down for is 'ealth. to offer to bet Eli
Benson MS Miss Walters wouldn't become
Mrs Benson on or before the date ed
named.
"'D"ne" SEES Eli 'otly. 'Wot's the
amountT
"'Oh. anything yer like" replied Mr..
Cookson.
Say GOO SEES Eli with snccr, for
much. Everybody looked at Cookson.
c~pcctin' i'm to draw in. but. to our sur
prise. e pulled out is pocketbook and
takin' from it four five pound notes laid
en- on the table in front of i'm.
Ell turned pale and said e must ave
time to think it over. He got up and
walked out. Just outside the door who
should @ meet but Miss Walters 'erself.
"'WOt's the matter?' we card 'er say
rs she noticed is red face. e told 'er
wot 'ad 'appcned
why didn't yer bet? ses she. us
200 and yours would just come in andy
to furnish decent ONE
But ses Eli. astonished, 4 thought
hcttin was agenst yer principles. That's
why | wouldn't take i'm on
"She laughed and said: Why. yer silly
goose, | said | never bet myself, but l
didn't say We wasn't to. But there.
see wot II is, We can't trust me. Ye're
afraid | shall jilt yer and she began to
whmper.
ELI protested strongly, and, 'avin'
dried 'er eyes, marched back into the bar
and lookin' straight at Mr.. Cookson, ses
proudly: 4 shall be pleased to take yer
on, sir. I'll draw EGO from the bank in
the mornin'. and tomorrow evenin' we'll
both deposit that amount with the land
lord ere that is, unless ye'd like to turn
tail now the f40 to be paid by i'm to the
winner ,kree weeks from tomorrow
"Sure enough, the next night they both
turned up and 'andcd me EGO each-Cook
sons in notes and Ellis In gold.
"Aftcr the money 'ad been paid over
Eli was took bad--at least that was wot
e said. though nobody could see any.
thing the matter with i'm. Anyhow, .
arranged with lis assistant to drive the
.oach and said ed have a week or two at
'ome.
"Up to the day before that fixed for the
wcddin' e never let Miss Walters out OF
is sight-ycr see. e was afraid Cookson
might try to kidnap 'er so as to prevent
the weddn'-but that day Ell and is in
tended 'ad bit o. a tiff about Ellis eye,
she sayin' she could never marry a man
with one eye-Eli 'aon't got glass eye
then.
"'Wot yer mean2' ses Eli. why didn't
yer think of that before" Yer can't throw
me over now just because of that
"'Yer silly ses she, 4 don't want to
throw yer over. l only want yer to get a
glass eye put in yer ed
"'Well, won't ses Eli, obstinatelike.
"'Thcn yer won't marry me- she re-