Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-05-13
All Fair
By w. H. OSBORNE
Copyright, 1908, by T. c. Mcclure.

ll1u llHu 100 InulN CIla1lCcS 10 tIlillh
too seriously of marrying. She had led
the youth of Frankfort Plains Il merry
chase. There was not perhaps Il man,
an eligible man. who had not made
love to her or who had not attempted
it. But she had led them on and then
had sent tlom off. They went.
There was too much humor in Miss
Betty, too much of wit and laughter,
to make them essay Il second time pro-
posal. One by one they stood rejected
Miss Betty would merely toss her
youthful head and laugh and laugh
and laugh.
Two of them, however, would not
down. Mr.. John Masterson was one.
and Tommy NcClenahan was the 9th
er. Masterson chung to her with a
bulldog tenacity. He did it because he
had many Of the characteristics of the
bulldog. Miss Betty would laugh at
Masterson until he began to growl, and
then she would watch him rage and
storm with wide open eyes.
"DO that again" she would suggest
and Masterson would do it. He could
not help 1t. lie CRASHED his teeth with
rage But he always came back
Tommy McClenahan didn't cling to
Miss Betty. He simply followed her
about, watching her with frank, hon
est eyes. They walked the fields one
day, and Miss Betty, in a spirit of mis-
chief, ran away from Tommy. She
hadn't "a ghost of clt 1.n / at
Tommy let her run until she was well
tired out; then with that easy squirt Of
his, which has won him medal after
medal in collegiate games, he sprang to
her side and. obeying a sudden i'm
pulse, caught her in his arms. Ordi-
naIily he would not have dared to do
this, but there was something about
Miss Betty's color and her sparkling
eyes that just made Tommy do it,
Il couldn't help it," he gasped.
And then he stopped. For she was
looking straight into his eyes, with an
expression that he had never seen be-
fore. Tommy thought it was worth
while. He braccd himself and spoke.
"Betty-Betty-B he implored.
give asked you now for the fifteenth
time, and I'm asking you again.
can't help 1t. You must marry me.
l won't take no for an answer"
Miss Betty drew herself away She
still looked at Tommy McClenahan.
Il have promised MIMI Mas
terson," she said slowly. that would
marry him
Tommy touched her on the arm.
"No-no, Betty" he exclaimed. you
can't mean it."
Miss Betty went on: THAT I would
marry him If his team, the Frankforts,
won the tournament game at the coun-
ty fair. l will be fair and square,
Tommy. will so further. l promise
to marry you If your team wins out
and gets the prize. Mono, that's all.
l won't discuss it. You know what
I'll do and I shall do nothing else"
But, Betty" pleaded Tommy Nc
Clenahan, "you-you know my team
can't win. 1t never has and it can't
now"
Miss Betty smiled "Then," she said
archly, $50 much the better, Tommy,
for Mr.. Masterson." Tommy said
nothing further. He strobe along by
her side with his glance upon the
ground
Its the man whose team wins the
game, Tommy" she said at parting.
"By George" muttered Tommy to
himself, later, "she knew we couldn't
win. l thought she liked me better
than to-
The town of Frankfort Plains was
the county seat of Frankfort county.
Frankfort Plains was fashionable
residence place and the county fair
was one of the fashionable events of
the year. Indeed, at all seasons the
Plains was a lively place and the two
athletic clubs helped to make it so.
The two athletic clubs supported, by
grace of the pocketbooks of few
millionaires, two good football teams.
The Franfort Plains club team was
captained by John Masterson, Esq,
and the Wayside Athletic club team
by Tommy McClenahan. Master
SOD udu peOpleu Ills team Will Dull-
dogs like himself; Masterson's team
had invariably won. Both men were
college graduates. The county fair
judges, also by grace Of the aforesaid
pocketbooks, had offered this year a
$1,000 cash prize to the team that
won the football game in the county
fair tournament. There was never any
restriction as to what teams should
compete, but as the Wayside could
lick anything in the county except the
Frankfort and as the Frankfort could
lick the Wayside there was little
doubt which teams would play, and
there.was little doubt also which team
would win. In the midst of the prepa-
ration for the fair Mr.. John Master
son had proposed to Miss Betty Pen
nington for the thirteenth time, and
Tommy had proposed for the fifteenth
time, and her ultimatum had gone
forth.