Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-08-12
Ais Fair
BIZ W. II. OSBORNE
-
Copyright, 1903, by II. @. Mcclure.

Miss Betty Pennington vas a bit too
young and a bit too buoyant and she
had had too many chances TO think
too seriously Of marrying. She had led
the youth OF Frankfort Plains a merry
chase There was not perhaps a 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 them of. They went.
There was too much humor in Miss
Betty. too much OF wit and laughter,
to make them essay a 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 McClenahan was the 9th
er. Masterson chung to her with a
bulldog tenacity. He did ii 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 1t. He could
not help II. He CRASHED his teeth with
rage. But he always came back.
Tommy McClenahan didR'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 q spirit Of mis-
chief, ran away from Tommy. She
hadn't a ghost OF a show Mt that, but
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 Inn
pulse, caught her In his arms. Ordi-
narily 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 1t.
I'll 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 e be-
fore. Tommy thought Ii was worth
while. He braced himself and spoke.
"Betty-Betty-Betty," he implored.
"I've asked you now for the fifteenth
time, and I'm asking you again. /
can't help ii. You must marry me.
I won't take no for an answer"
Miss Betty drew herself away. She
still looked at Tommy McClenahan.
81 have promised Mr.-Mr. Mas
terson." she said slowly, that / would
marry him
Tommy touched her on the ERIN.
None, Betty" he exclaimed. You
can't mean It,"
Miss Betty went on: THAT / would
marry him II his team, the Frankforts,
the tournament game at the coun-
ty fair. l will be fair and square,
Tommy. / will go further. I promise
to marry you If your team wins out
and gets the prize. Mono, that's all.
I won't discuss it. You know what
TIL do and / shall do nothing else"
"But, Betty" pleaded Tommy Nc
Clenahan, ''you-you know my team
win. 1t has and it can't
Miss Betty smiled. Then" she said
$50 much the better, Tommy,
for Mr.. Masterson." Tommy said
nothing further. He strobe along by
her side with his glance upon the
sits 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. I thought she liked me better
than to-
The town of Frankfort Plains was
the county seat of Frankfort county.
Plains was a fashionable
residence place and the county fair
was one Of the fashionable events of
the year. Indeed, at all seasons the
was a lively place and the two
athletic clubs helped to make 1t SO.
The two athletic clubs supported, by
grace of the pocketbooks of a few
miIiionaires, two good football teams.
The FRANKFORT Plains club team was
captained by John Masterson, Esq,
and the wayside Athletic club team
by Tommy McClenahan. Master
son had peopled his team with bull
dogs like himself; Masterson's team
had invariably won. Both men were
graduates. The county fair
judges, also by grace of the aforesaid
pockesbooks. had offered this year a
$1,000 cash prize to the team that
the football game In the county
fair tournament. There was never any
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 bad proposed to Miss Betty Pen
nington for the thirteenth time. and
Tommy had proposed for the fifteenth
time, and her ultimatum had gone
forth.
Now. 1t Is Just as wen 70 state right
AX-. 49, ~. uxx-@NLA <-~~tI