Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-07-13
Delphine's
Choice
By INA WRIGHT HANSON
Copyright, 1905, by 1. w. Hanson

lnto her auto car With Jerry, the crook.
ed backed He was of no more conse-
! Guence than a pet dog, except that his
mind in his poor ugly body was like
the pearl in the oyster shell, so he was
more entertaining, and, besides being
a mental genius. Jerry could sing. Ye
powers. How he could sing.
"Delphine' | began abruptly, Gin
Holland they have four Sundays in No
vember'-
You don't say!" raising slender
! hands in exaggerated surprise. do
You suppose they ever have five?"
Listen. -Four Sundays, known as
Review, Decision, Purchase and Pos
session. On Review Sunday all the un-
married men and women go to church,
look at one another, but don't speak,
How silly.' remarked Delphine
ION Decision Sunday each man who
wants a wife bows low before the
maiden of his choice, and by her re-
spouse he Judges Of her feelings to-
ward him.
Delphine Uttered
ION Purchase Sunday he askes her
parents consent, and on Possession
Sunday they appear as actual or pro-
spective brides and grooms. am tell
ing you because l was once foolish
enough to promise not to ask you to
marry me. l beg to remind you that
next Sunday is Decision Sunday, the
second in November; also that there is
more than one way to kill cat"
Delphine regarded me with amuse-
ment. Dick, think you are the silli-
est ever" she laughed as she and the
auto and Jerry went speeding away.
looked after them, the girls 1.-the
| young figure, with the blue veil
| streaming out in the stiff sea breeze
and Jerry's pathetic form beside her
Jerrys voice was music itself, and Jer-
rvs handsome eyes could speak more
| eloquently than hundred tongues.
| But what had to fear from crooked
back?
| That evening my egotism was slight
ly Jared. Hathaway of the blond
head and the big heart joined me on
| the porch. Hathaway was bubbling
over with something too good to keep.
| After five minutes conversation
learned that Miss Delphine had once
more made him promise that he should
not court her and that today she had
| told him an interesting tale of how the
| men OF Copenhagen or South Africa or
some other darned place get their
| wives. And why should she tell him
all that unless she was limiting to him
of an honorable way to break an un-
willing promise?
Why, indeed? thought wrathfully as
later and alone l brooded over the
matter, leaving Hathaway and a doz-
| en- others to dance with Delphine at the
casino. l had other fish to fry, and
was going to fry them good and brown
| too. At last my plans were perfected.
Fastening to the casino, l buttonholed
| the reluctant Hathaway and finally ca
| joled him into doing what l wanted
| Then we hunted up and explained to
ten other fellows, who, with one ex-
ception, entered merrily into the
| scheme.
But, hang it, Dick protested the
exception, I'm already engagedv'
Don't worry, Jenkins consoled
Hathaway. "She will accept Dick or
me, know"
at won't be Hathaway am sure,'
l said, shamming a confidence I did
not own.
On Sunday morning, when Delphine
| and her father came out of church,
their astonished eyes beheld twelve
men lined up near the red auto
| Twelve? Aye, thirteen, for Jerry, with
smiling lips and weary eyes, stood with
US. We bowed as one man before her,
and. unmindful of the staring congre-
| cation, the girl responded with quaint
little courtesy
Delighted to see you," she said cor
daily. Papa, will you invite the gen.
tlemen to dine at the hotel with us?'
Bewildered looking papa complied,
and Delphine motioned Jerry to enter
the car.
Don't see that anybody gained more
than anybody else" grumbled Hatha-
way as we followed the autos wake.
Except Jerry" grinned Jenkins.
i AZ lllc uIlueI 5 ClOSe lJSlDulue Ia
ther told us that they were going home.
They were tired of the gay resort.
you fellows come over and dine
with us at The Oaks next Sunday" he
said genially.
We accepted with alacrity, glad to
carry out the remainder of the pro
gramme in the confines Of home in
stead of a hotel, and every mothers
son of us was at the gate of The Oaks
at l o'clock on the next Sunday-Pu r-
chase Sunday, the third in November
We decided that after dinner would be
the best time to approach Delphine's
father.
you have to go first, Hathaway;
you're the biggest" said one of the
boys.
Lets draw lots for our Places" sug
gested Jenkins
II did draw number one, darned If
didn'tw exclaimed the big fellow. "Sev
en- is the best. Who has the lucky
severn"
|