Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-04
DAILY STORY
HEADS OR TAILS FOR LOVE.

| we apply it to a young girl we mean
something Fascinating. Alice was a
| young girl. She had no end of lovers
and was always trying to see how far
she could go with any Of them without
| being caught in a matrimonial net
| She did not draw them by her wiieS;
| there was no necessity for that; but
she would agree 10 marry them on i'm
| possible conditions. The consequence
was that when she at last. met Il man
who inspired her with = least I'M
| certainty, she had formed Il habit of
| toying with lovers that made her only
more reckless with this one.
When Walter Trask proposed he was
! treated the same as the others.
He was not refused outright. He
was laughingly given Il cOnundrum To
| solve. If he solved it he had won: if
not he had lost. He cOldly admitted
| that he had no brains for puzzles.
and since the task was impossible he
must give up the prize. Not being
accustomed to have her suitOrS give her
up so easily. Alice was piqued, but as
| Trask did not bite at any of the bats
she held SU4 to him she found no OPP
y.
her eyes swapping with mischief, she
told him she would decide for or
against him by spinning Il coin, lie de
clared that that was n proposition he
could understand and assented. TAX
ing a penny from his pocket. he asked
her whether heads or tails meant
yes" but she declined to use any
coin for her decision except u silver
dollar that she had long kept in her
treasure box She went for il, and
showed it to the applicant for her
! hand to prove that all was fair. Walter
looked 1t over and. seeing nothing I'M
usual about it. handed it back to her
IF it falls head up" she said. Il am
yours; If tails. | am not yours"
Going to a highly polished table she
removed everything from it and set
the coin spinning on it. 1t whirled for
a long while, then gradually settled
down tails up.
BEST two in three" said Walter.
'Anything TO please you" she re-
piled, and spun it again. It settled
down as before.
Best three in five" he pleaded.
The operation was repeated, and
again the reply was no
Walter begged for one more chance
or best five in nine She granted mis-
request declaring as she did so that
another spin. if tails. would lie Il fiAal
decision. She twirled the coin, and
tails it was. Walter asked TO ex-
anime the coin again. but she refused
him and took it away.
That afternoon BObbie AIice's broth
or. aged nine. came along whistling
The Girl Left Behind Me" and Wal
ter agreed to give him Il dollar bill if
he would exchange silver dollar for
the one his sister kept in her treasure
box. Robbie proved dOubly corrupt
ible He accepted Walters bride, but
not being ablQ to get into the box Of
fered to divide with his sister if she
would unlock it, Then he accepted u
bride from her to take her coin to her
lover and keep her knowledge of it Il
secret. Walter on receiving the silver
dollar tested it to see If it were loaded,
but found il an honest piece of money.
Then he brought 4 microscope 10 bear
on il and discovered that a fine file
had been drawn lightly over the bev-
cled edge on the head side. This caus
ed it when spun on smooth surface
to slip on this side and throw tails up.
Walter bribed Bobbie to take it back
to the box and say nothing.
The lovers next object was to per-
suade Alice to make new decision
on the fall of coin furnished by him. |
He expected refusal, but was sur |
prised at IA granting of the boon on |
condition that Alice should be permit |
ted to examine the coin. Walter show
ed her new silver half dollar. She |
examined it and, handing it back. said: |
Tails you win; heads you lose
Walters face fell. He had filed the |
coin so as TO throw heads up. Not car |
ing to acknowledge the fraud. he spun |
the coin knowing that he must lose, |
and he did lose.
If Alice Wrenn had known whether |
she wanted Walter Trask or not she |
might have acted accordingly. Not |
knowing it, she permitted herself to be
drawn or in game that two could |
play. Walter, not feeling equal TO the
task (or being too lazy, consulted
professional gambler. The gentleman
gave Walter two silver dollars. Walter
left him feeling that he was quite capa-
BILE of using them to advantage. Nev
ertheless he went home and spent
good two hours practicing changing |
one for the other.
The next time he went TO see Alice
he bantered her to let him make final
trial with a silver dollar of his own TO |
decide if the fates decreed that he was
20 lose her She consented. He show
ed her new silver dollar, and she ex-
amined ii.
Heads you win," she said, handing
it back. 1t appeared to be genuine /
coin that had not been tempered with.
She was ready to give him even |
chances.
Walter suddenly started and looked |
out of the window. Alice looked the |
same way He changed the coin, spun Il