The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-08-06
A Toss Between Rivals

Ben Arnold and | were chums. and
| Dorothy Drummond was witch
Given pair of chums and witch
ana what is the invariable result? A
! quarrel between the chums. If this
| lhvarlable result had happened IN our
ease there would be nothing worth tie
telllng So many such affairs have
taken place that they have ceased tu
be AT least novel. Dorothy said she
would have neither Of MS declaring AZ
The same time that we were more In
love with each other than with any
one else. | Will admit that this helped
Zen and me 10 keep from quarrellng.
though neither of us believed her.
We invented tests 10 force Dorothy
TO show her hand Whether She was
too smart for us or whether she had
nothing but friendship for either OF us
we could not tell At any rate not one
OF our tests gave us any information.
We conspred TO send her invitations
for drive to take place at the same
hour of the same day. hoping she
would show her preference by accept
ing one and declining the other. The
little mink accepted both, asking us to
call with an equipage capable Of seat
ihs four persons, 10 she wished to
take her grandmother. We were both
furious, but dared not disobry. We
tried TO force her TO choose one Of us
TO sit beside her, but she declined to
enter the carriage till all had been
seated. She was the life of the party,
which must have been a difficult role
to play, for Ben and sat "nurslng.our
wrath TO keep it warm" When we
handed the two women out. Dorothy
was profuse ia her thanks for an in
vitation which had not been given.
One day | told Ben that there was
but one way to force "A decision be-
tween us. That was to tell Dorothy
If SHE would have neither of us She
must lose both of US We would both
go west Ben consented to this ut
once He believed the girl loved him
ana when II came to the point Of los
ing him would show her hand ! had
no doubt that | was the fortunate
man and. II a choice was inevitable
would be chosen. If YOU ask ON what
grounds we based these opinions / re
ply chat each drew his inference from
Dorothy's actions toward him. She
gave Inc her photograph, exacting my
promise not to tell Ben. aud gave Ben
her photograph, eXacting his promise
not To tell me. This sort Of trick she T
played us In a great variety of ways .
II was quite natural that each should I
deem himself the favored one
One evening we called on Dorothy .
together and stated our proposition.
In order that neither should have the
advantage of being spokesman we
were both spokesman. Ben made
statement of the case,
while / followed with the alternative.
The little witchs eyes danced while
we were doing SO. though when the I
asst words were spoken. "or we so
vest tomorrow she looked at Us in
lulringly. Seeing determination in
he countenauce Of each. she made n
little gasp, then turned her back and
walked TO the window
When she turned toward us there
vas Il singular expression, or rather
combination of expressions, on her
'ace-something serious, something
.omical, aud, above all, something ex-
remedy mischievous.
Il don't wish to drive two such fine
elbows away" she said. III | must
hoose between you | must make ny
.hoice by lot
Going 10 an antique writing desk,
he opened a little drawer and took
'ut an old copper cent, such as has
low gone completely out of circula-
ion.
IT is a toss between you. shall
Zip this celt. If it comes down tails"
She said this to Benz Il will marry
on aud make you devoted wife, If
/ comes down heads turning 10 mel
you are the one | shall love til death
% us part"
You give me tails. | nm not your
reference" said Ben IN frightened
one
Let us choose for ourselves" said
Give Ben first choice"
You have neither Of you anything
D do with the method by which
ONE to my decision" she said ut
! who make the choice. not you"
Tossing the cent in the air. giving il
flip at the same time with her thumb.
fell ON the floor. rolled about awhile, !
truck the lex OF chair and was stll.
zen and | both spr1ug forward, but =
Dorothy waved MS back.
cone step and you both 20 wcstr' /.
he exclaimed.
Picking up the coin. which we could =
9TH seq she did carefully and fairly.
be held il out 10 us without looking
/ il herself
Heads" I cried. +,
Ben droppei into n chair She went !.
} him aud took his hand. while tear :
ODD in her eye. slipped out Of the :
,om leaving her 10 comfort him. !,
Ben acted very nicely about the af- :,
FIR and took his disappointment re- =
arkahiy well This. Dorothy told u
q. was because had secured her by !,
lance and not by preference Bright =
Dorothy 90 f0re~ce such % result j.
id act accordingly. wasn't it, I =
Guild have preferred TO be preferred. ),
r ] was 50 glad 10 get Der .hat :,
sall)wed that part II tire natter. At q,
.-- s.t+. so vr-...5. r..- -.-.H III 49,.