Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-09-19
A Toss Between Rivals
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Given pair Oh cnufnS and witch.
and what is the invariable resultP A
quarrel between the chums. If this
invariable result had happened in our
case there would be nothing worth the
telling. So many such affairs have
taken place that they have ceased to
be at least novel. Dorothy said she
would have neither of us. declaring M
the same time that we were more in
love with each Other than with any
one else. | Will ADMIT that this heI1ad
Ben and me to keep from uuarrelinr
though neither of rs believed her.
We invented tests to force Dorothy
to show her hand. Whether she v,s
too smart for US or whether she had
nothing bat friendship for eithar of MS
We could not tell At any rate not one
of OUr tests gave us any inf lrn9t;9n
We conspired to send her invitations
for a l,tive to take place at t'3a Same
hour 81 the same day, hoping she
would show her preference by accent.
ing one and declining the other The
little mink accepted both. asking US to
call with an eQuipage capable of seat
ing four persons, as she wished to
take her grandmother. We were both
furious, but dared not disobey. 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 nursing our
wrath to keep it warm When we
handed the two women out, Dorothy
was profuse in 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 u.s. We would both
Ego west" Ben consented to this at
once He believed the girl loved him
and when it came to the point of los
ing him would show her hand / had
no doubt that / was the fortunate
man and, If a choice was inevitable,
would be chosen. If you ask on what
grounds we based these opinions / re-
ply that each drew his inference from
Dorothy's actions toward him. She
gave me her photograph, exacting my
promise not to tell Ben, and gave Ben
her photograph, exacting his promise
not to tell me- This sort of trick she
played US in a great variety of ways
1t was quite natural that each should
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
preliminary statement of the case,
while followed with the alternative
The little. Witchs eyes danced while
we were doing so, though when the
last words were spoken, "Or we go
west tomorrow" she looked at US In
quiringly. Seeing determination in
the countenance of each, she made q
little gasp, then turned her back and
walked to the window.
When she turned toward us there
was singular expression, or rather
combination of expressions, on her
comical, and, above all, something ex-
tremely miscellaneous.
II don't wish to drive two such fine
fellows away" she said eff must
choose between you l must make my
choice by lot ~
Going to an antique writing desk,
she opened a little drawer and took
now gone completely out of circuIa-
ton.
ut is toss between you. / shall
Flip this cent If it comes down tails"
(she said this to Benz II will marry
you and make you devoted wife If
1t comes down heads" turning to mel
"you are the one shall love till death
do us part"
"You give me tails. l am not your
preference" said Ben in a frightened
tone.
"Let us choose for ourselves" said.
"Give Ben first choice
"You have neither of you anything
to do with the method by which l
come to my decision she said. 1T
is ] who make the choice, not you.'
Tossing the cent in the air, giving it
a flip at the same time with her thumb,
it fell on the floor, rolled about awhile,
struck the leg of chair and was still.
Ben and both sprang forward, but
Dorothy waved US back.
zone step and you both go westy
she exclaimed.
Picking up the coin, which we could
both see she did carefully and fairly,
she held it out to us without looking
at it herself.
Heads / cried.
Ben dropped into a chair. She went
to him and took his hand, while a tear
stood in her eye. l slipped out of the
room, leaving her to comfort him.
Ben acted very nicely about the af-
fair and took his disappointment re-
markably well. This, Dorothy told
me. was because / had secured her by
chance and not by preference. Bright
of Dorothy to foresee such a result
and act accordingly, wasn't it? !
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