The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-11-15
Heads or Tails For Love
[original.l


lar that when we apply the title to an
old woman we mean bag, and when
we apply it to Il 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 60 with any of them without
being caught in a matrimonial net.
She did not draw them by her wiles;
there was no necessity for that; but
she would agree to marry them on i'm
possible conditions. The consequence
was that when she at last met man
who inspired her with at least un.
certainty, she had formed a 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. lie
was laughingly given 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 out to him she found no OPP
portunity for revenge. Finally, when.
her eyes Swapping with mischief. she
told him she would decide for or
against him by spinning a coin, he de
clared that that was Il proposition he
could understand and assented. TAX
Ing penny from his pocket, he asked
her whether heads" or tails meant
yes, but She declined 10 n:Ae any
coin for her decision except a silver
dollar that she had long kept in her
treasure boz. She went for it. and
showed it to the applicant for her
hand to prove that all was fair Walter
looked it over and, seeing nothing un-
usual about it, handed 1t back to her.
IF it falls head up" she said, II 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
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. 1t settled
down rs before.
Best three In five,' he pleaded.
The operation was repeated. and
again the reply was mo-
Walter begged for one more chance,
or best five in nine. She granted his
request, declaring as she did so that
another spin. IL tails, would lie final
decision. She twirled the coin, and
tails it was. Walter asked to ex-
anime the coin again, but she refused
him and took 1t away.
That afternoon Bobbie, Alice's broth
err. aged nine, came along whistling
The Girl Left Behind Me-" and Wal
ter agreed to give him a dollar bill If
lie would exchange a silver dollar for
the one his sister kept in her treasure
box. Bobbie proved doubly corrupt
lble.. He accepted Walters bride, but
not being able to get into the box Of
fered to divide with his sister If she
would unlock it. Then he accepted a
bride from her to take her coin to her
lover and keep her knowledge of 1t q
secret. Walter on receiving the silver
dollar tested it to see if it were loaded.
but found it an honest piece of money.
Then lie brought microscope to bear
on 1t and discovered that fine file
had been drawn lightly over the bev-
eled edge on the head side. This caus-
ed it when spun on a smooth surface
to slip on this side and throw tails up.
Walter bribcd 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 a coin furnished by him.
He expected refusal, but was sur
prised at 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.
II 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 on in a game that two could
play. Walter. not feeling equal to the
task Tor being too lazy, consulted a
| professional gambler. The gentleman
gave Walter two silver dollars. Walter
left him feeling that he was quite capa-
ble of using them to advantage. New
ertheless he went home and spent a
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
to lose her. She consented He show
| ed her a new silver dollar, and she ex-
amined it.
Heads you win," she said, handing
it back. 1t appeared to be genuine
| coin that had not been tempered with.
rY