The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-14

Coming to a Decision.
[Original.l

n OsA0 y
[original.l
II can't give you any answer today,
Charlie"
you've been saying that for three
months"
"And / suppose I'll continue to say II
till / make up my mind to-
"Be married"
"'Oh. no; I've decided upon that"
"You mean you haven't decided on
the man you will marry"
To this the only reply was a far.
away, dreamy look.
"How many OF us are thereT'
"How d~isagreeable Of you! You seem
to intimate that there are q large num-
Der, whereas there are only two"
THAT simplifes It immensely. l In
fer from your putting me OF rather
than refusing mi that I'm one Of the
two. Now, how would 1t do to decide
between the two by tossing a coinf'
Again that faraway look, then "sup.
pose you lose?"
II shall have to bear my disappoint.
ment like a man.' S5
"A dissatisfied look passed over her
face. She was silent.
Whats troubling your
II was thinking Of my own disap-
pointment In case the coin fell the
wrong way"
"But / thought there was no wrong
way for you"
mo reply.
"Does the other fellow possess an ad-
vantage that has nothing to do with
love?' 8s
"No." n
.sThen. II you can be happy with
either Of Us and can't decide between
NJ. why would you not be satisfied With
the decision Of q toss7~
why. because-h6@ stupid Of you
the coin might decide the wrong way"
1t was his turn to pause. He was Of
a scientific turn Of mind and had q
fancy for paradoxes, but here was one
that bafned him. 84A
II have It." he said finally. "We'n
toss the coin. and II 1t falls the wrong
way you are to have the privilege Of
deciding the right way"
She neither assented nor dissented,
and, taking q quarter from his pocket,
he said: II choose this eminently re-
spectacle head with a serious face, q
wreath and the motto, In God We
Trust I'm perfectly willing to trust
in God"
"You said that just as II you had
no confidence whatever in me"
You. not being able to choose be-
tween two lovers, are not to be relied
on by either. l having chosen heads,
there remains for my rival the spread
eagle with an olive branch In one
claw and q bundle Of arrows in the
other, by which he means, IT you
marry me I'll love you: II you don't
I'll shoot you There's a ribbon In his
mouth. which means, You shall al.
ways be dressed up mighty dne.' OF, in
other words, TIL give you everything
you want"
That's just what makes me hest
tate. You coolly arrogate everything
to yourself. You choose the head and
the motto 'In God We Trust leaving
for-for the other-a spread eagle, as
you call it, with your own i%nterpreta'
ton OF the emblems."
I'm going to put an end to your
hesitation. Up she goesv'
He flpped the coin, and as It came
down he put his hand over II.
II ~ tunRrhn - bNrx, vyhN hos W1yASnlt
be said, II want to know II you intend
to abide BY the decision"
II supposesso-that Isl
She got no further. He tried In vair
10 get a more definite reply. At las
he took away his hand and showed
the coin-tails up.
HE has won" he said coolly, put
ting the piece In his pocket Permit
me to congratulate you"
ION what"
ION getting a spread eagle husband
who will love you when you are good
and stick arrows into you when YOU
are bad and clothe you with silks Of
satins."
Her eyes wandered all over the room
lighting nowhere.
'sTell me. plainly" he said. without
beating around the bush, are you salts
led or dissatisfied with the result Of
the toss?'
II might not be satisfied k-tha,
is''- F3
She paused and looked out Of the
window. On her fair young brow wer.
the gentle corrugations Of perplexity.
"yvellr'
"You seem 10 be satisfied"
~. What has that to do with itf'
III you had shown even a tiny bit o.
dissatisfaction
"You would have been satisfied"
you're always misinterpreting wha'
I say. I didn't mean that at all"
"Come; we're making no Roadway
Il was agreed that II the coin fell th,
wrong way you were to have the privi
lege Of deciding the right way"
"But ! told you at snrst, I can't de
!. eide, at least not just now"
''Then I suppose we have spent al
this time for nothing. I'm worn on
with trying to bring you to 4 decision
I'm going away for q long while
year, two years. five II necessary-t
overcome this infatuation for d gil
who doesn't know whether she want
me or doesn't want me or wants some
: body else orr
.There's one chance for a decision.
> - IG POI .a - A ~ =