El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-05
The Winner
(By Leslie ThOnas.D
6ST7HERES lot of these prize COM I
petitions about now, re-

SkTHERE'S a lot of these prize COM
petitions about now, re-
- marked the little man in the
| corner of the compartment, folding his
newspaper medhatively- Some people
say they're all a take-in; but that's not
true. as I happen to know"
You've been prize winner l
queried.
He winked. Il should say so. ia tell
you about it too, only-well, after all,
it's good while ago now"
The interest displayed evidently flat
| tered him, for, after chuckling to him
| self for a minute or so, he held out his
paper, and tapped page.
See this one here" he observed
! 'cheque fore two thousand pound for the
person who sends in the best account Of
| what he'd do with the money If he got
it? Well, the one 1 went in for was
something like that, only the prize
wasn't so big. A furnishing firm got 1t
! up-for an advertisement of course. 1t
| happened TO catch my eye one night
| when 1 was going back from work, ana
| 1 took it home and read it through care
/ fully Seemed to me 1 had a pretty
| fair chance,
Two hundred pounds toward rent
ing house was what they offered: and
when you'd chosen 1t they'd fill it up
for YOU, every room, free of charge.
And not only that but they'd provide
! wife for you. too
Anyone that liked to collect a
certain number of their coupons could
send in her photo, and the man
who won the first prize was to take
his pick, and marry one of EN- L dare
say you'll remember about 1t now
Caused no end of talk at the time.
But 1 haven't told you yet what you
y 4 4 to r-ir inst write down
exactly how you'd behave when you were
a husband-what you'd allow for house
keeping, how you'd manage the home,
where you'd go for your honeymoon
how you'd treat your wife, what was
the best way to live happier ever after
and all that sort Of thing.
1.-The papers would be read by COM
mittee OF ladies; and the man they
thought was likely to make the best
husband would get the two hundred and
the furniture, not forgetting the wife
ct thought IT over and reckoned I'd
go in for it: so I set to and wrote out
my paper. A far masterpiece IL was,
when I'd finished. I was going to be so
tenderhearted and thoughtful and gen
erous that any girl who married me
W Guild hardly believe she was still on
earth. She was to have her own way
in everything, her own banking account.
what else. while I'd work about is
hours a day SOS she could have new
dresses whenever she wanted 'em. and a
new hat every time she passed her ia
vorite shop.
Altogether it was a wonderful piece
of writing Yes, and it won me the prize,
too. One morning 1 got a letter asking
me to call. OFF I went, dressed In my
Sunday best: and when 1 got there 1
h or director aud of
gentlemen from newspapers, who con-
graduated me till I didn't know whether
I was on my head or my heels. Then my
photo was taken.
There's just one thing more, Mr.. Ire
fusip said thel head OF the firm. shaking
me by the hand-that being the fancy
name I'd put on my paper, being shy
by nature You must now go before
the committee"
And what'Il they do?" I asked him,
feeling rather nervous
''Oh, only ask you a few questions"
he said. It's a mere Formally. And
besides. they're got the ladies' pho
tographs, you know. You have to choose
your future bride"
I'D forgotten about that part of the
business for the moment; but I plucked
up my courage, and he took me along
TO another room where the committee
was waiting.
There were all sorts of women in II;
Lady Ponderfield-the one who's always
OPENING bazaars and running charity