Rock Island Argus., 1911-04-11
leg OF the triangle is missing"


but none whatever between you and
me-"
'T should think notr'
I repressed a smile. well" said.
"what are we going to do about 1tF
'I bought Jack-Jack, ] say. he Is
not Rex. as you call him. at all.
bought Jack for SO. and he's my
dog"
'I didn't get the SO"
| ''That's nothing to me-"
'Pu match you for him"
Now, while by matching her for the
dog I meant to play at heads ana
| tails with a coin, she was so pretty, so
| feminine in her bursts of impotent
| anger. that in my heart intended to
! convey the impression that wouldn't
| mind settling the ownership or the
| dog bv a union of claimants.
"What do you mean by matching Tor
him." she asked.
| I took two coins from my pocket and
| gave her one. laid the other covered on
the back of my hand and asked her to
! show one side of the coin had given
her. She showed me heads" l un-
covered my coin, and 1t was tails"
The dog is mine" I said.
Again she bristled.
"You were to match me and failed"
I added.
''Weu, declare?'
She could not evidently find words to
express her horror and contempt at
nv taking such an advantage of her.
She tossed the coin at me viciously,
but caught it.
THAT method of deciding the matter
between US doesn't seem to please
you"
81 should say not. Besides, there's
nothing to decide. The dog belongs to
me-"
But how are you to prevent his 60
ing home with me? You saw that 1
couldn't drive him away"
This was a stumper. She made no
reply. She was evidently trying to
think of way out of 1t.
You will tire yourself standing" 1
said. Won't you be seated on this
log?"
mo. thank you"
"Then you will pardon me for sitting
while you stand. I'm very tired, and
see no way of coming to an agree
ment."
1 sat down, took a pipe from my
pocket and proceeded to fill 1t, asking
If she would mind my smoking. She
did not reply, and since silence gives
consent lit the pipe.
'I SUPPOSE" she said presently, I'll
have to pay you for the dog. It's very
mean of you, but
II don't wish to sell him"
"Then what in the world are we GO
ing to do?"
Il think we'd better have confer
ence"
I'VE seem to be having one, very
long and-disag agreeable one"
IF you will sit down and talk rea-
sonably 1 believe we can come to
satisfactory agreement"
She looked q long while at the log
and finally sat down on its other end.
Now" l said. putting cloud. what
do you proposeP
what do you proposes"
81 proposed a match, but you didn't
5 appear to like that way"
4 Its perfectly absurd"
? Nevertheless I'm quite resolved
. that it shall be settled by that plan"
D She thought for some time while l
read what she was thinking in the
|
e she would have an equal chance OF
winning the dog. BY refusing she
would surely lose him, for he would go
t with me. l got out the coins again.
81 match you this time," 1 said
"Best two in three"
: She sat looking straight ahead of
l. her, not deigning to notice the coin
, had laid out on the log for her. Glanc-
! gI.o.a 1cU mn
cried "tailsv' Then. examining her
|, coin and mine. told her she had won
5 on the first trial This induced her
u to take some interest in the proceed
ings. / took care that she should win
u again and told her the dog was her
property.
$ But how am I to get him away
from youY' she said III more pleas
: ant but puzzled tone.
! 81 don't see how you can," replied,
unless go with you"
Il That's the plan," she said. much
+ pleased. 'You 20 with me. and I'll
chain him to his kennel"
L "Are you sure you won't chain me
=. too?'
"How ridiculous"
1t certainly was ridiculous. for she
had me chained already. but I wasn't
= locked for a year afterward. when my
. matching plan. as l really intended it.
u was carried out and the dog passed
into our united possession. All OF
which was nice for the dog. nice for
the girl and lastly delightful for me.
. often twit my wife upon her stupidity
in not having understood my double
L meaning on our first meeting, where
Z upon she says she saw through the
= whole thing.
And I'm not quite sure but she did