Putnam patriot., 1911-09-01

his action might prove ruin0us to him l But nothing troubled him except thf
 possible loss of he prize
 Brown called late enough 10 give hi-
 rival an opportunity to get in befor
 him then entered as though he haC
 merely dropped in casually Armstrong
 looked annoy ed. and Margaret appear
 cd to be very regretful of havint
 drined into the position she occupied
 The three with difficulty kept up al
 embarrassing conversation for half an
 hour when Armstrong. giving Mar ! garet q knowing look. proposed to de
 eide q question he had raised by spin | ming a coin. He had invited her to go
 to the theater with him. and she seem ed 10 be in doubt what day to set for ] the purpose. lis proposition he in 1 tended for an introduction 10 the trial
 that was to decide his fate with Mar garet The night for attending the theater having been settled, Brown l proposed some other way of amusing the trio by coin spinning. Margaret wore an American Beauty rose in her | hair. and at last Brown proposed 10 Armstrong 10 spin a coin for it. Mar garet consented and Armstrong won the rose. Then Brown spoke.
 "Mr Armstrong there is q prize we both desire. though ! can't say that either will possess it. 1 shall not uame it. You are perfectly aware of what it is will spin q silver half dollar for il. best three out of five"
 Armstrong looked at Brown and un derstood Then he looked at Mar garet and sa Y that, while she did not approve. she did not forbid They had been playing with coin that Arm strong had taken from his pocket Brown picked il up and said We will begin with this half dollar; spin it twice; will then furnish one which we will spin twice; then we will spin oue belonging tD Miss Lee
 Placing the coin under his fnrehnger, he asked Armstrong, Heads er taiisf'' Armstrong chose heads The coin was spHn and Armstrong won. The next 1 spinning was by Armstrong. who lost. !. the third test Brown declined to l substitute his own coin. but won Brown lost the fourth test. making a l lie He then asked Margaret for q com. which sbe gaYe him
 All three knew what was at stake | Armstrong was composed oHfwardly | but excited Hwafely Brown showed | n9 emotion whatever. Margaret was | drawing lahe bredtbs and her color | was leaving her. Brown called upon l4t4y ha t.I and Brown won gaining the best three in five and the prize.
 ArmGtr0nEs $ eyes flashed. Taking up the coin he examined II critically
 Would you accuse me of cheating?" asked Brown.
 "Al's fair in war and in love" was the dogged reply.
 "So thought till sat down for this test. when my conscience told me that an unfair advantage is disbonorable in any event l am an expert at coin spinning. if 1 may use my own coin. as l will show you. In this contest you furnished the coin which tied us, while Miss Lee furnished the one that decided between us Now l will show
  every time.n
 Taking silver half dollar from his pocket he called on Armstrong to | choose heads or tails mud spun fl. and Armstrong lost Brown repeated this seven times. winning every time. Armstrong took up the coin and ex- amlned 1t carefully, but could see nothing unusual about it.
 "Is 1t loaded?e he asked
 "No." replied Brown. Taking a small magnifying glass from his pocket, he asked Armstrong to examine the coin with it. Armstrong saw that the edge of the milling on the head side had been filed smooth This would natu- rally cause the coin 10 sink head side down.
 Let us try 1t agnin." said Brown. and see If tails will always be up He did so. and. contrary to expectation. head was always up. Brown then showed him that the coin had been filed on the tail side He had changed coins without their knowing 1t.
 Armstrong arose and, coneealing his lhagrin as well as he could. bowed DO litely to both of those he left behind and withdrew
 The moment Margaret was left alone with The man who had won she threw herself into his arms,
 "You could not do It, could you?" she Reclaimed impulSively.
 "No" he said T couldn't"
 "Bnt voa intended to de it2'
 'Yes. I did ltseemed hat couldn't take any risk h thls one matter spent a whole day in making prepara tons to win and gave up my position te gain time for the purpose So you see you are to be possessed hy man who is
 Never mind am possessed by the man | want"
 Brown became a successful and dis tingulShed man. with whom his wife | was happy and of wuom she was proud But he always said she was his engineer
 State of Ohio. City of Toledo, SC
 Lucas County.
 Frank J. Cheney makes oath that he is senior partner of the firm of F. J. Cheney l X Co.,, doing business in the City of To- l ledo, County and Sta 6 aforesaid, and | that said firm wilt pay the sum of One