Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-16


preparations for the game he was to
play in the evening. IL he lost there
was no recovery. II be won he had
lifetime In which to secure another
position.
When the evening for the trial came
Brown had used up In preparation
every moment since he had parted
with Margaret the day before, except
eight hours for sleep. 1t was not that
he dreaded failure, but detection. II
he were caught introducing loaded
coins for the spinning he could not tell
lust what would be the result. He
might lose the girl. He certainly would
incur the contumely Of his rival. and
his action might prove ruinous to him.
But nothing troubled him except the
possible loss of the prize.
Brown called late enough to give his
rival an opportunity to get In before
him, then~sentered as though he had
merely dropped In casually. Armstrong
looked annoyed, and Margaret appear
ed to be very regretful OF having
drifted into the position she occupied.
The three with difficulty kept up an
embarrassing conversation for half an
hour, when Armstrong. giving Mar
garet knowing look, proposed to de-
eide a question he had raised by spin
ming q. coin. He had invited her to go
| to the theater with him. and she SEEM
ed to be In doubt what day to set for
the purpose. His proposition he In
tended for an introduction to the trial
| that was to decide his fate with Mar
| garet. The night for attending the
theater having been settled. Brown
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 to
| Armstrong to spin coin for it. Mar
garet consented and Armstrong won
the rose. Then Brown spoke.
"Mr. Armstrong, there Is prize we
both desire, though l can't say that
either will possess 1t. shall not
uame 1t. You are perfectly aware of
what It is. I will spin a silver half
dollar for 1t, best three out of Ave-"
Armstrong looked at Brown and un-
derstood. Then he looked at Mar
garet and saw 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 1t up and said: 1--WE will
begin with this half dollar; spin II
twice; will then furnish one which
we will spin twice; then we will spin
one belonging to Miss Lee"
Placing the coin under his forefnger
he asked Armstrong. "Heads or tailsP
Armstrong chose heads. the coin was
spun and Armstrong won. The mex
spinning was by Armstrong. who lost
At the third test Brown declined t.
substitute his own coin. but won
Brown lost the fourth test, making 9
tie. He then asked Margaret for
coin, which she gave him.
All three knew what was Mt stake
Armstrong was composed outwardly
but excited inwardly. Brown showed
no emotion whatever. Margaret wa
drawing long breaths. and her colo
was leaving her. Brown called upol
, her to spin the coin. She consented
and Brown won, gaining the best three
! in FIVE and the prize.
Armstrong; eyes flashed. Takin,
up the coin he examined 1t critically.
would you accuse me of cheating 2
asked Brown.
"Alls fair In war and in love-" wa
the logged reply.
$50 l thought till sat down for thi
test, when my conscience told me tina
an unfair advantage is dlshonorabl
in any event. am an expert at coli
spinning. IL may use my own coin
as I win show you. In this contes
you furnished the coin which tied us
while Miss Lee furnished the one tina
decided between us. Now I will shoy
you that with my own coin l can Wi
every time
Taking a silver half dollar from hi
pocket. he called on Armstrong +
choose heads or tails and spun II
and Armstrong lost. Brown repeate
this seven times, winning every time
Armstrong took up the coin and ex
amined It carefully, but could SCI
nothing unusual about it.
els It loadedT he asked.
mo" replied Brown. Taking sma
magnifying glass from his pocket. h
! asked Armstrong to examine the col
with It. Armstrong saw that the edg
of the milling on the head side ha,
been fled smooth. This would natu
rally cause the coin to sink "head" sid
down.
LET us try 1t again." said Brown
land see II tails will always be III
He did so. and. contrary to expectation
head was always up. Brown the
showed him that the coin had bee
filed on the tail side. He had change
, coins without their knowing II.
:. Armstrong arose and, concealing hi
, thagrin as well as he could, bowed pt
, lltely TO both Of those he left benin
and withdrew.
The moment Margaret was left alon
with the man who had won she thre'
/ herself into his arms.
"You could not do 1t. could your" sh
] exclaimed impulsively.
, mo" he said. 81 couldn't"
/. "But you intended to do itT'
"Yes. / did. 1t seemed that couIdn
Q take any risk In this one matter.
I spent whole day in making prepare
Q tions to win and gave up my positio
l to gain time for the purpose. So 20
see you are to be possessed by ma