St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-01-31


Armstrong looked at Brown ana IN
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 it up and said: 1--WE win
begin with this half dollar: spin il
twice; will then furnish one which
we will spin twice; then we viii spin
one belonging to Miss Lee"
Placing the coin under his forefinger,
he asked Armstrong, Heads or tailsT'
Armstrong chose heads. the coin was
spun and Armstrong won. The next
spinning was by Armstrong. who lost.
AT the third test Brown declined to
substitute his own coin, but won
Brown lost the fourth test, making a
tie. He then asked Margaret for
coin, which she gave him.
All three knew what was at stake.
Armstrong was composed outwardly,
but excited inwardly. Brown showed
no emotion whatever. Margaret was
drawing long breaths, and her color
was leaving her. Brown called upon
her to spin the coin. She consented.
and Brown won, gaining the best three
in five and the prize.
Armstrong; eyes flashed. Taking
up the coin he examined it critically.
would you accuse me of cheating?'
asked Brown.
"All's fair in war and in love-" was
the logged reply.
$50 L thought till sat down for this
test, when my conscience told me that
an unfair advantage is dishonorable
in any event. am an expert at coin
spinning if | may use my own coin.
as I 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
you that with my own coin 1 can win
every time"
Taking silver half dollar-from his
pocket, he called on Armstrong to
choose heads or tails and spun it.
and Armstrong lost. Brown repeated
this seven times, winning every time
Armstrong took up the coin and ex-
amined it carefully, but could see
nothing unusual about it.
as 1t loaded?' 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 to sink head side
down.
LET us try it again." said Brown. |
land 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 it.
Armstrong arose and, concealing his /
ehagrin as well as he could. bowed po-
htely 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
exclaimed impulsively.
NO" he said 81 couldn't"
eBut you intended to do it,"
Eyes. I did. 1t seemed that I couldn't
take any risk in this one matter.
spent a whole day in making prepare
tons to win, and gave up my position
to gain time for the purpose. So you
see you are to be possessed by a man
who is
''Never mind. I am possessed by the
man I want
Brown became a successful and dis
hnguished man. with whom his wife
was happy and of whom she was
proud But he always said she was
his engineer.