Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-08-01
THE FLIP
OF COIN
BY LUCY K. WYNKOOP

Muriel Beakes was born, so TO speak,
in the swim. When she was eighteen |
she was given coming out party, there
by being launched in society as one of
the buds Of the season. Her father had |
means st sufficient to maintain the
family social position, but when his
children married they must either have
fortune or sink beneath the golden sur
face
Muriel was sufficiently forethought-
ful to understand this and that she
must make choice between dropping
out Of society upon her marriage or
sharing a fortune.
Toward the end of her first social
season she had done considerable an
Cling, but had caught nothing worth IT,
tanning She had thrown them all back
into the swirling waters, In February
her father decided to go for trip to-
Mexico and take her with him. Balls,
dinners, operas and theater parties had
taken the bloom out of her cheek, and
she was glad to recuperate and bring 1t
Those were the days when Mexico
had begun to develop under the stimu-
lus of capital from the United States.
Mr.. Beakes was interested in the i'm
provements being made there and went
over the line Of a railroad in process of
construction the shares Of which had
been recommended to him rs an in
vestment A young civil engineer
from Pennsylvania was assigned to the
duty Of conducting him and explaining
the advantages that would accrue to
the road upon its completion.
Now, though love laughs at lock
smiths, he laughs ut goldsmiths as
we'll That is, he has no respect what
ever for matrimonial advantages This
young man Denton Brown was his
name-and Muriel Beakes had scarcely
met before they loved. The route
they Travelled over was some 200 miles,
and they used all sorts of convey
ances from n donkey to caboose car.
The journey was a veritable picnic,
and everybody knows that the little
god gets in more work in these I'M
conventional affairs than in all the
social functions in the world Whether
the party were iourneying in mule
wagon. on a handcar or a locomotive.
Cupid was firing arrows at them. 1t
was summer in that latitude, and the
region through which they passed was
clothed in yerdure Their route, too,
ran through a mountainous country,
and the scenery was very beautiful.
Muriel strove with herself to throw
off the spell under which she had
fallen What would be her fate to
marry civil engineer, whose pay was
probably not over 500 a month? She
shuddered at the thought, not so much
of dropping out of the social swim as
OF living a life Of poverty She was
so badly hit that she was ready to re-
linuuish the first. but could not make
up her mind to accept the second,
All things have an end, and the ter
minal to which the party journeyed
was reached at last Just before Mu-
riel was to part with the young en-
glueer the two walked out to point
where below a broad view was spread
before them. 1t was that witching
hour of evening, twilight, when the
glare of day Is softened by the coming
night There the man told his story
The girl listened aud would have glad
~ yielded but for prudence. She con
fesscd to the dictates of her heart but
other considerations stood in the way
when she returned to the north she
would give him her decision.
She had not been ut home week
before she was surprised at receiving
a call from her lover His arrival
caused a flutter within her, for she
had not come to a decision. She told
him plainly that It was case between
him and a life far different from that
which he could give her.
"In such eases, he replied i merely
toss coin and abide by the result
would recommend that course TO you
now"
There was something so coolly delib
crate in his recommendation that II
won her completely. Half in jest, halt
in earnest. She gave a tacit consent
He took a coin from his pocket and
handed It TO her
Heads | win, tails I lose, he said
! Best two In three
She Tipped the coin and heads turned
up lie was watching her closely AND
saw that she was secretly pleased
Handing her The coin, she dipped il
again This time it was tails Thi,
time she showed disappointment Hi
manner changed rs he laid hanl
upon hers and said impressiyely.
~ am willing, when there are two
equal sides 10 q question 60 permit .
; Bit 81 inorganic metal to decide for me
but The decision once made Il mus
hold DO net Zip the coin again uules.
you understand the matter ms ] do
Nuriel Sat for a long while, her e
bows ON fhe table whore lay the silver
her head resting on her hands tIel
lover did nor attempt to hurry her
She took ap the coin and toyed with 4
au hile Then 4 sudden resolution cam,
to her She tossed tho coin high IN th,
mir dnd coming down on the table i
B .ffs