Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-05-02
The Spider
And the Fly
BY HELEN BELL.

MlluItut are YOU GOING 10 Keep NE
dangling for ever? Why not put me
out Of my misery by telling me you
won't marry me and have done with
itY'
II have no such idea" she replied.
"Why not?'
"Oh, it's very nice to have some one
to be devoted to me, to bring me can
dy and yiolets and all that"
This was not the reason, at least the
sole reason, why she kept him dan
Cling. The main one was-to put it
figuratiyely- he was ripe pear hang
ing from a tree and there was another
girl under the tree waiting for him TO
drop. He didn't know that she knew
about this other girl, but he did know
he wished 10 drop into the other girls
mouth He was committed to the one
he was talking to and trying to have
her shake the tree while the other
girl stood ready to catch him when he
fell.
I'm tired of this business. l can't
sleep nights Sometimes | think you
are going to make me happy, and some
times / think you aren't Ii | knew
you wouldn't have me I'd try TO for
get you Let's stop this indecision and
decide the matter by chance"
How by CHANGER
well, we might play game Of
cards for it, Make IT euchre If /
beat you the best three games In five
you give me Yes for an answer; If
you beat me three out of five you say
NO"
81 don't care, get out the cards"
He was not only an expert at the
game OF euchre, but an expert at deal
ing the cards. He could stack them,
too, without half trying. He threw
the cards for the deal and won it.
Dealing, he turned up nine spot She
passed, and he turned it down She
made It spades and won two points.
He heaved a sigh from down in his
stomach. She dealt and turned
knave He passed She took it up
and won another two points He
groaned. The deal being his, he turn
ed ten spot, took it up and lost the
game.
What did you take it up on that
hand for?" she asked you had only
two trumps, an ace and q queen with
nothing back"
He looked trihe confused you
were so near out" he explained, that
l thought I'd better plunge"
She said nothing, but knit her brows,
then drew down the corners of her
mouth.
The second game he won He didn't
intend to win 1t, but she sent him for
the last box OF candy he had sent her.
and while he was out she stacked the
cards, dealing him n hand with five
trumps in 1t, including two bowers and
an ace.
He feigned meriment. but she was
not deceived
Then he won n game, and she won
game, and II stood two games for
each. Beginning the deciding game,
he dealt and turned queen.
Il don't see any use OF your turning
a queen from the bottom of the pack,
she said, when there was n Jack on
top"
To prove her words she turned the
first card he had dealt her 1t was the
knave OF clubs.
How stupid Of me-" he said. II
thought to get an advantage and | got
a backset. Its no use for me to cheat
Its no use unless you have q softly
for an opponent. Deal the hand
again"
He knew that she was watching
him with the eye of cat. There
was no use trying to deal himself good
hands or her poor ones The luck
was In his favor, or rather, consider
ing what he was trying to do, against
him. Ii was impossible to lose. He
was obliged TO win.
"Oh, my darling!" he exclaimed
How happy | am" But there was
no great warmth In his tone.
"Do you mean to hold me after
cheatingY
al cheat! | made mess of that
and lost by II, though | gained In the
main. still If you feel that l have
taken an unfair advantage of YOU
"Oh. no. Everything is fair In war
and in love" There was deep mean
ing in her tone when she said this.
lie WINGED. He had started with that
idea but had come out at the little
end OF the horn
Suppose" he said musingly, we
play a single game double or quitsF
what do you mean by that?"
EITHER you marry me tonight or
not at ALL"
She thought awhile, turning the
proposition over In her mind, then
said she believed she'd do It.
They played the game, but she
caught him trying to get rid of a cou
pie of bowers and insisted on his
playing his original hand BY this
time she had learned to turn a low
card in dealing from the bottom Of
The pack These two matters, taken
together gave him the game
She considered not that she had
beaten him. but her rival. She led
him TO the slaughter at once.