The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-29
HER TWO sUjT0RS
Both Propose Same Day. and Are
Accepted On Certain Con-
GitiOHS.
ev HAMILTON POPE GAIT.

the tall slim young man in a wistful
voice
We'll. it Is OF no use for anybody to
ask me to marry him until he has q
nice house to put me in." replied the
queenly blonde. IF man wants to
marry me let him build nice house
and then come and ask me-"
The short. fat man on the opposite
side of the piazza steps cleared his
throat.
"Supposing was to build swell
new house and then came and asked
you. would you marry me-" he asked.
The tall. slim young gentleman
stared
Proposing to girl right in the pres
ence of rival was enough 10 startle
any man.
| But the slim gentleman held his
Deace. He lust watched the golden
curls that the evening breeze waved at
him The wind had chance to do
these coquettiSh little tricks ont on
he horch It not only toyed with her
hair, but 1t waved he shiny wheat in
the field across tn rocd. and il scat
tered the doors Of flowers which had
been duly watorod. and il conspired
with the new noon 70 make man
ycarny like and romantic.
The short, fat man cleared his
throat and repeated his question This
time the girl answered him.
Yes, Trims perhaps | would. jim !"
At this the slim young man cleared
his throat and put the same question
well, dont know but what I
would. Sam
The three So still on the porch
saying little after this. until Molly In
timated that it was tiine for her two
suitors to depart
The two men walked along the road
back to the town together. The walk
was short one and they separated on
the outskirts
Goodnight. Sam" said the stout
young HAL
Good night, Jim said the slender
one.
Sam boarded at the Palace hotel
Jim boarded at the ST Charles. Both
were bachelors. Sam had beautiful
farm situated on sunny slope, but
he had never built a house on It. His
brother had inherited the house with
his portion.
jim also owned beautiful farm
which had no good house on It, As
long as the farms were near the vii.
lage and the owners were unmarried
the arrangement was satisfactory
As far as anyone could tell Molly
liked the two men equally. II really
seemed as though it would make little
difference to her which sutton she
| married
The day after she declared herself
the two men met at the depot They
we're bent upon sending telegram.
They telegraphcd for lumber in SUI
ficient quantities to build house.
The agent told it around town.
she will marry the one who gets
his house done first" everyone said.
Some thought it would be Sam be-
cause he was Il better worker. but
! others said ii would be Jim because he
was the smartest
Hoslins the tailor WAS as excited as
| anybody Part of the time he fancicd
himself cutting out Il long tail wedding
suit. and part Of the time he was cut
, tias ont a short fat one.
Wilkins of The dry goods emporium
did not know whether to order an
extra dozen short fat shirts or an extra
dozen long tail shirts.
And in the midst of the excitement
a carload of lumber arrived. Only one
carload. 1t was Jim's lumber,
Sam burned the wires to find out
what had become of his car and
learned that his order had been coun.
fernandez
That night when the two suitors met
on the lady's porch Sam accused Jim
Of cOuntermanding his order, and there
was quite scene. Jim bitterly denied
having done such trick. and threat.
ened that Sam would have to prove Il
II he made any more assertions like
that. Then Sam apologized and said
he was only too glad to believe that
Jim had not done such measly trick
and the two shook hands.
This part Of the proceedings was
talked of around town for DAYS. II wa.
suggested that the countermandin,
was done by somebody who expected
to profit more from Jim as a groom
than from Sam. Suspicion pointed to
the jeweler. who had once fixed q
watch for Sam in such way that Sam
would never patronize him again
Jim offered to wait for Sans car m
arrive 90 they could start even Rpt
Sam said no. all was fair In love. and
he stood around and watched Jim nm.
loading the car He even ,umnad IN
and helped him
Then Sans lumber came. and linn
. had to turn In and help Sam because
\ rain came up. and there was Soma
danger OF the lumber warning II ax.
I posed to the weather
BY the time the storm was over Tho
4 two men were able IN -. =, -,