Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-12-11
One Of Her
Irons In the Fire
(copyriEht, 1917, Western Newspaper Union.
BY ETHEL HOLMES.

have always beliesed in marriage,
domestic life, children, and all that.
There is nothing Of the strong woman
about me. I naturally cling to some
thing stronger than myself | am one
Of those stupid creatures whom men
usually prefer to women more like
themselves. Why they do so I am
unable TO understand.
was very fond Of Charlie Owens,
but Charlie was not much to cling
to, and though he loved ne was I'M
willing to marry him because I feared
that poverty would fly in at the door
and at the same time love would fly
out at the window.
II was stupid I had sense enough
to turn Charlie down. But there my
sense ended. I was bound to find
someone to cling to, and since knew
no man who wanted me or wanted,
resOrted to an advertisement. Not that
l condemn advertising, for 1 don't
know anything about it. but advertis-
ing for husband or n wife is not usu-
ally resorted to by persons of good
sense.
received two replies, one from a
countryman evidently not highly edu-
Gated and another from a person who
by his chlrography English and EVIL
dent delicacy l judged to he n gentle
man. He signed himself Emory Per-
kins. He said he knew by the tenor
of my advertisement that was lady,
that he was looking for a wife, and
saw no reason why he should not find
one through the medium Of a news
paper than any other article he
wanted.
Mr.. Perkins and fell into quite a
correspondence. He did not seem to
be In a hurry to meet me: saying that
he was expecting every day to make a
lot of money. 1t would be time enough
home. This looked a little as II he
were one of those men with ''irons In
the fire." but he was too honorable
to proceed with his suit until he could
make me comfortable, so did not drop
him. Besides, his letters were delight
full.
This was in the third year {. the big
war and congress had voted a large
sum for aviation. All the inventors In
the United States we're trying to add
some improvement to the air machine
model which was to be copied In large
! numbers. One morning l read in a
newspaper that someone had produced
a substance very light and not inflam-
mable, which was being tested as ma
terial for certain parts of the govern
ment airplane.
In letter TO him 1 inclosed the ar
ticle and loosely accused him Of being
the inventor referred to. He replied
! loosely. asking me how l had learned
his secret.
At this time Charlie Owens came tC
see me very seldom. This piqued me,
One day on meeting him on the street
1 asked him why he did not come to
see me any oftener. He said that he
was very busy. One of the irons he
had in the fire was looming up. lie
was not sure but that he was about
TO make fortune. If he did he would
have plenty of time to spend with me.
laughed at him, calling him Johnny
LoOk-in-the-Air. He retorted that 1t
was better to look up than to look
down and hurried on.
was beginning to despair of getting
husband and about to make up my
mind to advertise for a position in
which could make my living by my
own exertiOns, when suddenly the stu
alton was completely altered. l saw In
newspaper the announcement that
the standard model for the airplanes
to be constructed for the government
had been decided upon and contracts
for hundreds Of thousands had been
let.
"Well," remarked, 81 dare say some
mans iron in the fire has been turned
into gold"
Scarcely had 1 spoken the words
when there was a ring at the doorbell
and the pOstman handed in the mail.
One of the letters was from my matri-
monlal correspondent. opened IT and
read:
"a matter OF business which have
had on hand for some tlme-an
iron in the fire." l muttered to my
self-''has materiallzed, and In case,
after meeting, we are suited with each
other, l am in a position to offer you
a home. l therefore beg that you will
grant me an interview"
Icaught my breath. Not that I was
about to come face to face with a
wooer had never seen drew back.
All OF sudden It rushed upon me that
1 was about to give up the only man
l loved. hesltated, In case we should
not be antagOnistlc, between this man
who was able to provide for me and
Charlie Owens, who was always look
ing in the air for a fortune.
Common sense prevailed over love.
4 r,oHa IN for fha ,,nxk