Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-12-28
SHE WON
THE BET
BY PAULINE D. EDWARDS

] were at tSI Wueu Tie uolhAhSs
mail was delivered. Jim opened a let
ter which seemed to please him greatly.
my old chum, Charlie MacKnight,"
he said, whom / haven't seen for five
years, is to pass through the city to-
morrow on his way to Montreal. He
asks me to meet him at the Union sta
ton for a handshake."
ST / were ready to go north tomor-
row instead of Thursday" said Carrie,
ut would be a good chance for an es-
cort, wouldn't itT'
Cant you get ready?"
"I1l see. I think l can"
Charlie says he has heard that I've
been married. l wonder where he got
that?"
Carrie seemed to be lost In thought
for awhile; Their she said:
us this the Mr.. MacKnight that you
have said Is the soul of honor?"
"Yes."
1.-THE same that you had the onver
sation with about being SO awfully
particular as to his treatment. of q
friends wife?"
Les. I1c OuCc Sdlu W Iut tudI IL
had a wife 1t would be impossible for
her to tempt him into a love affair
with him."
"Humph!' was Carries only reply.
"You consider that bosh ?" asked her
brother.
"Ill tell you what to do, Jim. This
paragon has heard that you have been
married. Introduce me to him as your
wife. I'll bet you a pair of gloves
against a box Of candy that I send you
proof at the end of the Journey that he
is not SO desperately honorable as you
think him."
"DOne!n
The introduction took place as ar
ranged, and MacKnight was led to be-
lieve rather by innuendo than a posi-
tive statement that Carrie was Jim's
wife instead of his sister.
Jim left his friend and his sister
together, inwardly hoping that the for
mer would bear out his statement as
to his ability to resist temptation. He
did not expect a letter for several days,
and he did not receive one for a week.
Then a telegram came from his sister:
do come up here at once"
No explanation was given, so that
Jim was obliged to infer one. The nat
ural inference was that Carrie had
been taken suddenly i'll or had met
with an accident. The bet was forgot
ten in the more serious situation.
Throwing a few things In a suit case,
he called a cab and hurried to the sta
ton, where he sent a telegram to his
sister to wire him at III intermediate
city further information. To his as
constituent he. received the following:
Your friend is horrid."
This dispelled the illness or accident
theory. But what could MacKnight
have been doing to bring about such a
condition?
Jim arrived at his destination In the
evening and was driven to the house
of a friend of bis sister whom she was
visiting. He was expected and was
shown into a room where he found
Carrie waiting for him. She was the
picture of health, but looked very
much worried.
For heavens sake" exclaimed Jim,
whats the matter?"
tits Mr.. MacKnight."
what has he done?"
"Why, l flirted with him-just a lit
tie bit, you know-and the first thing
l knew he was talking silly. Then I
told him he shouldn't say such things
to his friends wife. We were just
pulling into the terminal when l said
that, and he got up and rushed from
the car like a crazy man. l want you
I~.G.I Ill. - 4x,N A-l 1-@Jnsa -
"Why do that?"
Because / don't want him to think
I'm "a bad man
Nonsense! You've won the bet"
Eyes, but
Jim looked at his sister wonderingly.
then said:
81 verify believe, Carrie, you've been
winged yourself"
you go right off and find Mr.. Mac
Knight and explain and say I'm very
sorry for what has happened"
"How do | know where to find him?"
HE mentioned during the journey
that he intended staying at the Lenox
hotel"
Underwood that evening appeared at
the Lenox hotel and, being told that
Mr.. MacKnight was in his room, went
there, knocked at the door and was
admitted. MacKnight was walking
the floor like one suffering from de-
lirium. On seeing Underwood he paled.
then, barring his breast, said:
xiii me, Jim! | deserve worse than
deathI'
Jim burst into a loud laugh, threw
himself into a chair and continued to
laugh till he was interrupted by Mac
Knight saying:
"What in thunder are you laughing
at?"
When Tio fo,rd his uoioo. ho fold 30