The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-28
HOW SHE
WAS WON
By ETHEL HOLMES

!ou tnlnk that to please |
papa you could accept Ernest Towney,
how about pleasing myselfY
oh' that will come later. II ron
marry Bob Stewart, instead Of ,ncreas
Ing your social distinction. youu FOO,
the pinch of poverty; if you marry
IoWne you'll be swell leader lar.
er on
Aren't you rich enough TO keen mx
position for me, papa?"
i? Oh, well, you see that what
have will be added to what Won GET bv
marriage"
III think about 1t. papa"
she concluded to refer the case to a
contest between the two suitors So
sne sent word TO both of them that sha
would the next morning be driving her
car within the limits of Marion coun-
ty-a region full of excellent roads
crossing one another like the wires Of
twisted gridiron-and would marry
Whichever of the two men who pro-
posed first
Both suitors received the informa
ton about 10 o'clock at night the con
test to take place the next morning.
Neither had any information as to
what point the lady would enter the
chosen district The county line was
many miles in length. and she might
enter at any point Even if a candi-
date entered near her he would not
Know which direction she would take.
and he might set off In the opposite
one. Both men made their prepara-
tions before turning in for the night.
Towne went to his garage. where he
kept several cars, and ordered his
chauffeur to prepare the one best suit
ed to his needs for the contest He
was not driver himself and expected
to use his chauffeur for that purpose
Stewart on receiving his notification
sat down to job Of thinking on the
matter. He could see no hope Of his
securing an advantage over his rival
by ordinary methods Of transporta-
ton. 1t would be purely matter Of
luck, the man having the best luck
winning. At midnight he had solved
the problem.
Before daylight Miss Harrison start
ed, with single attendant, for the
trial ground, and by the first peep OF
day she was in its center, ready to take
any course her fancy dictated Al
the starting hour Towne passed the
line and began to follow route he
had laid down on the map which he
thought would give him the bes
chance of a meeting. His car was
capable of making sixty miles an hour
and when on long stretches his chauf
feur was instructed to get that speed
out Of her.
Miss Harmon, being in the center o
the county, worked from that outward
whereas it was supposed that sh'
would enter at the outside and worl
inward. Towne began by making
speedy zigzag run, following the tren'
Of the line. hoping to come upon tn
prize soon after she entered .
course he completed the circuit with
out meeting her. Nevertheless he con
tinued on the same plan, which was I
. make shorter and shorter circuits u
he arrived at the center.
Miss ITarmon's plan was somethin
like this, though she did not make
regular spiral from the center to tn
line She saw nothing of either g
, her suitors Mr. TOwne passed ne
on his inward. her outward, move o
q the opposite side OF the ground OF col
r test When they came round agal
he was within. she was withou
though they passed within quartz
!. of a mile of each other.
All this time nothing was seen {
, Stewart. Miss Harmon had been Q
the road three hours and was pegi
. ming to tire. At first she assumed ina
she had missed both her suitors IL
deed. when she came TO THINK Oh
!, calmly il was quite likely that 81
might ride all day over so large rei
+. without meeting either Of them. AS
yovne he had not yet reached the Gel
/. ter point. ~.
Ahont 4 o'clock in the afternoon MI
Harmon was driving along a stre'cn
road in which there was no turn wie
an auto pumped itself from a 81.
noth into the middle of the road rlel
before her. She had barely time
ston within a few feet of it when bC
. stewart jumped out OF the oostruc,ll
!. car sprang on to the footboard OF ME-
Harmon's car and, seizing her nan
askad her to marry him.
: Suspense was ended. Inc man %
!. loved had won. - .,rore
smiles II don't believe you nave w
4 fairly .ava
! tage." was the reply.
: "How did yon do it z !.
pnt Rob wouldn't teli-at least =
then indeed. he never told TIL aIu
the wedding. He had been DONG sou :,
LIZ . IN air travel and had kept Do
. bis rival and his girl in sight an y. =,
nis ms ~ tha clouds When they got as 4
hol ,nssihle and In a faVorao