Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-26

gem he had described to me among
those family jewels. 1t seemed to
sparkle just as If 1t were really before
my very eyes.
It was dreadful, these four men all
pushing their claims and l not able to
fix my mind III any one of them to the
exclusion of the others. And then think
of the difficulty of handling SO many
suitors at oncei That alone was enough
to set one wild.
You know the saying the homeopaths
have, Like cures like" Well, to
handle all theso men l was obliged to
call In a man. John Jones has had
full charge of my property eve since
father died and has managed it very
well and, | believe, very honestly. l
knew had something far more diff
cult to manage than property, and
John was the only person | could think
Of to help me. l just telephoned him
to come right up from his office. He
telephoned back that he was conclud-
that he was anxious to get rid of and
desired to nail the transaction, fearing
another building would be sold instead
Of mine. l told him that If the whole
estate We're in danger of being lost l
wanted him to come right up anyway.
In ten minutes after that he arrived.
l told him of the four men who were
trying to get at me to marry me.
"Have you no preference?" he asked.
81 can't make up my mind" I re
piled, whether / would rather be a
German princess or a British peerless
or run my chances of being first lady
of France. Then there are the jew
els
"You mistake me-" said John Jones.
II wasn't asking about the titles and
things; l referred to the men,"
"Oh, the men! I hadn't thought of
that" I said.
"What do you wish me to dot" he
asked, looking puzzled
81 don't know" I said, with a little
nervous laugh. II wish you to do
something"
"Do you wish me to decide for your"
Eyes; anything"
SIT will do no good for me to decide
unless you abide by my decision"
81 will"
"On your honor?"
eyes, on my honor"
"You wish me to decide whom you
are to marry. Is that right?"
Eyes"
At that moment there was a rap at
the door, and like a fool I cried, "Come
inr' The door was opened, and-good-
ness gracious-there stood the count!
pray excuse my trespassing," he be-
gan. 1.-THE fullness of my heart
He had got thus far when-what do
you think ?-some one pushed against
him, and, turning, he saw the prince.
And, great Scott, the other two were
coming down the corridor! The prince
had seen the count, the earl had seen
the prince, and the general had seen
the earl coming toward my suit. They
had followed one another.
1 looked at John Jones appealingly.
Gentlemen" he said, 'this lady has
just made a very important decision-a
decision that affects you ALL" Oh, dear,
how eager they all looked!
"Looking at me, he asked, "Am /
right?" and I answered, yes" I trust
ed him.
"She has decided to whom of all her
suitors she will give her hand" Zach
mans eyes sparkled with anxiety lest
some other than himself had been cho-
sem. 81 have the honor to announce
to you, gentlemen, that l am the favor
ed man."
"Yout" shouted the count and the
general. The other two maintained a
dignifed silence.
You could have knocked me down
with a feather. I glanced at John
Jones to know If this was in earnest
or only to get rid of the others. He
understood my meaning and replied
by a look which seemed to say, 81 am
In earnest"
They say that when persons are
drowning all the acts of their lives
pass in review before them. All the
advantages l was giving up passed be-
fore me. And it is also said that a
drowning person will catch at a straw.
1 caught at John Jones.
"Ez this an affair comique," asked
General Du Pont, "or re TRUTH
I nerved myself for an effort. Oh.
how grateful l felt to John! And I
said, "It's the truth"
The four noblemen bowed very low,
turned and went away. How embar-
RAISING it must have been if they met
at the elevator! When they had gone
John turned to me and said:
"Do you approve my courseT'
Eyes. | do"
81 release you"
mo, you won't" l said. 1--WE had
enough of all this. l wish it closed up
at once"
Married at onee?"
HInctonfIU