The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-10
HOW SHE
WAS WON
BvETHu HOLMES

"Dotty.' said Mr. Harmon TO ms
aougbte- whose real name was PauI- .
inc. don't you think that TO please I
napa YOU could accept Ernest TowneE /
How about pleasing myself"
"Oh. that will come later. III you
marry Bob Stewart, instead of increas
ing your socidl distinction. you'll feel
the pinch Of poverty; II you marry /
Towne you1l be swell leader iat-
er on
Aren't you rich enough to keep my
position for me, papaf
81? oh. well, you see that what l
have will be added to what you get by
marriage"
"Ill think about II, papa.
She concluded TO refer the case TO
contest between the two suitors. SO
she sent word TO both of them that she
woull 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 or
n twisted gridiron-and would marry
whichever Of the two men who pro-
posed first.
Both suitors received the informa-
tion about 10 o'clock ut 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 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-
tlons before turning I'm for the night.
Townc went 10 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 uSc his chauffeur for that purpose.
Stewart on receiving his notification
sat down 10 a job of thinking on the
securing an advantage over his rival
by ordinary methods of transporta
tion. 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. At
the starting hour Towne passed the
Tine and began to follow a route he
had laid down on the map which he
thought would give him the best
chance of a meeting. His car was
capable Of making sixty miles an hour,
iand when on long stretches his chauf
,feur was instructed to get that speed
out Of her.
Miss Harmon, being In the center Of
lthe county, worked from that outward.
whereas it was supposed that she
would enter at the outside and work
Inward. Towne began by making a
speedy zigzag run. following the trend
OF the line. hoping to come upon the
prize soon after she entered. OF
course he completed the circuit with.
out meeting her. Nevertheless he con.
tnued on the same plan. which was to
make shorter and shorter circuits till
he arrived at the center
Miss Harmon's plan was something
like this. though she did not make a
regular spiral from the center TO the
line. She saw nothing of either of
her suitors. Mr.. Towne passed her
ON his inward, her outward. move on
the opposite side OF the ground of con.
test When they came round again
he was within, she was without
though they passed within a quarter
OF mile of each other.
All this time nothing was seen of
Stewart. Miss Harmon had been ON
the road three hours and was begin.
hing to tire. At first she assumed that
she had missed both her suitors. In
ueed, when she came to think of il
calmly it was quite likely that she
might ride all day over so large n field
without meeting either of them. As TO
fowne, he had not yet reached the cen.
ter point.
About O'Clock in the afternoon Miss
Harmon was driving along stretch of
road In which there was no turn whom
an auto pumped itself from a side
path into the middle of the road right
Derore her. She had barely time TO
stop within a few feet of it when Rob
Stewart jumped out of the obstructinp
car. sprang ON to the footboard of Miss
Harmon's car and, seizing her hand
asked her TO marry him.
Suspense was ended The man she
loved had won.