The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-04-04
HER DECISION
BY JOHN GREGORY.

as l1e Ont VI lhat hhoihiiS
from Harry Marvin, son of the senior
partner. also employed in the office.
"T1I have to tell you what / told
Harry this morning when he asked me
the same question, Jack" Pearl said
after Jack had made his declaration.
II cannot decide until / have had time
to think 1t over. l have never thought
of either of you as anything but very
dear friends. but | see now that l must
decide between you or reject both.
Please. Jack. give me two weeks and
| will promise you whatever way / de
eide l will always count you as n
of my very best and closest friends"
"Harry is one of my best friends,
and | am sorry that we have both de-
cided upon you as the only woman
Your decision must bring unhappiness
to one of us, and if l am to be the
lucky one my sympathy will go out to
him, and / know that If IL is reversed
he will feel the same way about 1t
toward me.v Jack answered as he pre-
pared to leave. "In the meantime If
you decide, don't keep us in suspense
the full timex
After Jack had left Pearl sat down
and tried to compare the two men
whose happiness she held in her hands.
Harry Marvin was a bright, reckless
fellow, with not a care in the world,
q pleasure seeker, generous TO his
friends and a general good fellow.
Jack Porter was of a very different
makeup. He seemed to get more Of
the real things out of life. He looked
on life a little too seriously, perhaps
He never made a loan or showed gen
erosity toward one unless he was sat
isfied that one was deserving and in
need.
The days passed quickly and Pearl
found her two weeks almost up. She
had not come to her decision yet. She
found ii next to impossible to choose
between the two men.
She was sitting at her desk. absent
mindedly picking at the keys of her
typewriter, her thoughts on the decis-
ion she had to make before the end of
the week. She had almost decided to
tell them she could not marry either of
them and make them both unhappy,
when the office door was pushed open
and shut with a bang, and Harry Mar
laugh drew the attention of the
office staff to the door, where he
standing with a grin on his face
that told them all he had a joke on
someone to tell. They crowded around
him, eager to hear what it was.
"It's the best joke yet" he an
nounced. "Jack and / were on our
way here. were just crossing the street
by the park when an old dame with
arms full of bundles was nearly run
yer by an auto. She was frightened
nearly to death and looked as If she
was going to keel over. / knew she
would be all right in a minute, but
Jack caught hold Of her and led her
to a seat in the park. He fused over
her as If she was his grandmother, and
a crowd collected. She was such a
seedy-looking old person / got out Of
the way as quickly as l could. When
l was about a block away / looked
back, and If there wasn't Jack coming
along the sidewalk with the old coun-
trified lady on one arm and her bundles
under the other. 1t looked too funny
for anything.
The others Joined In Harry's laugh,
all except Pearl. Somehow the humor
of the incident did not strike her.
What If 1t had been her little mother,
safe home In the country?
AS Pearl settled down to her work
again she found ii hard to keep her
mind of the scene Harry had de-
scribed. AS she heard the outer door
open she turned expectantly, then
jumped up in delight.
Mother I" she cried, as she ran TO
the little old lady who was standing
In the doorway. "Mother mine, what
are you doing. here, darllng?" She
had the little person in her arms and
was kissing her wrinkled cheeks again
and again, unmindful of the fact that
Jack was standing behind her mother
and the whole Office staff was staring
In their direction.
rs this your mother, Pearl? I'm so
glad !" Jack said.
This young man has been 80 kind
to me, DEAR" her mother said at the
sound of his voice. II nearly met with
an accident and he assisted me here"
Pearl was radiant. THANK you so
much, Jack. Mr.. Marvin told us of the
narrow escape, but 1 had no idea IT
was mother"
Her mother was still a little dazed.
THANK this young man for me, Pearl :
l have been so nervous l have not
done So" she said with a slight culver
in her voice.
Il have already done so, mother, and
1 know you will be glad when | tell
you this young man, who has been so
kind to you, is Jack Porter, the man
l am soon to marry"
rs that really your decision, Pearl?''
Jack asked eagerly.
yes, Jack, dear. it is" she answered
and WQa glad tha otharo haard