The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-01
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. CALLED HIS BLUFF.
= BY SADIE OLCoTT. n
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BY SADIE OLcoTT.

"A ibdn "oulu De seen TO De attentive
to her. would become more and more
attentive, would send gifts-of course
without intrinsic INDEPENDENTLY
flowers and everybody would suppose
that an engagement was to be an
nounced, when. prestoi the gentleman
would suddenly be called away. AT
any rate his attentions to Miss Cher
borough would cease. Then in the
course of few months or few
weeks, he would be replaced by an
other sutton who would proceed along
the same lines. Not infrequently there
would be several of these gentlemen
trying to climb the ladder at the same
time.
One morning when the postman call
ed, as usual at breakfast time, he
left a letter for Miss Cherborough.
on the left-hand corner of which was
the official stamp: "Willetts and Les
lie, Attorneys at Law" The young
lady looked at the stamp curiously,
then opened and read the letter:
"We are instructed by our client, Mr..
John Fleetwood, to bring suit against
you for breach-of-promise of mar
riage. He claims damages to the
amount of $4,000 We write you,
trusting that the matter may be set
tied out of court, with view to avoid
ing litigation, and the consequent ex-
pense."
Members of the family were at the
table, but Miss Cherborough was
in the habit of keeping her own coun-
sci about her love affairs, she tucked
the letter in her blouse without COM
menting on it. When she had finished
the meal she went to her room and her
composure gave way to rapidly beat
ing heart.
1t was not that she judged the note
to be serious in legal point of view,
but in a game of hearts she had been
playing she knew it to be bold stroke
on the part Of her opponent. She knew
that Mr.. Fleetwood would not take
money from her even if she had money
to pay. Nor would he stoop to pun
ish her for having led him on to a pro-
posal, and then rejected him. He was
too good a sportsman at the game for
that. But what did it mean? That
was the question. After due consid-
GRAFTON she decided it was a bluff, and
wrote the attorneys that she had never
promised to marry Mr.. Fleetwood,
therefore. she owed him nothing.
Back came a letter from them stat
ing that Mr.. Fleetwood had in his pos
session letters from Miss Cherborough
which would prove his case. At this
Miss Cherhorough WINGED She was
not conscious of having written a line
to Mr.. Fleetwood. but she was not sur
On the return of different patches on
letters she had written various suit
ors, she had been surprised at her
lack of caution in expressing herself.
Miss Cherborough did not know
whether Mr. Fleetwood loved her or
not; and she was quite sure that as
for any real love for him she had kept
him in the dark This threatened suit
was likely, in some way unknown to
her, intended to draw out an answer
to this question. She wrote the law
yers saying that If she had ever writ
ten love letters to their client she did
not remember having done so. The re-
ply was that unless some proposition
for a settlement was forthcoming with
in week suit would be commenced
This would involve the publication OF
her letters which Mr.. Fleetwood would
very much regret.
Miss Cherborough's weak point was
that she did net know If these letters
existed or whether they were a gi
gantic bluff. There was something II
Mr.. F1eetwood's audacious method thai
won her, and for the first time in hel
life she was ready to tumble to this
singular wooing. But-suppose sh'
gave in and offered to settle the case
by agreeing to fulfill her promise t.
marry the plaintiff, might he not stin;
her by saying that he had changed hi
mind? After vainly trying to fn'
some way out of the dilemma sh'
wrote the attorneys that If Mr.. Fleet
wood would show her any written evi
dence that she had said she loved hin
and had promised to be his wife sh
would not break the pledge, but woul'
fulfill it by marrying him.
A considerable time elapsed between
the sending Of this letter and the re
ply. The delay meant to Miss Cher
borough that either Mr.. Fleetwood ha
no suoS letters, or that he did no
want to marry her. But If the gam
was worth the playing it meant tina
the plaintiff was trying to win tn
defendant.
Finally the attorneys wrote that
Miss Cherborough would call at thei
offices at an appointed time Mr.. Fleet
wood would convince her of the jus
tice of his cause. Miss Cherboroug
made instant reply to this that if tn
client had anything to show her, sh
would be at home to him for any dat
within two days. After that she woul
have nothing to do In the matter.
Within an hour of the receipt of thi
letter Mr. Fleetwood called on Mis-
Cherborough. She received him wit
reserve.
"Have you brought the letters?" sh