Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-01-03
Triple Proposal
By ETHEL vANDEVEER
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)

! Copyright 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
! Jimmie Twining awoke at half-past
| three in the afternoon Of New Years
| day yawned, turned over, slept few
minutes more, then woke up for good.
| He had gone TO bed at two o'clock in
the morning, after seeing the old year
| out and the new year in. Jimmie had
O special weakness for making love.
The butler opened the door cautious
| ly and seeing that Jimmie was awake,
entered the room and advanced to the
bed with note In his hand. Jimmie
opened it and read:
Dearest Jimmie:
Il cannot wait a moment longer
without saying to you that last night
or this morning you made me the hap
piest girl In the world. l am dying
TO see you again; not in the whlrl OF
last night, but in our cozy library at
home, and tell you in q more formal
way that / return your love and shan
! gladly be your wife.
"Your own loving,
CLARA"
Jimmie was disturbed. He remem-
bered sitting in Il window seat with
Clara Robbins talking "maudlin' to
her, as he expressed II, when others
entered the room and interrupted the
tete-a-tete, But he had no remem-
brance of proposal. While he was
vainly trying to recall what he had
said 10 her the butler came In with
another note.
Il thought there was no mail deliv-
cry today, Ben" said Jimmie.
There isn't, snh," replied Ben.
''These notes was brought to the house
by messengers"
Jimmie opened the second note and
read:
Dear Mr. Twining:
81 send this little note to say that
| feel highly honored at your fatter-
| ing words last evening and regret that
in such gay company | was prevented
from making suitable reply. | will
say now, however, that If q week hence
you are Of the same mind, l will give
you favorable reply.
Sincerely yours,
Kathryn Ruggles."
well" said Jimmie lugubriOusly.
IF there are no more of them l at
least have an opportunity to settle
with one before the week of probation
ends. I'll get up, refresh myself with
a bath, then proceed to think out n
plan by which to extricate myself from
this muddle."
Jimmie did lot of thinking over
the matter, but no plan occurred to
him that would cancel his proposals
without discredt TO himself He took
no action TIL the next morning, when
he resolved TO go see Miss Clara
Robbins, and trust to luck for an
outcome. After breakfast he tele-
phoned Clara Robbins, asking her
when II would be convenient for her
that he should call upon her. She
named eight o'clock the same evening
During the afternoon he received
note by mail from Miss Amy Brown,
indicating that he had made third
proposal OF marriage on the same oc-
casion as the others.
If man owes n hundred dollars he
can't pay, it worries him. If he owes
a hundred thousand with no funds to
meet his debt he accepts the situation
as inevitable. 1t was so with Twin
ing So long as he supposed he had
engaged himself to one girl he WIS
very much troubled when he discov-
cred that he had engaged himself to
three he considered himself a matri-
monial bankrupt and his peace Of mind
was in a measure restored to him.
He set out after dinner to tackle
Clara Robbins with a rose In his but
ton hole, and cigarette between his
lips. What he would say to her he did
not know. He must be guided by cir
cumstances, and he was conscious of
possessing an adroitness suitable to
the occasion.
But circumstances were unfavorable
TO happy issue. He found Miss Rob-
bins alone in the drawing room and in
the beginning refrained from mention
ing the subject between them. Inst
as he was about to do so there was
a ring at the door-bell, and who should
be ushered in but Miss Brown, who,
by the way, was chum of Miss Rob
bins. Miss Brown looked very con-
scious at seeing Mr.. Twlning, and
there was constraint over all.
Though Jimmie was somewhat
taken aback by Miss Browns coming
he was relieved for the moment; since
the subject matter of his call could
not be discussed with third person
present. General conversation ensued
for q short time, when another guest
arrived In he person Of Kathryn Rug
/ giles.
Miss Ruggles was the spark that
caused an explosion. She regarded
him CONTEMPORARY:
"Mr Twining," she said. 81 have
concluded to end a certain matter be.
tween US now and here. It is not nee
essary to wait a week. Your proposal
is declined"
What proposal?" asked Miss
Brown.
What proposals." asked Miss Rob
bins