The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1918-02-09
One Of Her
Irons in the Fire
'c..,r,sht. 1911, western Nsvspa1se Uaisa.
D, ETHEL HoLAs

about me. I naturally cling to some
thing stronger than myself; am one
Of those stupid creatures whom men
usually prefer to women more like
themselves. Why they do 20 I an
unable to understand.
was very fond Of Charlie Owens
but Charlie was not much to cling
10. and though he loved me was nm.
willing to marry him because I feared
that poverty would ny In at the door
and at the same time love would hy
out at the window.
II was stupid I had sense enough
to turn Charlie down. But there m!
sense ended. I was bound to find
someone to cling to. and since knew
no man who wanted me or I wanted, J
resorted to an advertisement. Not that
1 condemn advertising. for I don't
know anything about It. but advertis
Ing for husband or wife Is not usu.
ally resorted to by persons Of good
sense.
/ received two replies. one from
countrymnn evidently not highly edu
Gated and another from q person who
by his chirography. English and evil
dent delicacy l judged to be q gentle
man. He signed himself Emory Per
kins. He said he knew by the tenor
Of my advertisement that I was lady.
that he was looking for a wife. and
saw no reason why he should not md
one through the medium Of q news.
naner than any other article he
wanted.
Mr.. Perkins and I fell Into quite q
correspondence. He did not seem to
be ina hurry to meet me; saying that
he was expecting every day to make .
lot Of money. It would be time enough
to meet me when he could offer me .
home. This looked little As II he
were one of those men with "trons In
the fire:" but he was too honorable
to proceed with his suit until he could
make me comfortable. so did not drop
him. Besides, his letters were delight
full.
This was In the third year Of the big
war and congress had voted q large
sum for aviation. All the inventors in
the United States were trying to add
some Improvement to the air machine
model which was to be copied in large
numbers. One morning read In n
newspaper that someone had produced
substance very light and not infiam-
mable. which was being tested As ma
terial for certain parts Of the govern
ment airplane.
In q letter to him inclosed the ar
tfele and loosely accused him Of being
the inventor referred to. He replied
loosely. asking me how I had learned
his secret.
At this time Charlie Owens came to
see me very seldom. This piqued me.
One day on meeting him on the street
I asked him why he did not come to
see me any oftener. He said that he
was very busy. One of the irons he
had in the IRE was looming up. He
was not sure but that he was about
to make fortune. II he did he would
have plenty Of time to spend with me.
laughed at him. calling him Johnny
Look-in-the-Air. He retorted that II
was better to look up than to look
down and hurried on.
I WAS beginning to despair Of getting
husband and about to make up my
mind to advertise for q position In
which could make my living by my
own exertions. when suddenly the stu
ntion was completely altered. I saw In
newspaper the announcement that
the standard model for the airplanes
to be constructed for the government
had been decided upon and contracts
for hundreds Of thousands had been
let.
"Weil." I remarked, II dare say some
mans iron In the IRE has been turned
into gold"
Scarcely had I spoken the words
when there was ring at the doorbell
and the postman handed In the mail.
One Of the letters was from my matri.
monial correspondent. opened It and
read:
"A matter Of business which 1 have
had on hand for some time-an
Iron in the fre," I muttered to my.
self-"has materialised, and In case,
after meeting, we are suited with each
other, l am In position to offer you
home. I therefore beg that you will
grant me an interview"
1caught my breath. Not that I was
about to come face to face with a
wooer had never seen drew back.
All OF a sudden 1t rushed upon me that
! was about to give up the only man
I loved. hesitated, in case we should
not be antagonistlc, between this man
who was able to provide for me and
Charlie Owens. who was always look
Ing in the air for a fortune.
Common sense prevailed over love.
l made an appointment for the next
evening to receive my problematical
wooer.
When the doorbell rang sharply at
the appointed time. 1t sent a tremor
through me; then a footstep In the
hull, and Charlie Owens stood in the
doorway.