The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-05-09
In the Cause of
Friendship
By H. IRVING KING

I
Henry Holton and Charles Earring
ton had both cast eyes of appreciation
upon the budding charms of Ida Good
win. Both were young men-under
twenty-one. Besides youth, beauty and
brains, Ida was possessed of other val
liable adjuncts and appurtenances In
the shape of rich, father and an In
dulgent mother.
The man who got Ida for wife
would be lucky; there was no doubt
about that. But there was very much
doubt, indeed, as to who that lucky
person would be. Some said Charles
and some said Henry. There were
others in the race, to be sure, but
Charles and Henry led the field Mel
Their of them, of course, entirely met
with the approval of Ida's father and
mother, but they came as near as
suitors ever do to filling parental re-
quirements. Their characters were
good, they were doing well and both
would some day inherit considerable
money. 1t irked Charles and Henry
greatly that they were rivals As boys
In their teens they had sworn a ro-
mantle friendship with each other and
their Damon and Pythias state had
continued in spite Of passing years.
But now they wanted to marry the
same grill
At their club Henry and Charles met
daily and discussed all sorts of sub
jects from the weather to the tariff,
never touching upon What all the time
was in the back of their minds, their
rivalry In love. But this tacitly for
hidden subject revenged itself for It's
outward neglect by working its way
into every matter that came up for dis
cussion so that finally, from agreeing
on everything, Charles and Henry
drifted to the other extreme and could
or would-agree on nothing. If
Charles opined that the next day was
going to be fair, Henry was positive
that indications were for rain. and IL
Henry discoursed in favor of high pro-
lection, Charles denounced the duty on
wool.
To add to the difficulties of the posi-
ton of the "adored one" the two young
men had got into the habit of calling
upon Ida together, watching anxiously
during these calls for any indications
of favoritism on the part of the young
lady. Aud though Ida bore herself
with an impartiality which might have
served as model for a Supreme court
Justice. her two suitors never left the
house without fancying that the other
had been unduly favored.
This was the state of things when
Ida announced an expected visit from
a school friend of hers, a western girl
named Alice Brooks. And Charles
said she, you and Henry are to come
ana take US to Black Rock next We'd
nesday afternoon. want Alice to have
a good look at the ocean she has never
seen it since she was little girl when
her parents took her to Atlantic City
or some Iee-shored sandy place like
that. 1 want her to see waves dashing
at the foot of cliffs" The fact that
Ida addressed herself to Charles caused
Henry's barometer to sink to its lowest
depths. But when she added, "Henry.
you will be my escort and, Charles, l
will assign you to Alice" Henry's ba-
rometer came up with a bound and
Charles sank correspondingly.
Ida's visitor and the day set for the
excursion to Black Rock arrived. Like
wise arrived the rivals. Ida had insisted
that her fathers car be used and that
1t should be driven by her fathers
chauffeur-this in the interest of a
strict neutrality. Now, you may think
because Ida assumed such q neutral |
position that she did not know which |
admirer she would finally marry. That's |
where you are wrong. She knew. 1t |
is true that at first she had been In |
some doubt and had debated the mat
ter with herself. But as soon as she
stopped debating, why then-somehow |
she knew. The excursion to Black |
Rock was a success Miss Brooks was
a blonde little thing, lively and talka-
tive, just the proper foil for Ida, who
In manner; one you would have called
pretty and the other handsome.
In spite of the fact that Ida had as
signed Charles as Alice's escort and |
Henry as her own it was sort of
atch-as-catch-can party and Charles
was as often at the side of Ida as he
was at the side Of Alice. There were
several other excursions after this and
party or two at Ida's home in honor
If her guest, whose visit lasted a full
month.
A week or so after the departure of
Mss Brooks for her western home
Henry said to Charles: "Old chap, we
lave rather been playing at cross-pCr-
,oses of late. 1 know how you feel
oward Ida-and you know how l feel.
OUR friendship I regard as something
acred. Nothing and nobody should
ver be allowed to stand between us.
such friends as we are should be ready
O make sacrifices for each other Now
10 you feel that you could make the
reat sacrifice for me-the renuncia-
ion of all claims to the hand of Ida |