The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-11-30
THREE OF A KIND
BY Il. LOUIS RAYeoLo

| y
= Cora Bassett and Jerry st. Claire
had taught adjoining rooms In the
Webster Grammar school and were
popularity supposed to possess similar
tastes along all lines.
Only In one respect did they differ.
and that was on the subject of the
most desirable spot In which to pass
the annual summer vacation.
Had you eavesdropped from Mrs.
Bates living room one June evening
as the three chatted on the porch you
would have heard them expressing
their opinions thereupon along with
Mrs. Bates other boarders, from the
Trumbull twins to Lacy Haskell, the
eccentric bachelor who was so well-to-
do that he had two halves of canta-
loupe every morning by special order
Marcia delivered herself definitely.
MY hay fever will not stand any
place but Breton Woods. You know
that, girls. 1 do wish you both"
"It's futile to urge me-" interrupted
| Cora briskly. 1.-The surf, the crowds,
| the boardwalk-oh, what you miss
shutting yourself up in the mountains !!
Ocean Grove for mineT
Jerry, the youngest of the trio.
swung a trinity shod foot from the
couch hammock. a." she told them,
IAN trying new place. Oh, another
Adirondack lake, of course"
This matter disposed of, the three
turned to other subjects. One thing
| leading to another, the imminent we'd
| ding of a mutual acquaintance was
arrived at.
"No more European trips for her."
sighed Cora. "Her future husband
doesn't make the money she does
| nowi I"
What she can see In him worth
the loss of her freedom and good
times, beats me" declared the de-
cisive Jerry. when / find man
that's such a paragon I'd sacrifice my
entire life to be with him, rll-I1l
marry him."
You're safe for a WHILE" laughed
Marcia comfortably. II fancy we all
are. Our married friends are not
stimulant to imitation. l wouldn't
marry the best man living
Nor II" said Cora
Nor II" said Jerry, explosively.
The morning following Marcia's ar
rival at her usual boarding place in
the White mountains che spent in
putting away her carefully assembled
wardrobe. That afternoon she select
ed a crisp, cool organdie, founced and
| sashed, descended to the yeranda and
ran into Lacy Haskell imperturbably
regarding Presidential peak and look
| ing very attractive In fannels.
He explained his presence vaguely,
| but straightway dated up Marcia for
| tennis that afternoon, and from that
moment proceeded to make such In
roads upon her time that she lay
awake nights wondering. Particularly
as he had let her know almost deliber-
| ately that he never intended TO marry,
was a confirmed woman-hater and an
inveterate egotist!
| Three days later he was giving the
boardwalk procession at Ocean Grove
critical survey. By his side Miss
Cora Bassett beamed and glowed.
True, Lacy had just been telling her
Of his pet aversion TO marriage and
/ the female sex in general. Yet wasn't
he full of plans for the next few days
which included her? Who could tell
what might fall out? Cora all but
chung to his arm, laughed heartily at
his jokes, sent him oblique, coQettish
glances.
Somehow or other, when Lacy from
the stern of a canoe looked at the
slim, knieker-clad Jerry his patter
trust of her sex sounded rather inane.
| In the days that followed he found
himself involved in strange predica-
ment. Jerry did not respond as the
other two had to his attentions and
the cooler she grew the more he
wished she wouldn't.
He wanted Jerry for his wife and
wanted her very much.
One afternoon-and he noticed II
shortly after the arrival Of the mall
Jerry was so very uppish to him that
his hopes fell thuddingly and he de-
cided to know the worst.
She had already promised to go
canoeing and he held her to her word.
Guiding the craft to sheltered cove
sweet with evergreens, he rested his
paddle across the gunwales and gazed
somberly into Jerry's blue-gray eyes.
Listlessly he put the age old question,
sadly sure Of the answer.
/ Followed q silence-then bitter
speech from the girl. Are you play
ing with me as you did with Marcia
and, as l heard this morning, with
Cora as well? They both write how
only the most desperate measures
warded off proposal"
Whatever were Lacy's inmost
thoughts, he kept them to himself and
rose like a hero to the occasion
There was but one road to take, that
Of confession, and he travelled 1t gal.
lantly from beginning to end. Twilight
was dimming the lake when Jerry saw
fit to forgive him, and they were
started on their homeward way when
Lacy, lifted to the seventh heaven
grinned teasingly.
Perhaps my experiments did fall
with the other two'-he did not lei
Jerry share his mental reservations In