Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-02-27
WINNING
A COUPON
BRIDE
10. 1894, western Newspaper Union.
BY FRANK FILSoN

don't blame you for think
ing so. You see, this town
hasn't quite recovered from the shock
we had last month. 1t cleaned us out,
too, especially Abe Finkel and Sam
Corbett, and all through the scheming
of Cy Holmes, Yankee trader who
happened to be born about an hour
earlier than the rest Of US.
"YOu see, II was this way. When
Cy Holmes opened his store on Main
street nobody thought he would last
long. There was Abe Finkel and Sam
Corbett holding the trade, and nobody
kicking at their goods. SO Oy Holmes
just langulshed.
"That is, until Miss Mabel came into
the game. Miss Mabel got down off
the stage about FIVE o'clock one after
noon. The word had been passed, and
she hadn't hardly descended before
there was a respectful and admiring
group around her.
"'Can any gentleman tell me where
I can get accommodations In Coyotes
Despair she asked, turning up her
innocent blue eyes.
Eyes MISS answers hundred
voices, and two hundred legs forms in
procession and escorts her to Bill
Flannigan's.
ut wasn't long before we learned
her story. She had been a school
marin back East, and the doctor had
ordered her to Arizona for her health.
Shed had enough money to get to
Coyotes Despair, and there she had
stopped.
IF Abe Finkel and Sam Corbett
had had an ounce Of sense-but what's
the use of talking? Inside Of week
Miss Mabel was the pride Of Holmes
store and the envy Of them two. Oy
Holmes found trade was booming. As
for Coyotes Despair, there wasn't a
man between the age Of eight and
ninety that wasn't in love with Miss
Mabel.
81 guess three-quarters of the town
proposed marriage to her during the
first two weeks. And Miss Mabel was
klnd-hearted girl she didn't want to
hurt the feelings of the rest by max
ing her choice.
"T tell you what wen do, boys she
said one evening, blushing prettIly.
Il love you all, and when Mr.. Holmes
goes back East next month I'd like to
get married. But / can't choose. That
wouldn't be fair, when you're all so
good to me- And then she outlined
her plan, which was nothing less than
this: Mr.. Holmes was to give coupons
with all his sales, and the purchaser
that had bought the most by six
o'clock on the night before he closed
up and left town, which would be in
just a month. was to have Miss Ma
bel.
"You can guess what a sensation
this made In Coyotes Despair. Old
Jim Weatherbee, elghty-nlne last
birthday, packed his kit on his old
mule and liked out to find the lost
gold mine that everybody's been look
ing for these fifty years and more.
AS for the rest Of us, we soon saw
that II would simmer down to Abe
Finkel and Sam, who were the rich
T..
hai wan,od A. ,bo, nov ana opter a
hill Ta COT sort ~ roconciIad
,yr.a, -, 49,, h,a,oa. 80, a.. ~,
t,o,mas had avor Lnowr hrt tho nort
three we're busler. As for Sam and
Einkol tbev didn't do ton CENTS, worth
of business day, and didn't seem to
care. Morning, afternoon and eve
ming tbov were in Cv Holmes store
buvIng ont his stock Everything was
marked M its nrice according TO
ooraement so that there could be no
crooked bns,ness and every purchase
was marked on n slate and hing I'm
the middle Of the store.
zoe course ,bers wos a gaw WIN
triad n win Miss Mabel as we'll as
Sam ond Abe hnt tbev soon give nm
whan a, tho end NJ The arst week.
Aho bod a total NJ s1 OAK 10 IN bIs ac.
conn, wb,Io sam was running him
cIoso With q o4o Then sam made
a snurt and at the end of the second
weet had gone nm about $40 ahead OF
Ahe Nv the middle NJ the third week
~ wos q necl and neck race along in
the two thousands and Abe and Sam
had got 90 that thew wouldn't sneak
~ eocb other when tbsv met
a. for Nuss MoheI abe inst sot
,ho.a hoh,nd ,ho counter when she
uosn,, hns1 getting down things
hit uosn;, os,on ana smiled ON ali