The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1927-12-02
When in Doubt Lead
Trumps
BY JANE OSBORN

They talked the matter over before
Sally had even met Tom Drew, when
she hadn't any idea that she really
would fall in love.
Madelaine-that was Sally's room
mate--had said: 1T might happen that
girl fell In love with q certain man
who hadn't fallen in love merely be-
cause he had never thought of it. In
the old days girls often didn't fall
in love until after some admirer had
made love to them and in way
reused their latent feelings. After an
honest-to-goodness proposal and few
kisses those old-fashioned girls were
often terribly in love, got married and
lived happily ever after. Well, there's
no reason why the same thing mightn't
happen with q man. Besides, it isn't
at all honest or frank or up to date
not to tell man you like him ter
ribly if you really do"
That is what Madelaine had said
and now that Sally had fallen really
in love with Tom Drew she remem-
bered it. Still, she wasn't SO ultra
modern as Madelaine. But truly the
idea Of actually proposing to Tom
struck her as utterly preposterous
She was turning over the situation
in her mind as she sat propped up
against the lounge pillows in the room
she shared with Madelaine in the col
lege dormitory. Madelaine and three
other girls on the same corridor were
playing bridge and Sally was going
through the gestures of studying for
a history quiz. But, of course, she
wasn't-she was thinking of Tom and
wondering what she ought to do.
Just then she heard Helen sitting
at the card table saying: 81 haven't
an idea what to do. / am in an ocean
of doubt" Helen was, of course, re-
ferring to the way she should play
her bridge hand, but the remarks SO
exactly applied to her own state of
mind that Sally lis ened from her
vantage place among the pillows.
only one thing to do offered
Madelaine at the table. "When In
doubt-lead trumps."
And so the game went on, and as
Sally sat there trying to study She
kept thinking of that advice. when
in doubt lead trumps."
The next day came a letter from
Sally's brother He and Tom were
passing through the college town on
their way to some sort of business
convention. They would get there
the next Saturday and have time for
luncheon and maybe show that
afternoon with dinner and a little
dancing afterwards. Sally's brother
asked Sally to provide a good-looking
girl for him and added: you'll do
for Tom, / suppose" No letter from
Tom, nothing to indicate that he had
thought much about the proposed
visit. Still he was coming, and Sally
was thrilled.
At luncheon that Saturday-Made
laine and Tom, Sally and Sally's
brother-the conversation CHANGED TO
center about bridge.
Speaking of bridge" Sally began
cautiously, what is Madelaine's
trump suit? In other words, what
should you say was MadeEaine's strong
est line?" Sally turned to her brother.
you told me to get good-looking
girl and of course she's that, but do
you think that she is really truly
vamp, or terribly clever or awfully
nice-or what?"
Madelaine was as much interested
In the discussion as the others, and
when Sally's brother concluded that
being downright thoroughbred
struck him as being her trump suit,
she was perfectly satisfied.
"And what's my trump suit" asked
Sally.
THE gift of gab," said her brother,
with extreme simplicity thrown in"
Tom looked at Sally with a smile
| that made her blush q little.
Your trump suit" | should think" /"
Tom said, was being what l call ter
ribly nice--I should think So" he
| added, though you have never been
especially nice to me. Besides, you
are pretty, l imagine-though / am
not much of a judge"
Sally made rapid calculations. "He
doesn't think I'm terribly clever or
vamp," she observed to herself, cor
| inspiring or tantalizing or anything
like that-just nice. Being nice is
| my trump suit"
AS they sat beside each other in
| the theater and later, at pleasant
little country inn, Sally suppressed
any impulses she might have had to
be very clever, or flirtatious or In
triguing or mystifying. She was just
| supremely pleasant and what Tom
called terribly NICE"
There was time next morning for
| short call from the boys before their
train left. Tom contrived to get Sally
| to show him a certain memorial tab
| let on the campus-a secluded spot on
| Sundays-and standing there he told
| her that he loved her.
81 don't believe I'd ever thought OF
It before yesterday" he said Il don't
believe l ever knew you before. ]
| think l thought you were something
| of vamp-terribly clever. But really
you are-well, you're just yourself.
| figured it all our last night. l know
it Is terribly sudden-it isn't quite
fair springing it on you out of blue
| sky"
| That was as far as he got with his
/ proposal because by that time Sally
had accepted.