Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 301, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1912 — HER TWO SUITORS [ARTICLE]

HER TWO SUITORS

[Both Propose Same Day, and Are Accepted on Certain Con* ditions. By HAMILTON POPE QALT. "Bill Summers and Maria Wilkes are going to get married this fall,” said the tall slim young man in a wistful ▼oice. “Well, it is of no use for anybody to ask me to marry him until he lias a nice house to put me in,” replied the queenly blonde. “If a man wants to >marry me let him build a nice house and then come and ask me.” The short, fat man on the opposite side of the piazza steps cleared his throat. “Supposing I was to build a swell new house and then came and asked you, would you marry me?” he asked. The tall, slim young gentleman stared. Proposing to a girl right in th*| presence of a rival was enough to startle any man! But the slim gentleman held his peace. He Just watched the golden curls that the evening breeze waved at him. The wind had a chance to do these coquettish little tricks out on the porch. It not only toyed with her hair, but it waved the shiny wheat in the field across the road, and it scattered the odors of flowers which had been duly watered, and it conspired with the new moon to make a man yeamy-like and romantic. The short, fat man cleared his throat and repeated his question. This time the girl answered him. “Yea, I think perhaps I would, Jim.” At this the slim young man cleared his throat and put the same question. „ “Well, I don’t know but what I would, Sam.” The three sat still on the porch, saying little after this, until Molly intimated that it was time for her two suitors to depart. The two men walked along the road back to the town together. The walk was a short one and they separated on the outskirts. % “Good-night, Sam,” said the stout young man. “Good-night, Jim,” said the slender one. - Sam boarded at the Palace hotel. Jim bearded at the St. Charles. Both were bachelors. Sam had a beautiful farm situated» on a sunny slope, but he had never built a house on it His brother had inherited the house with his portion. Jim also owned a beautiful farm which had no good house on it. As long as the farms were near the village and the owners were unmarried the arrangement was satisfactory. As far as anyone could tell Molly liked the two men equally. It really seemed as though it would make little difference to her which suitor she married. The day after she declared herself the two men met at the depot They were bent upon sending a telegram. They telegraphed for lumber in sufficient quantities to build a house. The agent told it around town. "She will marry the one who gets his house done first!” everyone said. Some thought it would be Sam because he was a better worker;, but others said it would be Jim because he was the smartest. Bosklns the tailor was as excited as anybody. Part of the time he fancied himself cutting out a long tail wedding suit, and part df the time he was cutting out a short fat one. Wilkins of the dry goods emporium did not know whether to order an extra dozen short fat shirts or an extra dozen long tall shirts. And in the midst of the excitement a carload of lumber arrived. Only one -carload. It was Jim’s lumber! Sam burned the wires to find out what had become of his car and learned that his order had been countermanded. y That night when the two suitors met on the lady’s porch Sam accused Jim of countermanding his order, and there was quite a scene. Jim bitterly denied kaving done such a trick, and threat ened that Sam would have to prove it if he made any more assertions like that Then Sam apologized and said he was only too glad to believe that Jim had not done such a measly trick, and the two shook hands. This part of the proceedings was talked of around town lor days. It was suggested that the countermanding was done by somebody who expected to profit more from Jim as a groom than from Sam. Suspicion pointed to the Jeweler, who had once fixed a watch for Sam in such a way that Sam would never patronize him again. Jim offered to wait for Sam’s car to arrive so they could start even. But Sam said no, all was fair in love, and he stood around and watched Jim unloading the car. He even jumped in and helped him. Then Sam’s lumber came, and Jim had to turn in and help Sam because a rain came up, and there was some danger of the lumber warping if exposed to the weather. By the time the storm was over the two men were able to set to work on even terms. It was nip and''tuck until poor Jim was taken with typhoid fever, which kept him unable to do anything for two By the time he was able to get around Sam’s house was complete except for the paint One of the first trips Jim took was to Sam’s house.- He admired It very much and was manly enough to compliment Sam and congratulate him. That night Sam’s new- house was burned to the ground. Once more

Jim was under suspicion, but an investigation settled the fact that the house had been struck by lightning. Sam’s house was of course not insured, so that it was a total loss. There was a great squeeze in lumber Just at that time, owing to the formation ot a lumber trust or forest fires or both, so that Sam had to stand around for a while and watch Jim. Jim went ahead with his house. He put a fancy little cupola on it that every one said was “just too sweet.” Even the lady, the beloved of Sam and Jim, went into ecstacies over it, and clapped her pretty hands wistfully. From this, and other little things in her manner, Sam saw that Jim’s house was a triumph, and that it had thrown the balance in his rival's favor forever. That night he did not want to sit upon the porch with Jim and Molly. He knew that he was not wanted. That was the night of the dreadful storm! It vgis the heaviest rain storm that the valley had ever known. Business was suspended the next day. Everyone went over the country to see the damage wrought—the landslides, the dreadful gullies, and the property washed away. Sam hurried out to take a look over his farm, and overtook Jim and Molly on their way to look at their future home. They joined Sam for a look at his farm. Behold! They were paralyzed and dumb! On Sam’s farm stood a beautiful, snug, gabled-windowed, and semi-goth-ical farm house of the most approved design. It was all complete, and although it stood upon Sam’s farm right on the site where Sam’s house had stood, it had a strangely familiar look. Jim looked at Molly, and Molly looked at Jim. Molly made a wry little face. It was evident that she would have to marry Sam. The three picked their way along and came up close to the house for a more thorough inspection. It was certainly complete. It was even furnished. They walked through the front door, into the hall. The hall led into a cozily furnished parlor, and the parlor into a dining room. From the dining room they _ strolled info the kitchen. The kitchen was furnished with all that was necessary in the way of domestic happiness, for besides everything in the way of utensils, there was a dainty, domestic blue-aproned housewife. Whose, wife? She blushed painfully when the three entered. “Why, Annie Boggins!” cried Sam, lunging forward and grasping her hand. “Where did you come from?” “I slipped down hill last night,” explained the little lady. "And I don’t see how I am ever going to get my house up again on my own land.” Jim and Molly stepped outside and gazed in wonderment at the slippery path down which the Widow Boggins’ house had come the previous night ■ “I thought I had seen the house some place,” said Jim. “I thought witches had done it!” declared Molly. Meanwhile, Sam was busy talking to Mrs. Boggins, telling her he had loved her even before she had married Phil Boggins, and arguing that the fates had brought her to him, and he was not going to let her go. Annie Boggins’ answers to Sam’s arguments were blushes and stammerings, and they did not convince Sam that hiß arguments were poor ones. By way of further argument he kissed her on the cheek. While they were discussing the matter of her remaining, Jim and Molly returned from looking at the landslide, and the situation was explained to them. “Well,” laughed Jim, “It isn’t every man that wakes up in the morning in possession of a house furnished-even with a wife!”