A TOSS UP

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 3 December 1912, Page 3

A TOSS UP

Herbert Hosier, the son of a wealthy t'ai mo,- ut Cintrchlandy, Ya., i-s i» a dilemma. By the* toss of a coin lie "won" Lillian Bice, a dancer in the Criterion Theatre in New York. Hosier .says it was all a joke, and that he I was "only fooling." Miss Bice says it was not' a joke with her and that she is going to Virginia in a few days to marry Herbert, or she will know the reaKin why. As Miss Bice is a most ; determined young person, the odds are strongly in her favour. In case she doesn't marry, it can only be conjectured what the "amount" of the j "reason why" will he. j As to the facts of the case, there , is a slight divergency of "testimony." This much is agreed, however: j Young Hosier, plentifully supplied I with money, went to Xew York. He ' wanted to "see the sights," and thereis but little doubt concerning tho extent of "scenery" ho succeeded in , viewing. The Criterion Theatre was on , its itinerary--frequently. In fact, it became the chief attraction for this i young Virginian. And tho attraction [ within the attraction was a pair of i 'dancers in "The Girl from Montmarjtre." They were Miss Bice and her dancing partner, Augie Wieners. I Little dinners after tho theatre and oxcuryions up the Hudson followed. Before long the other members of the ' company commented freely on tho attention tho "Johbny" from Virginia * was showing the two girls, and the question soon arose; "Which one will / win him P" Xo one could answer, for even the girls most concerned were in ignorance of which one had won "Her.bioV heart:

He was apparently devoted to both of them to a degree, it is said, that would have assured either —if it had not been for the other one.

With the time for young Hosier to depart for his home the crisis arose. Both side« gave a bit different- version of how it was met .

"He seemed to be in love with both of us, so we had to come to a decision. We are not Mormons, and, besides, plural marriages aren't allowed any more in tlii*> country . He couldn't marry us both, that was evident; so wo tossed a coin to decide. I won, and the engagement was announced."

This is Mis.s Bice's version. Hosier's is different, in this particular: He yays that each girl asked him to marry her, and ho replied, jokingly that he couldn't wed both of them. He acknowledges that they tossed a coin to pick the winner, and that Miss Bice, won: but ho declares that ho wa« 'only fooling."

"I had no intention of marrying either girl," he says. "It was just a frolic-, and I did not expect to hear anv more from it."

Miss Rice insists that yhe won tho toss fairly, and that she intends to hold Hosier to his promise.