1 One beautiful summer day, when fragrant flowers were in bloom, Jimmie Shannon met Mary Jones, and he wanted to tell her he loved her. 2 When autumn had cast its golden glow and the flowers had faded and died, he still wanted to tell her he loved her. 3 When winter came and the leaves had fallen one by one and the snow had covered the hills and valleys he still wanted to tell her he loved her. 4 However - when nature had changed again, bringing forth spring time with its beautiful buds and blossoms - - He still wanted to tell her he loved her. 5 Jimmie was the junior partner of the firm of Meekin and Shannon, brokers, that had been tricked into a financial deal that meant disgrace - and possibly prison - unless they raised money quickly. 6 A lawyer, unknown to the firm, with good news for Jimmie. 7 "This man has some kind of a legal paper with him!" 8 "Maybe it's a summons!" 9 "He's not in." 10 "Let's go out to the Country Club." 11 "Your grandfather has left you the sum of - -" 12 "Seven million dollars." 13 "Providing - -" 14 "- you are married by seven o'clock on the evening of your twenty seventh birthday." 15 "When is your twenty- seventh birthday?" 16 "Today!" 17 "There's plenty of time - you've got until seven o'clock tonight to get married." 18 "Maybe Mary might marry me." 19 "Mary, you're the only girl I have ever loved." 20 "Will you marry me?" 21 "I must hurry back to the country club and tell Billy it's all fixed - and we'll be married today." 22 "Why today?" 23 "My grandfather left me a lot of money providing I marry some girl today." 24 "I don't mean some girl - I can marry any girl! I - I mean, it don't matter who I marry, but I must wed someone!" 25 "He said he must wed someone, and it might as well be me!" 26 "- and so you see, dear, how much better it is to give him a chance to explain." 27 "Then, Mr. Shannon, you've got to marry some other girl." 28 "I couldn't marry any other girl." 29 "But, you'll lose this fortune." 30 "I don't want the money - it has already cost me the only girl I ever loved." 31 "Take this to Mr. Shannon, and ride for your life!" 32 "- - and we'll lose our reputation, our friends, even our liberty - unless you do marry! - We're partners; - if you won't do it to save yourself, you must to save me!" 33 "Who will I marry?" 34 "How many of these girls do you know?" 35 "You have seven chances." 36 "Would you marry me?" 37 "I'll propose to this one for you." 38 "Have you ever thought of getting married?" 39 "Constantly!" 40 "Would you marry a man who loves you better than his very life?" 41 "Wait a minute -- I'm proposing for him." 42 "Who bats next?" 43 "Wrong party." 44 "Meet me at the Broad Street Church at five o'clock - I'll have a bride there if it's the last act of my life." 45 "You and try and have one there too in case he fails." 46 "In case two show up, I'll marry the other one." 47 "Yours?" 48 "Are you going to try to raise it?" 49 "Do you think anybody would marry me?" 50 By the time Jimmie had reached the church, he had proposed to everything in skirts, including a Scotchman. 51 "Ladies, you are evidently the victims of some practical joker -- I must ask you to leave the church as quietly as possible." 52 "What time is it?" 53 "Bring the minister to Mary's house. I'll try to get there somehow before seven o'clock!" 54 "You've killed him!" 55 "I know a short cut - we'll head him off!" 56 "I'm too late!" 57 "And we're not going to be married?" 58 "But Jimmie - Don't you think we could be happy without the money?" 59 "Mary - there's nothing before me but failure and disgrace, and you mean too much to me to let you share it!" THE ENDHome