The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-10-08
Letting Them
Worry
A Case Where the Old Folks
Were Entirely Too Willing
By LOUISE OLNEY

u trdry fTtSs. u
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Perplexed, he gazed at Sallie. Her
blue eyes flashed welcome, but her
words turned him down. All summer
she had been refusing to be seen with
him. This time it was the club dance.
As they had been friends from baby
hood, he asked for reasons.
"Sallie, what's the matter? If you
really hate the sight Of nee I'll keep
away If it kills me. but somehow
don't believe you do. What have
done? Or is 1t Tracy, or don't you
care, or whatY In the little sum-
mer house he faced her, his dark eyes
swapping. She tossed her fair head,
but her face was serious.
'"Tracy. indeed! You ought to see
he's crazy about Mary Trevor! No;
you have not done anything, Robbie.
only She fingered her rose in en-
barrassment.
"Only what, Sallie? Tell me. I can't
stand this much longer"
"Well, I should think you would
hate it, too, this being-managed."
referring to our precious families
very apparent plot to get us married?
That certainly is the limitw He spoke
coolly. She nodded. flushing with
anger as he continued: 81 don't blame
you, Sallie. | hate it roo. p But
she turned on him like little tiger,
leaping to her feet to face him.
'Why don't you go away then? Do
you think that I-are you asking me
everywhere because you think u
For answer he swept her suddenly in
to his arms, holding her face to his-a
happy face. for she had always loved
Robert Martin.
Dear, you must know 1 want you
now, always. But why couldn't our
people be decently reluctant? It's all
so horribly planned. We both hate
being Unanswered into marriage. Moth
er suffers even If / look at Mary
sweet girl, but not you"
"And dad gets apoplectic at mere
sight of Tom-Tom, who is everything
dad and l don't want-but when he
and mother greet me at breakfast
with that repressed haven't you-got-
something-to-tell-us air 1 could glee-
fully announce Tom as their future
son. That would be real revenge. Not
that Tom wants me-" The two looked
up just in time to see Sallies mother
carefully steering the children away
from the summer house. 1t was mad
dening. Sallie stamped her foot
II simply can't be engaged to you,
Bob, with the family smiling benignly
and all the old pussies purring over the
fitness Of the match! | can't"
"Wait till you're asked" he retorted,
grinning. "Sallie, we want each other,
but we must let them worry. They
simply must worry awhile Did you
know that poor old Tracy hates me
because he thinks l want Mary?
Stupid boy! Anybody could see
where her heart is by the way she
hates me when chasten dad by going
out with Tom. Wonder why he asks
me-"
ITO get even because / play Mary's
little lamb to bother mother. You see,
Mary's family goes no farther back
than Adam. 1 suppose yours and mine
antedate old Eden. l say, Sallie"-
But he saw Tom Tracy going past
with his machine and ran after him
with shout The two men talked a
long time before Robert came back to
Sallie.
sect your veil and things and come
for spin. Well stop for Mary, have
lunch at some little town. have dinner
at Baxter, call on my minister uncle
John and get home by moonlight"
"And chaperon?" Though the four
had always known each other, Sallie
was going at least to mention proprie-
ties. Bob's wise eye twinkled.
IL think l can hunt up young mar
ried woman somewhere" he remarked,
but refused explanation till Tracy left |
the car to persuade Mary. Then Bob
did his gallant best to make things
clear. He succeeded. Sallie got in |
front with Tom, leaving Mary to an
apparently all too devoted Bob, while |
they paraded past their respective |
homes, for be it said that the Trevors
and the Tracys had long wished Mary |
and Tom to like each other.
1t was rather too late that night to |
please Sallie's father when Tom left
her reluctantly at her own door, And |
Bob, mother questioned, said he had |
been motoring with Mary.
That was the beginning. During !
August the four were inseparable. and |
the parents worried. The only appar-
ent comfort was that the couples re- |
NAMED together How could they |
know that partners were changed the
minute they got from under surveil- |
lance? The girls were airy, radiant,
innocent, the young men calm, i'm
Dervious to comment or question.
Never passing the bounds Of propriety, |
hey still bafIled home attempts to