The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1911-05-12
A Winning
T c Game . |
By Harold Strong Latham
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary
Press.)

faces OF those who were sitting be-
fore the shrine bordering upon the
mysteries of the fre,-and other
things.
In the late fall and winter MollyS
hearth was the favorite meeting
place Of more than one couple, who,
though nothing had been said, were,
as the neighbors would say, "going
together" That nothing had been
said to Molly, the little circle Of
friends were certain, though Of late
they had noted and discussed Ralph
OSborne's persistent attention to her
and Molly's evident pleasure in it.
"Let's play rigmarole. It's jolly
fun" Molly suggested when she be-
gan to feel that though watching
wood burn was all very well for a
time, her guests might like to do
something more exciting.
whats rigmarole% big Tom
Carol, from next door, put in.
"It's game" Molly replied abb
sently and then caught herself abb
ruptly. "0f course you knew that.
How stupid! Let's see, there are six
Of us, that's fnel Well, one of us
starts a story-makes it up, you
mOw-and when it gets to the most
exciting or mysterious part stops
and passes it on to the next one,
who must work out the situation as
best he can and lead up to a new
one and pass that one. So it goes.
Do you all see?"
eyes," came a chorus Of replies
"Ralph shall start" Molly went
on, "and it'll go to you and you and
YOU" indicating each of the separate
victims, "and finally come to me.
Then Ralph must finish. The be-
ginner always ends the tale" she
said.
Again there was silence, while
Ralph collected his thoughts.
''Well, here goes" he began, after
a time, "My story, like all stories,
begins with a once upon a time
Once upon time there were a man
and maid. His name was-was
Peter, and hers was-Sue. Now,
Peter loved Sue, but like the Peter
OF the nursery rhyme, he was afraid
he couldn't keep her. For Sue had
everything-a fine home, automo-
biIes, carriages, maids-whereas
Peter had only pumpkin shell !
Peter was not lazy, or shiftless, or
stupid, but he'd reached only the
pumpkin shell period.
"One day Peter, who could really
stand it no longer, resolved that he
would place his offerings at Sues
feet and learn his fate. He rang the
bell that evening at her door, was
admitted by the, ceremonious butler
and finally ushered into the library,
where he found Mo-Sue. They sat
down before blazing log fire, much
like this one, and after they had
talked of this thing and that, Peter
told her of his love and asked her
the one all-important question. But
unfortunately just as he finished
speaking, and before Sue could pos
sibly reply, her mother came into the
room and said"
"There," Ralph declared. "I'm
finished. Go on" He looked eau
tiously up at Molly but her head
was turned away. No one, not even
he, had noticed the startled express
sion on her face or her alert atti-
tude.
Sues mother came in" the next
victim continued, "and said that
there was man outside who insist
ed on seeing Peter at once. Peter
was very angry, but Of course he
couldn't show it before the woman
whose daughter he hoped to marry.
Consequently he hurried out and
found the owner Of his pumpkin
shell, who told him that unless he
paid the rent that night he was 60
ing to dispossess him. Now Peter
sometimes had money, but this eve
ming he had none. So he got his
hat and coat and went with the man.
never saying word to Sue, who, Of
course, was much surprised at his
abrupt exit.
"After thinking it over Peter
finally decided that he would bor-
rovv aornp mnnav from, Fronl, CL.,s,