The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1911-03-18
A TNTinr2in8
e-Gane >
By Harold Strong Latham
Copyright, 1911. by Associated Literary
presS)

ting lights and shadows upon the
faces Of those who we're sitting be-
fore the shrine pondering upon the
mysteries of the fre--and other
things.
In theIate fall and winter Molly's
hearth was the f%avorite meeting
place of more than one couple, who,
though nothing had been said, were,
as the neighbor8 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.
"Lets 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 a game" Molly replied alb
sently and then caught herself alb
ruptly. "Of course you knew that.
How stupid! Let's see, there are six
of us, that's fine. Well, one Of us
starts a story-makes it up, you
know-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-
Tinner 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 a time there were a mar
and a maid. His name was-wal
: Peter, and hers was-Sue. Now
Peter loved Sue, but like the Pete
5 Of the nursery rhyme, he was afraiC
he Couldn't keep her. For Sue hac
everything fine home, automo-
biles, carriages, maids-whereas
Peter had only a pumpkin shell
Peter was not lazy, or shiftless, OIL
stupid, but he'd reached only the
pumpkin shell period,
Gone day Peter, who could really
stand it no longer, resolved hal hi
would place his offerings at Sue'i
feet and learn his fate. He rang tn,
]. bell that evening at her door, wa
admitted by the ceremonious butte.
and finally ushered into the library
where he found Mo-Sue. They sa
down before a blazing log fire, mucI
like this one, and after they hac
talked Of this thing and that, Pete
= told her of his love and asked he
the one all-important question. Blu
unfortunately just as he fnishe.
speaking, and before Sue could pos
slbly reply, her mother came into tn
room and said"
"There," Ralph declared. pr
finished. Go on" He looked eau
tiously up at Molly, but her hea.
was turned away. No one, not eve.
he, had noticed the startled expires
sion on her face or her alert att
tude.
Sues mother came in," the mex
! victim continued, "and said tina
there was a man outside who insist
J, ed on seeing Peter at once. Pete
e was very angry, but of course h
couldn't show it before the woma
whose daughter he hoped to MARI,
Consequently he hurried out an
found the owner of his pumpki
SHE'LL who told him that unless h
paid the rent that night he was g
ing to dispossess him. Now Pete
lie sometimes had money, but this ev,
ming he had none. So he got h
z hat and coat and went with the mai
!. never saying a word to Sue, who, {
course, was much surprised at h
abrupt exit.
"After thinking it over Pet,
finally decided that he would bo
row some money from Frank Chan
Y bers, one of his friends. According
-