The Detroit times., 1913-03-01
LEAF EIGHT.

(Continued)
"Humph," she said as we went up
the front steps, 'I'll be glad when
you-are married and settled, Molly
Garter, so the rest OF this town can
quiet down into peace once more. and
sincerely hope every woman under
SO I'm iillsboro who is already mar
ried will stay in that state until she
reaches that age. But ! do believe
X the law marched widows from
grave number one to altar number
two they would get into trouble and
fuss along the road. But come on in.
both of you, and help me get this
marriage feast ready. If | must! The
day Is going by on creased wheels
and can't let Mr.. Johnson
crotchets be neglected. AL Bennett or
no Al Bennett"
And from then on for hours and
hours I was strapped to torture
wheel that turned and turned. min
ute after minute. as Ii ground spice
and sugar and bridal meats and me
relent lessly into great suffering
pulp. Could ! ever in all my life
have hungered for food and been
able to get IL past the lump in my
throat that grew larger with the
seconds? And IL Alfred's pudding
tasted of the salt Of dead sea-fruit
this evening, ii was from my sur
reptitious tears that dripped into 1t
1t was late. very late before Mrs.
Johnson realized II and shooed me
home TO get ready to go to the train
along with the brass band and all
the other welcomes.
] hurried all could but for long
minutes ] stood in front Of my mirror
and questioned myself Could this
slow. pale. dead-eyed. slim, dropping
girl be the rollicking child OF Molly
who had looked out of that mirror
nj me one short week ago? Where
were the wings on her heels. the
CLINT I'm her curls, the laugh on her
mouth and the devil in her eyes?
Slowly ,at last lifted the blue
muslin, 23-inch waist shroud and let
II slip over my head and fall SHINY
around me. | had fastened the neck
button and was fumbling the next
|One into the buttonhole when ! sud
denly heard laughing excited voices
coming up the side street that ran
Just under my west window. Some
thing told me that Alfred had come
on the five-down train instead OF the
six-up and I fairly reeled to the win
dow and peeped through the shut
tiers.
They were all in laughing group
around him, with Tom as master OF
ceremonies, and Ruth Chester was
hooking up into his face with an ex-
|pression I am glad | can never for
get. 1t killed all my regrets on the
score Of his future.
It took two good looks to take him
hill in and then | must have missed
some OF him. for all in all, he was
SO large that he stretched your eyes
to behold him. He's grown seven
fleet tall, don't know how many
pounds he weighs and | don't want
anybody ever to tell me!
had never thought enough about
evolution to know whether | believed
| i'm il and woman's suffrage, but | do
now, | know that millions OF years
ago a great, big, distinguished hip
|popotamus stepped out OF the woods
! and frightened one of my foremoth-
ers so that she turned tail and lied
through thicket that almost tore
' her limb from limb, right into the
arms Of her own mate. That's what
did, caught that blue satin belt
together with one hand and ran
Through my garden right over pea
IF savage tiger-lilies and flung my
self into John Moore's office. slammed
/ the door and backed up against 1t.
"He's come" gasped. And I'm
frightened to death, with nobody but
you to run to- Hide me quick. He's
fat and | hate HIM" was that dead
| " cold you can get when fear runs
| into your very marrow and congeals
the blood in your arteries. Quick,
quick / painted.
He must have been as pale as l
was. and for an eternity OF second
ne looked at me. then suddenly