Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-15
THE MEL TING OF MOLLY
By MARIA THOMPSON DAVIES
Copyright Bobbs-Nferrin Company

Tom, in a dangerous blue-striped
shirt. with a tie that melted into it in
tone, blew over my hedge and landed
at my side. He kissed the lace ruffie
on my sleeve while l reproved him
severely and settled down to enjoy
him. But l didn't have such an
awfully good time as ! generally do
with him. He was too full of another
woman, and even first. cousin can
be an evaporation in that condition.
Now, Mrs. Molly, truly did you
ever see such a peach as she is?" he
demanded after l had expressed more
than a dozen delighted opinions of
Miss Chester. His use of the word
peach" riled me and before I stopped
to think I said: "She reminds me
more of a string bean"
Now, Molly. don't be mean just
because old Wade has got her out
driving behind the grays after kissing
your hand under the lilacs yesterday,
which, praise be. nobody saw but
little mel I'm not sore, why should
you be? Aren't you happy With
me?'
| withered him with look, or
rather tried to wither him, for Tom
is no Mimosa bud.
1.-The way that girl has started in
TIC wake up this little old town re-
minds nc of the feeling you get IN
der your belt seven minutes after
you've slipped an absinthe frappe
e Lin hla for q
good lag and don't know 1t, he con-
tinued enthusiastically. Lets don't
let the folks know that they are or
until l get everybody in a full SWING
of buzz over my queen" I had never
seen Tom SO enthusiastic over girl
before, and | didn't. like 1t. But de-
cided not % let him know that, but
to get to work putting out the Ches-
ter blaze in him and starting one on
my own account.
THAT'S just what I'm thinking
about, Tom" I said with smile that
was as sweet as l could make it, land
as she came with messages to me
from one of my best old friends
think I ought to do something TO
make her have a good time. / was
just planning gorgeous dinner-party
l want to have for her when you
came so suddenly. Do you think we
could arrange it for Tuesday eve-
ning?"
Lord love us, Molly, don't knock
the town down like that! Let 'em
have more than a week to get used
to this white rag of dress you've
been waving in their faces for the
last few days. Go Slow"
i've been going so slow for so
mahy years that I've turned around
and I'm going fast backward, | said
with a blush that | couldn't help.
"Helpi Let my kinship protect me-
exclaimed Tom in alarm, and he pre-
tended to move an inch, away from
me
YES" 1 said slowly. and as looked
out of the corner of my eyes from
under the lashes that Tom himself
had once told me were too long and
black to be tidy" 1 saw that he was
in a condition to get the full shock
"If anybody wakes up this town 1t
will be l." l said as flung down the
gauntlet with a high head.
Here, Molly, here are the keys OF
my office, and the spark-plug to the
Hup; you can cut off a lock of my
hair, and If Judy has got cake I'll
eat it out of your hands. Shall 1t be
California or Nova Scotia? And /
prefer my bride served in light gray
tweed" Tom really is adorable, and
1 let him snuggle up just one cousin
ly second, then we both laughed ana
began to plan what Tom was horrible
enough to call the resurrection razoo.
But I kept that delicious rose-en1-
broidered treasure all to myself.
wanted him to meet it entirely I'M
prepared.
I was glad we had both got over
our excitement and were sitting de-
corously at several inches distance
apart when the judge drew the grays
up to the gate and we both went
down to the sidewalk to ask him and
the lovely long lady to come in. They
couldn't; but we stood and talked to
them long enough for Mrs. Johnson
to get a good look at us from across
the street and l was afraid / would
find Aunt Adeline in faint when
went into the house
Miss Chester was delightfully."- gra-
cious about the dinner-I almost
called it the debut dnner-and the
expression on the judges face when
he accepted! l was glad she was sit
ting sidewise to him and couldn't see.
Some women like to make other
women unhappy but l think it is
best for you to keep them blissfully
unconscious until you get what you
want. Anyway, l like that girl all
over and ] can't see that her neck
is so absolutely impossibly fiowery.
However, / think she might have
been a little more considerable
about discussing Alfreds London
triumph over the italian mission.
As punishment I let Tom
put his arm around my waist
as we stood watching them drive
off and then was sorry for the left
gray horse that SHE'D and came in
for crack of the judges irritated
whip.