The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-04-10
APRIL'S TICKLE LADY
BY MARTHA M'CullOCH-
WILLIAMS.

iuS III the HTe, elpOWS on knees.
Jean, her comrade-cousin, laughed
softly. What is so tiresome-endur-
Ing Ned or doing without Billy?"
Both - neither" Leeta cried,
.springing up and darting to the piano.
Il believe it is mostly-men in gen.
eral."
Say, rather, the fact that you can't
be quite happy with or without them"
Jean retorted. Tell the truth, Lee
--yor know Irritation is-the salt of
life to you"
You're no better-only slyer,"
Leeta famed out.
Jean laughed heartily. please ex.
plain!" she said, after a minute.
Maybe am sly; IL so. deceive my.
self the same as anybody else"
"You DON'T" Leeta cried, whirling
to face her cousin. You know-you
can't deny-you've played your cards
beautifully-to make Davy Andrews
propose"
What's Davy?" Jean queried, with
Just the faintest flush.
Leeta stamped hard. "The only
one really worth wilhelm all this
ruck that has come calling on u.s."
she said.
Jean stared. "Why-you called
him a frozen fright at flrst-and
begged me to save you from him."
she said defensively.
Leeta nodded. Il was a fool-now
Il am WISER" she said huskily. Il
didn't mean to tell you ever, but II
hurts so to see you playing with him
when +"
Playing with him." Jean echoed
"You speak in riddles. You cant
mean playing at love-making, just
because l made him q leap-year pro-
posal! You know how that happened.
All Of you dared me to do II.
chose Davy because"
"Bescause you liked him-best Of
ALL" Leeta exploded. "And YOU
wanted to see him get hot and red
with all the others laughing at you
two!"
Funny way to show affection-mak.
ing the one beloved mighty uncom-
Portable" Jean interrupted.
Leeta gripped her shoulders hard
saying in a thin-edged voice: you
do love him. Deny tiff you can"
Jean freed herself, looking at the
other half-compassionate half.
scornfully, walked to the door and
said very crisply:
IF It will ease your mind, here and
now make you a present of all right,
title, claim or interest I have, had or
may have in David Andrews, Es
quire.
Then she rushed upstairs all un-
knowing David had heard her. He
had been Just within the entrance.
She had chosen the back way for her
exit. A big fellow. ugly. but after a
frank, engaging fashion, ne was much
puzzled as to what was best. II he
could have got away unseen he would
have done 1t, but Aunt Margaret, host.
ess Of the two girls, had met him
At the yard gate and hidden him 60
inside.
Men propose sometimes when they
are disposed otherwise. Davy was
destined to prove the fact. Finding
Leeta in stormy tears, he would have
rushed out but that she all but flung
herself in his arms. And she was
very, very pretty. very, very clinging.
moreover her voice was very soft, her
'ound arms velvet to the touch. BY the
lime he had Gained her little, and
got in the way of comforting her. all
inclination for fight had vanished.
And by the time Aunt Margaret came
n upon them, Leeta was comfortably
lestled within his arm as became his
oetrothed.
Aunt Margaret was direct-discon'
.ertingly 90 sometimes. why, j
thought you were after other game.
lean, my little brown partridge" she
,aid, staring open-eyed as David man
,ully explained.
Fate, which asks questions, some 4
lines also answers them. Three days
.ater David knew with awful certainty
1e would never be happy without
lean. He met her, out upon q ledgy
-ock. bareheaded. her garments back
ward blown, face upraised. but hands
listlessly down. He laid hold OF both
her hands and questioned her stub
bornly. As stubbornly she fenced
with him, knowing the hazard OF
truth.
David would not give up. "You
knew! You knew!" he persisted.
as I know now-when 1t IL almost too
late"
Quite too late" Jean said, turning
away her face.
| Then and there came an emissary
Of kind fortune to the pair. He was
most sportsmanly clad and carried .
gun rather gingerly. Can you tell
me-" he began, III am on the way to
Fair Oaks? I seem to have lost my
way-why, Miss Jean-it can't be
you?"
me! Not my ghost!" Jean said.
suddenly shaken yet presenting to
David Mr.. Archer Crane, "a friend
from home" she added deseriptively.
i Mr.. Crane beamed. Who hopes
very soon to be-something more
a cousin" he said blandly, unless
some of the Fair Oaks beaux have
nersuaded Leeta to throw me over