The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-04-13
APRIL'S TICKLE LADY
BY MARTHA M'CULLOcH-
WILLIAMS.

paper Syndicate.)
Tiresome is no word for it," Leeta
said, throwing herself back in her
low, easy chair. She had been star
ing in the fire, elbows on knees.
Jean, her comrade-cousin, laughed
softly. What is so tiresome-endur-
ing Ned or doing without Billy"
Both = neitheri" 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
you 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 I am sly; if so, I 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"
Whats 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 frozen fright at f1rst-and
begged me to save you from him."
she said defensively.
Leeta nodded. 81 was a fool-now
i am WISER" she said huskily II
didn't mean to tell you ever, but it
hurts so to see you playing with him
when L"
Playing with him!" Jean echoed.
'You speak in riddles. You can't
mean playing at love-making, just
because l made him a leap-year pro-
posal! You know how that happened.
All Of you dared me to do 1t.
chose Davy because"
'Bescause you liked him-best of
ALL" Leeta exploded. "And youi
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-compassionately half
scornfully, walked to the door and
said very crisply:
IF it will ease your mind, here and
now I make you a present of all right,
title, claim or interest I have, had or
may have in David Andrews, Els
quire.
Then she rushed upstairs all I'M
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
frank, engaging fashion, he was much
puzzled as to what was best. If he
could have got away unseen he would
ess of the two girls, had met him
at the yard gate and hidden him go
| inside
Men propose sometimes when they
are disposed otherwise. Davy was
destined to prove the fact. Finding
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
round arms velvet to the touch. By the
time he had Gained her little, and
got in the way of comforting her, all
inclination for flight had vanished.
And by the time Aunt Margaret came
in upon them, Leeta was comfortably
nestled within his arm as became his
betrothed.
Aunt Margaret was direct-discon-
certingly so sometimes. 'Why,
thought you were after other game,
Jean, my little brown partridge she
said, staring open-eyed as David man.
fully explained.
Fate, which asks questions, some
| times also answers them. Three days
later David knew with awful certainty
he would never be happy without
Jean. He met her, out upon ledgy
rock, bareheaded, her garments back
ward blown, face appraised, 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 know now-when it is 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, "if 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 descriptively.
Mr.. Crane beamed Who hopes
very soon to be-something more
cousin he said blandly, unless
some of the Fair Oaks beaux have
-