The L'Anse sentinel., 1915-06-12
APRIL's TICKLE LADY
~ MARTHA 4M'cuLLocH.
WiLLiAMe.

low. easy chair. She had been staz
Ing in the fire. elbows on knees.
Jean. her comrade-cousin, laughe,
softly. "What II 90 tiresome -endus
ing Ned or doing without Billyi"
Both - neitherl" Leeta cried
springing up and darting to the piano
Il believe It ID mostly--men In gem
eral."
Say. rather. the fact that you CAM
be quite happy with or without them,
Jean retorted. Tell the truth, Le<
I-you know Irritation is-the salt !oi
life to you"
You're no better-only slyer.'
Leeta famed out.
Jean laughed heartily. "Please ex
plain!" she said, after . minute,
maybe am sly; II 20. deceive my.
self the same as anybody else"
"You dont!" Leeta cried. whirlins
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 a frozen fright at first-and
begged me to save you from him."
she said defensively.
Leeta nodded. II was fool-now
II am WISER" she said huskily. IT
didn't mean to tell you ever. but It
hurts SO to see you playing with him
when ="
Playing with him!" Jean echoed.
"You speak in riddles. You can't
mean playing at love-making, Just
because made him leap-year pro-
posal! You know how that happened.
All Of you dared me to do It I
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 afiection-mak-
ing the one beloved mighty uncom-
Portable" Jean interrupted.
Leeta gripped her shoulders hard
saying In q thin-edged voice: You
do love him. Deny tiff you can"
Jean freed herself. looking at the
other halfcompassionaaely. half
scornfnliy. walked to the door and
said very crisply:
II n win ease your mind. here and
now make you 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-
moving David had heard her. He
had been just within the entrance.
She had chosen the hack way for her
exit A big fellow. ugly. but after q
frank, engaging fashion. no was much
puzzled as to what was best. II he
could have got away unseen he would
have done It. but Aunt Margaret. host
ess Of the two girls. had met him
1t the yard gate and hidden him 60
inside.
Men propose sometimes when they
are disposed otherwise. Davy was
to prove the fact; Finding !
Leeta in stormy tears. he would have
rushed out but that she all but fiung
herself in his arms. And she was
very. very pretty. very. very clinging.
her voice was very soft, her
round arms velvet to the touch. BY the
lime he had calmed her little. and
got in the way OF comforting her. all
for flight had vanished.
And by the time Aunt Margaret came
In upon them, Leeta was comfortably
nestled within his arm a. became his
betrothed.
Aunt Margaret was direct-discon-
certingly 90 sometimes. why. !
thought you were after other game,
Jean. my little brown partridge" she
said. staring open-eyed as David man
fully explained. : ,@s,.ehs~'.-
Fate. which asks questions, some
times also answers them. Three dayg
later David knew with awful certainty
hs you'd never be happy without
Jean. He met her. out upon Q ledgy
rock, bareheaded. her garments back
ward blow6, face .upraised. but hands
Ilstiees1y down. He laid hold of both
her hands and questioned her stub
borniy. A stubbornly she fenced
with him. knowing the hazard Of
truth.
David would not s1vs sp. You
lmewi You knswi~ hs persisted,
''as / know now-whsn II u almost too
late"
-ouits too late" Jean said, turning
away her face.
Then and there cane IN emissary
Of kind fortune 70 the pair. He was
most sportsmanly clad and carried .
gun rathsr sihGsriy. ~Can you tell
ms.~ he BEGAN, ~ I am on the way to
Thk Oaksf I sssm 70 have lost my
wat-why. Miss Jsan--it can't b
youf~
mot MOI my shosti" Jean said,
suddenly shaksn yet presenting TO
David Mr.. Archer Crane. = friend
from hems." she aAdsd dsscripttvsly.
Mr. Crane beamed. WHO hopes